Sand: Properties and uses

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In nature, sand is a natural resource that can be found in abundance. It is common to find sand in areas such as beaches, deserts, and riversides because it is a granular powder-like substance.

The sand is composed of mineral particles and finely broken rocks. There are several uses of sand, some of which are agricultural, artistic, constructional, paints, and water filtration, among others. It is a granular material with various uses.

Although sand can be classified according to its composition, the size of the grains determines its classification.

A sand grain is smaller than a gravel grain or a rock grain, and it is coarser than a silt grain. Depending on the region of their formation, sands can have a variety of shapes and colours.

Properties of sand

It is important to know the properties of good quality sand for the construction, since sand is used for many kinds of construction. Here are some of the common good quality sand properties:

• There should be a sharpness to the grains and a coarseness to them.
• In order to ensure that the sand is of high quality, it must be free of clay, organic matter, and be a proper sand. There should be no organic matter mixed with the sands.
• It is important that the grains are made from minerals that are durable.
• The sand should not contain any sea salts as it should be free from them.
• It is important to grade the grain size in such a way that the voids are as small as possible.
• There should be no organic matter present in it and it must be clean and free from any type of clay or silt.
• A sand is a coarse material made up of loose pieces of hard broken rock, grains that come from disintegrating rock.
• In the construction industry, the shape, size, and density of sands are all very important

Uses of sand in construction industry

A multipurpose material such as sand can be used for a variety of uses in the field of construction. There is no doubt that sand is one of the most important components of critical construction materials. Various types of stuff like concrete, plasters, glass, mortars, and other things are made from sand in construction.

Some uses of sand are

• Under all roads, sand serves as a protective layer as a road base
• Mixing sand with materials gives them a textured appearance
• In order to make cement stronger, sand is mixed with cement
• The purpose of sand is to make plaster, mortar, concrete, and asphalt.
• Clay bricks have a tendency to be weaker than bricks made of sand, which has the advantage of making bricks stronger.
• When mixed with cement, sand is the best material for tile flooring
• As well as binding and plastering, it has other uses
• Uneven surfaces and cracked terrain can be leveled with sand
• Among the reasons for the use of sand in road construction is that it increases traction (and hence traffic safety) in an icy or snowy environment.

Chemical properties of sand

A majority of sands are composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2), typically in the form of quartz, which, because of its chemical inertness and considerable hardness, is one of the most common minerals that resist weathering due to its inertness and hardness.

Sands are composed of a wide variety of materials, depending on the type of rock they come from, their source, and the conditions in which they are found. However, silicon dioxide, usually in the form of quartz, is the most common component of sand.

In the center of the tetrahedral structure is the silicon atom, which is formed by the oxygen atoms. It is important to note that each oxygen atom is simultaneously surrounded by two silicon atoms.

What is the best sand for construction?

Sand is one of the most common and important materials that is used in the construction industry and is widely used. It is a common practice to use sand in concrete as fine aggregate as well as in plastering in the form of a cement and sand mixture.

Furthermore, it is also used as a structural material under the tiles, as well as a filler material beneath the tiles. For construction purposes, it is important to know that there are various types of sand.

The types of sands used for construction are

● River/Natural Sand-

A lot of this kind of sand can be found near riverbeds and the banks of rivers. In nature, this kind of sand is found in a fine quality, it has a greyish white colour and is as fine as you can find.

There are many different kinds of construction activities that can be undertaken with river sand, including concrete production and plastering

But this category of sand is limited and can cause adverse effects to the natural environment and as is it natural the sand may also consist of some slit and other organic materials.

● Manufactured Sand-

It is an artificially made sand, it is manufactured by properly crushing the sand into finer particle size. It is generally the most used type of sand used for construction and as is not natural it does not contain any organic material or slits.

● Pit Sand -

Pit sand is a type of sand that is extracted from digging deep pits in the ground. It is generally coarse in nature. It is not used so much in construction work as the sand is too large than natural sand.

Conclusion

In addition to being one of the most important natural resources, sand has a wide variety of applications. In the case of any construction work, the proper use of sands and the selection of the correct type of sand play a crucial role if they are utilized in the right manner.