TYPES OF SAND | Pit Sand | River Sand | M-Sand (Manufactured Sand) & other types

 

Different types of sand used in construction?

How to choose the right sand for your construction?

What type of sand should I use for plastering? Brick work? And to make concrete? Well, this article clarifies those questions for you.

There are several types of sand that are currently used in construction. Of them, Pit sand, M sand and river sand are mainly used.

 

Engineering Point of View Sand (Fine Aggregate) is classified into the following categories

1.  Types of sand by its source

2.  Classification by its sieve analysis.

3.  Classification by its purpose of the application

4.  Classification by its grain size.

 

TYPES OF SAND BY ITS SOURCE

Pit Sand

Pit sand is a natural and coarse type of sand that is excavated by digging 2-3 m below the ground. due to the presence of iron oxide around the grains It colour will be reddish orange. These sand grains are free of salts, so they do not react with the humidity present in the atmosphere. Well sand is used in construction due to its superior bonding properties. As mentioned above, pit sand is a coarse type of sand and is not recommended if the sand is coarser than acceptable limits.

 

River sand

River sand is obtained from river banks and river beds. It is usually greyish white and of excellent quality. River sand is well graded and good for all types of concrete and masonry work.

 

Natural river sand was a cheap resource of sand. However, over-mining of river beds to meet the demand for sand in the construction industry leads to environmental imbalances and adversely affects the environment.

 

River sand has silica content. The high silica content makes the sand useless for concrete work and can cause constipation on the surface in the future. To deal with this, the sand should be tested before using the silica content. A good sand should have less than 5% silica.

 

M-Sand (Manufactured Sand)

Due to the massive growth of construction, a great demand for sand arises. To meet the demand and maintain the ecological balance without damaging the environment. M sand is produced.

 

M sand is an alternative to river sand. M sand (prepared sand) made by crushing hard granite stone. MS by cubic designing, grading and cleaning using the VSI machine. The amount of sand produced is less than 4.75 mm. The color of M sand varies from gray-blue to red depending on the type of rock used for graying.

 

The name itself says that the sand is made artificially. The levels of M-sand can be easily controlled while crushing. Since, quality control is maintained in the process of preparing the prepared sand.

 

M-Sand does not contain any silt materials or organic contaminants and is very suitable for concrete construction.

 

River sand is more expensive compared to manufactured sand due to transportation and availability. M-sand (manufactured sand) is produced by crushing hard granite rocks that are readily available at a nearby location, thus reducing transportation costs. The use of M sand in construction reduces the overall cost of sand by 10% -15%, which saves structure.

ALSO READ: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN M SAND AND RIVER SAND

 

Classification based on Sieve analysis

Gravel in Sand

The sand that passes through a 7.62 mm sieve is called gravel sand. This type of sand is used in the preparation of concrete.

 

Coarse Sand

The sand that passes through a 3.175 mm sieve is called coarse sand. This amount of sand is often used for masonry work. Pit sand is often coarse.

 

Fine Sand

The sand passing through the 1.5875 mm sieve is called fine sand. The excellent coating is often used in plastering work.

 

CLASSIFICATION BASED ON GRAIN SIZE

Based on grain size sand it is classified as high fine sand, fine sand, medium sand, coarse sand and very coarse sand. The grain sizes of different types of sand are given below:

Type of Sand	Grain Size
very fine sand	0.0625mm to 0.125mm
Fine Sand	0.125mm to 0.25mm
Medium Sand	0.25mm to 0.50mm
Coarse Sand	0.50mm to 1mm
Very Coarse Sand	1mm to 3mm

 

 

How to Select Sand for Different Construction activities

Regardless of the type of sand. A good sand used in construction should contain less than 3% of silica and no organic contaminants.

Different construction operations require different fine modulus of sand.

 

Sand used in Brick work

For Brickwork sand brshould have a fineness modulus of 1.2 to 1.5

 

Sand used in plastering

For plastering sand should have a fineness modulus of less than 1.5

 

Sand used in making Concrete

The sand used in the preparation of concrete should have a fine modulus of 2.5 to 3.5.