Sand is one of the most abundant materials in the world. But it should be remembered that the abundance of these materials does not mean that they are worthless. Sand has many uses in industry and construction. Sand can meet many human needs and, in many cases, greatly reduce the cost. For this reason, getting to know these materials and their uses can be very useful. During this article, we will try to give a little explanation about sand and gravel. After that we will briefly list the uses of these two useful materials.
?What is sand
When we talk about sand, we are not referring to a single identity. Due to natural factors, stones and minerals may be fragmented and become sand after some time. Also, the erosion of rocks by rain or water flow can also lead to the formation of sand. Usually, the sands formed by the flow of water have a more polished shape. If the grains of sand are smaller than two millimeters, they are called sand, and if they are larger than this amount, it is called gravel. Usually, sand is obtained in two ways. The first type is sand that is found naturally, and the second type is sand that is produced by stone crushers in workshops. After breaking the stones, they are passed through fine sieves to obtain smooth sand.
Application of sand
The main use of sand is in construction and road building. Asphalt can be obtained from the combination of sand and bitumen, which is the main material covering the road surface. Sand mortar is used in making bricks, concrete blocks, building concrete and pipes. In addition, sand has uses in making glass. Of course, it should be noted that the sand examined in this article has differences with silica sand.
Playground: One of the uses of sand is to use it for children’s playground. Sand has a very soft texture, so it is enjoyable for children to play with it, and it prevents children from getting hurt if they fall on the ground. For this reason, covering the surface of the children’s playground can be considered a suitable method.
Concrete: Sand can be used to make concrete. Sand can create a porous texture in cement, which makes it stronger.
Mortar: Sand is one of the main ingredients of mortar. Mortar is used for gluing building components, especially bricks.
Asphalt: As mentioned, sand is used to form the asphalt compound. Asphalt is the main material covering the road surface, which enables fast and safe transportation surface for cars.
Decorative sand: sand can be used to decorate buildings, lobbies and hotels, as well as gardens. Sand can also help to water and feed plants better by making the soil porous.
The last word
Sand is a very abundant material on the planet. But this abundance does not indicate that they are worthless. Sand has been used for construction for centuries. Its use in making concrete and mortar helps the strength of buildings. Sand and gravel are qualitatively classified according to their grain size and are used for different applications.
