How many bags of cement for 1 cubic metre of PCC 1:4:8?

About 3.4 bags of 50 kg, using a dry volume factor of 1.54. Add a small allowance for wastage.

What is the dry volume factor of 1.54?

It is the ratio of loose dry materials needed to make one unit of compacted wet concrete. Some engineers use values between 1.52 and 1.57.

Is 1:5:10 strong enough under a floor?

It is used for lean PCC and filling where only a level bed is needed. For floors that carry load, your engineer may specify 1:4:8. Follow the drawing.

Do I need to count the sand and gitti too?

Yes. The same working gives it. For 1:4:8 per cubic metre, sand is about 0.47 cubic metre and gitti about 0.95 cubic metre.

Cement quantity for PCC, flooring and foundation filling: bags per 100 sq ft

Updated 29 October 2026

In this guide

How the quantity is worked out
Worked example: PCC 1:4:8
Cement bags per cubic metre and per 100 sq ft
Which mix goes where
Common mistakes that waste cement or cut strength
Ordering

How the quantity is worked out

Concrete shrinks when wet materials mix and compact. To get 1 cubic metre of finished concrete, you need about 1.54 cubic metres of dry materials. This is the dry volume factor of 1.54 that engineers use. Some use 1.52 to 1.57, so results vary slightly.

Steps: (1) Find the wet volume = area x thickness. (2) Multiply by 1.54 to get dry volume. (3) Divide by the sum of the ratio parts. (4) Multiply by each part. A 50 kg bag of cement is taken as 0.0347 cubic metre, which is about 1.25 cubic feet.

Worked example: PCC 1:4:8

Take 1 cubic metre of PCC 1:4:8. The sum of parts is 1 + 4 + 8 = 13. Cement dry volume = 1.54 / 13 = 0.1185 cubic metre. In bags, that is 0.1185 / 0.0347 = about 3.4 bags. Sand = 0.1185 x 4 = 0.474 cubic metre. Gitti = 0.1185 x 8 = 0.948 cubic metre.

For 1:5:10, the parts total 16. Cement = 1.54 / 16 = 0.0963 cubic metre, about 2.8 bags. Sand = 0.48 cubic metre. Gitti = 0.96 cubic metre.

For a 100 sq ft area, which is 9.29 square metre, at 100 mm (4 inch) thickness, the wet volume is 0.929 cubic metre. For 1:4:8 that is 0.929 x 3.41 = about 3.2 bags of cement, 0.44 cubic metre (about 15.5 cubic feet) of sand and 0.88 cubic metre (about 31 cubic feet) of gitti.

Cement bags per cubic metre and per 100 sq ft

Try it: Cement calculator

Concrete volume (m³)

Mix

Cement: 8.1 bags (50 kg)
Sand: 0.42 m³ (14.8 cu ft)
Aggregate: 0.84 m³ (29.7 cu ft)

Cement bags (50 kg) by mix, using dry factor 1.54. Add about 5 percent for wastage.
Mix and use	Bags per m3	Thickness	Bags per 100 sq ft
PCC 1:4:8 (below floor, footing bed)	3.4	100 mm (4 in)	3.2
PCC 1:4:8	3.4	75 mm (3 in)	2.4
PCC 1:5:10 (foundation filling, lean bed)	2.8	100 mm (4 in)	2.6
PCC 1:5:10	2.8	75 mm (3 in)	1.9
Floor topping 1:2:4	6.3	40 mm (1.5 in)	2.4
Cement mortar screed 1:3	11.1	25 mm (1 in)	2.6

Check for the 1:2:4 topping: parts total 7, cement = 1.54 / 7 = 0.22 cubic metre = 6.3 bags per cubic metre. For 100 sq ft at 40 mm, the volume is 9.29 x 0.04 = 0.3716 cubic metre, and 0.3716 x 6.3 = about 2.4 bags. Mortar screeds are often worked with a lower dry factor, so the 1:3 figure is slightly generous.

Which mix goes where

1:5:10 is the lean mix for levelling beds under footings and for trench filling where only a clean base is needed. 1:4:8 is a step richer and is common under plinth beams and floors.
Under ground floors, the usual PCC is 75 to 100 mm of 1:4:8 over a compacted base. Ask your engineer or architect for the exact specification of your house.
Floor topping of 1:2:4 or 1:3 goes on top of the base for a hard, level surface before tiling. Tile adhesive or bedding mortar is a separate item.
Foundation filling with earth, sand or brick bats under the floor needs no cement. Only the concrete layer above uses cement.

Common mistakes that waste cement or cut strength

Using 1:2:4 under a floor that gets tiled, which wastes cement. A leaner mix is enough.
Mixing by the number of buckets instead of fixed boxes. Use a standard box, the same size for each part.
Adding extra water to make it easy to spread. Strength drops fast with each extra bucket of water.
Not compacting the base before PCC. Soft fill settles and the floor cracks.
Skipping curing. PCC and screed need to stay wet for several days.

Ordering

Work out the total, add 5 percent, and round up to full bags. For a bigger job, our cement calculator does the same arithmetic. Cement rates change, so call or WhatsApp the store for the day's price and delivery to Amroha, Moradabad and nearby areas.

Frequently asked questions

How many bags of cement for 1 cubic metre of PCC 1:4:8?: About 3.4 bags of 50 kg, using a dry volume factor of 1.54. Add a small allowance for wastage.
What is the dry volume factor of 1.54?: It is the ratio of loose dry materials needed to make one unit of compacted wet concrete. Some engineers use values between 1.52 and 1.57.
Is 1:5:10 strong enough under a floor?: It is used for lean PCC and filling where only a level bed is needed. For floors that carry load, your engineer may specify 1:4:8. Follow the drawing.
Do I need to count the sand and gitti too?: Yes. The same working gives it. For 1:4:8 per cubic metre, sand is about 0.47 cubic metre and gitti about 0.95 cubic metre.