Types of Sand? Classification Of Sand
Types of Sand
The most common types of sand are River Sand, Concrete Sand, Fill Sand, Coarse Sand, Utility Sand, Pit Sand Fine Sand, or M-Sand which is manufactured sand made from crushed concrete with a mixture of asphalt and cement.
River sand is typically found near river banks and streams; meanwhile, Concrete sand is made from crushed concrete with a mixture of asphalt and cement.
Fill sand is often used for backfill purposes; Coarse sand can be utilized in roads as well as playgrounds.
Utility sand usually contains only small particle sizes which are employed to fill the voids between larger aggregate particles whilst pit sand contains no clay particles making it suitable for masonry work.
Finally, M-Sand has been widely accepted as an alternative to natural sands due to its ability to provide higher strength while also being eco-friendly and cost-efficient in comparison.
What Is The Classification Of Sand?
Sand can be classified into five different sub-categories based on size: very fine sand (1/16 – 1/8 mm), fine sand (1/8 mm – 1/4 mm), medium sand (1/4 mm – 1/2 mm), coarse sand (1/2 mm – 1mm) and very coarse sand (1mm – 2mm).
Different grains of sand can be used for different purposes such as filling joints between pavers or creating a smooth surface. As the degree of granularity increases, its uses also do, ranging from laying down driveways and pathways to gardening and top-dressing golf courses.
Which Type Of Sand Is Used In Construction?
Mason sand is one of the most commonly used types of sand in construction and landscaping projects.
It is a fine, uniform sand that has a smooth texture and feels, making it ideal for use as mortar between bricks or concrete blocks, as well as bedding material for underneath pavers and other stone products.
Mason sand has many uses in construction, including backfill around foundations and walls, floor screed, masonry joinery joints, artificial turf base material, driveway or sidewalk base layer, pond filtration media, children’s play areas, and more.
Its versatile properties make it an invaluable resource for any construction project.
What Are The 5 Characteristics Of Sand?
Sand has five distinct characteristics: size, visibility, water-holding capacity, total pore space, and size of pores. Sand grain size typically ranges from around 2.0 to 0.02 millimeters in diameter; it can be seen with the naked eye but is best viewed under a microscope.
It has a low water-holding capacity and its total pore space is the lowest among sediment types like silt and clay.
Additionally, sand’s pores are rather large so air and water move very rapidly through them when compared to other sediments.
Sand has very low plasticity, swelling, and cohesion which explains why it feels gritty when rubbed between your thumb and fingers.
What Are The 3 Main Sources Of Sand?
The three primary sources of sand are weathering on continental granitic rock, weathering of oceanic volcanic rock, and skeletal remains of organisms.
Weathering on continental granitic rocks occurs due to the physical breakdown of large rocks into smaller particles via wind, water, ice, and temperature changes.
Meanwhile, weathering of oceanic volcanic rocks is caused by hydrothermal alteration as hot fluids produced by nearby underwater volcanoes interact with the cold seawater creating a chemical reaction that breaks down the larger particles into smaller pieces.
Lastly, skeletal remains from organisms such as corals and shellfish form fine sand grains when they decompose over time either naturally or through human intervention like beach cleaning activities. All three sources provide the majority of sand in today’s world for many applications.
