Category: 2. Sand

Sand has now become a scarce and expensive material and the extraction of river sand is now said to affect the ecological balance. The use of sand substitutes has gained much importance. Surkhi, or fine-grained burnt clay, is one of the materials used for this purpose. It can be used in all mortars, except plaster.…

Sand is used in mortar and concrete for the following functions: Bulk: It acts as an additive. Hence, larger quantity or volume of mortar is increased resulting in cost reduction. Setting: In the case of fat lime, carbon dioxide (CO2) is absorbed through the voids of the sand and setting of the fat lime takes…

The increase in volume of sand due to the presence of moisture is called sand bulking. This is due to the fact that moisture forms a film of water around the sand particles and this results in an increase in the volume of the sand. The extent of bulking depends on the grading of the…

Based on grain size distribution, sand is classified as fine, coarse and gravel. Fine sand: Sand passing through a sieve with clean openings of 1.5875 mm is called fine sand. Fine sand is mainly used for plastering. Gravel sand: Sand passing through a sieve with clear openings of 7.62 mm is called gravel sand. It…

This sand is widely used for all purposes. It is obtained from the banks or beds of rivers and consists of fine rounded grains. The presence of fine spherical grains is due to mutual friction under the action of water flow. River sand is available in clean conditions. The river sand is almost white in…

Sea sand is obtained from sea beaches. It consists of fine round grains like river sand. The color of sea sand is light brown. Because sea sand contains salts, it attracts moisture from the atmosphere. Such absorption causes dampness, swelling and breakage of the work. Sea sand increases the setting time of cement. Therefore, it…

This sand is obtained by making pits in the soil. It is excavated to a depth of about 1-2 meters from the ground surface. This sand is found as deposits in soil and has sharp angular grains, which are free of salts. It serves as an excellent material for mortar or concrete work. Pit sand…

Sand is formed by weathering of rocks, Based on the natural sources from which sand is obtained, it is classified as follows: pit sand Sea sandRiver sand

Sand is an important construction material. It occurs abundantly in nature and is formed by the decomposition of rocks. Sand particles consist of small grains of silica (SiO2). It forms an important ingredient in concrete, lime mortar, cement mortar, etc.