To calculate the quantities like earth work, foundation concrete, brickwork in plinth and super structure etc., the following methods are mostly recognized :-

Long wall – short wall method

Centre line method

Partly center line and short wall method

Long wall – short wall method

Under this method, the wall along the length of room is taken as long wall whereas the wall perpendicular to long wall is treated as short wall.

To determine the length of long wall or short wall, initially work out the center line lengths of separate walls.

After that, the length of long wall (out to out) should be computed once half breadth is added at each end to its centre line length.

So, the length of short wall that is worked out into in and is found by subtracting half breadth from its center line length at each end.

The length of long wall generally reduces from earth work to brick work in super structure whereas the short wall raises. To obtain the quantities, these lengths are multiplied with breadth and depth.

In this regard, Mr. Parag Pal, the eminent civil engineer, has presented an exclusive video tutorial that briefly explains the long wall and short wall method with drawings and graphs.

Video Courtesy : parag pal