Best Calculators Construction Engineers are Using
The construction industry is near the top of the most math-heavy fields of work. Each project starts guzzling out numerical data right from the very beginning of the process. All that information needs to be calculated using the proper tools to produce the desired result.
Chances are, you have been using some basic calculator to help in this work. A standard engineering calculator can be found in most civil engineers' bags. Worse, we see that in modern days people are using the calculators in their mobiles in this task. However, if you are a construction manager worth your salt, you would know that these generalized tools are pathetic when it comes to handling complicated building-related data. Wouldn't you wish there were calculators custom-built for construction jobs?
Fortunately, there are. Today, we will look into a few gadgets built specifically to handle the computational needs in a construction project. These calculators support custom functions, fractional computing, unit conversion, and a lot of other stuff specifically needed for building construction managers and civil engineers. Some of these are portable devices and some again are mobile apps. The 5 most popular construction calculators are:
- Construction Master Pro
- Construction Calculator-Building Material Estimate
- Jobber 6
- C-Calc Pro
- Materials Estimating Calculator
Construction Master Pro
The flagship of Calculated Industries general construction calculation tools line, Construction Master Pro looks like any standard scientific calculator in a nice solid shockproof casing at first glance. Look closer, however, and you will see a myriad of custom functions and tools ornamenting the keypad.
Covering a wide range of constructional computation activities, this device can calculate details of building to framing to concrete work. Not only measurements, but you can also use this device to calculate how much material you need for building a given structure, the volume in excavations as well as fillings, and even go as far as counting the number of transports and their costs for your project.
The Construction Master Pro covers unit conversion needs as well, and unlike a scientific converter it will not needlessly bog you down into unnecessary unit lists. It can convert to and from all building standard units like foot, meter, inch, centimetre and so on. Another advantage this device offers is the conversion of not only lengths but also areas and volumes.
But that's not all. The device though small contains a memory that will let you review your previous 20 tasks that you gave it to perform. This will help you invariably in rechecking past data.
Powered by two LR-44/A76 batteries, this portable device has a good battery life and costs around $50 in Amazon, including its one-year warranty.
Construction Calculator-Building Material Estimate: What would we do in today's world without our mobile phones? It seems that an unwritten rule is that if it can be imagined digitally, there exists an app for it (If not, start coding). The construction industry is no exception!
Construction Estimate is just such a smartphone app. Available for Android, it does not resemble much of a calculator at first sight. Instead, it has a task-driven interface segmented into separate pages, each dealing with a specific type of construction computation.
The pages you can find in this app offer the following building estimation calculation functions: Plaster estimation for brick wall, Plaster estimation for ceiling room, Floor tiles of a room estimation, Wall tiles of a room estimation, Distemper & color paint estimation for wall & ceiling, Brick estimation of a room, Concrete & steel estimation of a lintel/slab, Paint estimation
You can just enter available data like room size or object dimensions in the input fields on the screen and the app automatically calculates the estimation of the necessary materials for you.
One of the best civil materials calculators available for your phone, the reviews of this app has been mostly good. People associated with the civil construction industry have been saying some good stuff about it. According to most users, Construction Calculator Estimation is the best civil engineering calculator to go to, and it is an amazing and fantastic application. However, some users do complain about the pop-up ads that come with the app and the occasional glitches.
The app is available for free in the Google Play store and is free to use in full functionality, supported by advertisements.
Jobber 6
The Jobber 6 Construction Calculator caters to the construction industry professionals in a very efficient way. The handheld device is, unlike most calculators, arranged in width-wise instead of lengthwise, to make space for its many functions besides the numeric keypad. The keys are color-coded for accessibility support and contain a whole lot of functions ranging from basic and advanced math to one-tap unit conversion and other valuable stuff.
Conveniently small but powerful, the Jobber 6 provides a plethora of solutions in the building sites like calculating stairways, roofs, square ups, rake walls, and anything else you may require in a project. You can also perform complex math like trigonometry, curve-based and volumetric calculations with this handy little device. Finding the placements of jack rafters, hips, valleys, trusses, beams, and calculating their dimensions are a breeze with this machine.
Not limited to just work, the Jobber 6 also lets you set your preferences into the device, so that you do not need to configure the machine every time you run it. This will immensely help you in customizing your Jobber 6 to your particular line of work for that period, whether you are a construction professional, architect, designer, engineer, or just someone who needs fast accurate dimensions.
Not only the above, but the Jobber 6 can also perform quick unit conversions as well on-the-go, from and to the US and metric systems. Powered by a lithium-ion cell, the device is only 5.5 inches wide and 3.3 inches tall, fitting easily into your pocket. It also comes with a hardy protective shell so that you can use it in the rough construction site. Including a 6-month warranty, this product will make a $70-wide hole in your pocket, though.
C-Calc Pro
Another popular construction engineering app for Android devices is the C-Calc Pro or Construction Calculator Pro. Unlike the previous app, this one does include a standard calculator in it, but oh, it is so much more than just a calculator. A veritable construction computer, this calculator primarily works with fractional feet and inches, but you can use the built-in unit converter to get any unit system you like.
The interface is divided into several segments that cover various construction engineering needs. These include: Calculators: Calculator, Compound Miter, Stairs, Geometry: Arcs & Sectors, Areas, Triangles, Volumes, Materials: Block, Concrete, Drywall, Lumber, Paint, Tile, And many other functions.
This powerful app will let you calculate measurements, estimate materials and compute trigonometry and arc maths. An invaluable little program, it comes with its full instruction set, wide conversion support, and fifty memory slots to hold your past operations.
Available for free in the Google Play Store, the C-Calc Pro receives numerous positive reviews from its tens of thousands of users. The only con in this app is that the developer Snappy Appz has chosen to put some annoying ads in the program.
Materials Estimating Calculator
Like having a personal estimating assistant with you all the time, this little device will take away many headaches of most architects, engineers, and constructions. A simplistic design and large display give way to multiple materials estimation solutions. You'll be able to quickly and easily calculate material costs and allowances and get exactly the materials you need. It's designed for contractors, tradespeople and estimators who need to determine materials and costs for concrete, fences, decks, bricks, tile, flooring, gravel, painting, drywall, panelling, and much more.
Calculating materials for studs, sheets, board feet, floor tiles, blocks, bricks, gravel, and paint, etc. has never been so easy before. With this device, in a few simple taps, you can find out the number of bricks you will need for a given structure or even the whole projects. You can also figure out how many cement bags you may need, according to their various capacities. It will also let you store your previous calculations conveniently for later and repeated access.
The Material Estimator comes with a convenient flip cover that protects the device from the gritty dusty environment in the project sites. A quick guide is pasted inside the flip cover and they will provide a full guide as well. Ran by two CR-2016 long-life batteries, you can use the solar back-up to keep the device functioning in a pinch.
All of that comes pretty cheaply at around 20-30 USD only. Amazon, unfortunately offers only used or renewed versions of this product but offers a one-year limited warranty.