SAND

Sand:
Sand is usually termed as fine aggregate.
Sand is a form of silica & may be of argillaceous, silicious or calcarious according to its
composition.
Sand play an important role in engineering construction.
The sand grains may be of sharp, angular or rounded.

Calcarious Material: Which are the compound of calcium & magnesium.

Example: Limestone common calcareous material.
Argillaceous Material: Which are mainly silica, alumina of oxide of iron.
Example: Clay & shells are common argillaceous materials.

Classification of Sand:
Two types of Classification of Sand
1) According to source
2) According to size

1) According to source:
Sand is usually obtained from pits, shores, river bed of seas.
There are mainly three types of sand in use
a) Pit Sand
b) River Sand
c) Sea Sand

Pit Sand:
This type of sand is sharp, angular, porous & free from salt.
It may contain clay & other impurities which should be screened & washed before use.
It is lightbrown & yellowish in color.
It is most suitable for mortar work.

River Sand:
This variety of sand is fine, round & polished.
It is generally contain earthy impurities like gravels, pebbles etc.
These impurities should be screened & washed before use.
It is whiter in color, globula & smaller in size than pit sand.
It is most suited for plastering work.

Sea Sand:
This type of sand is also fine, round & polished.
But it is the worst of three varieties because it contains sea salts which absorb moisture from
the atmosphere causing permanent dampness & efflorescence & thereby the work gradually
disintegrates.
It also contains shells & organic matter which decompose in the body of mortar & plaster.
And finally reduce the strength & life of concrete structure.
2) According to size
There are mainly three types of sand in use

a) Fine Sand
b) Moderate Coarse Sand
c) Coarse Sand

Fine Sand
All the sand particles should pass through No. 16(ASTM) sieve (size 1\16 inch).
This is used in plastering work

Moderate Coarse Sand

All the sand particles should pass through No. 8(ASTM) sieve (size 1\8 inch).
Generally used for mortar work.

Coarse Sand
All the sand particles should pass through No. 4(ASTM) sieve (size 1\4 inch).
This type of sand is very suited for concrete work.

Properties of good sand:

Sand should be of pure silica (SiO)
It should be free from clay, silt shells, organic matter & salts.
It is preferable that sand should be washed before used in all engineering construction.

Test on Sand:
Sand is usually tested for silt & clay & organic matter.
Test for silt & clay:

 The presence of silt & clay in sand is determined by the % loss in weight of a sample after
washing the sample with clean water.

Test for organic matters:

The presence of organic matters is determined by stirring a sample of sand with 3% solution
of sodium hydroxide, caustic soda in a close bottle.
The sample is left for 24 hours the color of the solution turn brown if any organic matter is
present.
The amount of organic matter is determined by the intensity of darkness of the solution.

Availability of sand in Bangladesh:

It is abundantly available all over the Bangladesh.
Very good variety of river sand is available in the districts of Dhaka, Mymenshing & Sylhet
(Saver, Kaliakair, Durgapur, Sunmgonj).
Both sea sand & river sand of good quality are found in coastal districts like Khulna,
Noakhali & Chittagong.
A good variety of coarse sand is abundantly found in Coxs Bazar.
Sands are also available in nourther district of Bangladesh but not good quantity.

Use of Sand:
Sand mainly used for making mortar & plaster.
It is also used for manufacturing hollow & sheet glass.
Sand is also used to fill up gaps in between bricks in road constraction.

Grading of Sand:
All sand particles should bass through No. 4 to No. 16 sieve. But at the same time sand should
not contain every fine particle. In between these two sizes.

 Sand should contain particles of uniformly varying sizes or it should be grad in order to get
dense mortar.
The grading of these various sizes of sand particles is determined by the help of sieve
analysis.

Bulking of sand:
Bulking of sand means increase is in it volume due to presence of surface moisture.
The volume increases with increases in moisture content.
The volume may increase up to 20 to 40%, when moisture content is 5 to 10%.
It is actually a thin film of water around the sand grains & interlocking of air between the
sand grains & film of water.

Fig: bulking of sand.

Test for bulking of sand:
Take some sand in a container & measure the wt of it.
Then add 1% of water to the sand & take the wt & again pour the sand in the container &
measure in its height.

 Up to 8% repeating the process at a certain point we will observe that the sand has regained
its original height.
Finer sand bulks more than coarse sand.
The bulking of sand can be measured by the following formula
B = Vm / Vs*100
Here,

b = bulking in %
Vm = volume of moisture sand
Vs = volume of dry sand.

Disadvantage:
Its effect the concrete mixture strength & proportion of concrete mixture.
Cracks develop in concrete structure.
Reduce the load bearing capacity, strength & compatibility.

Example 02: The following is the result of the sieve analysis of two samples of sand (1250
gms each), one from Savar & another from Durgapur. Calculate the combined fineness
modulus.

Sieve

Savar cumulative
amount ratio

Durgapur
cumulative
amount ratio

No 04

50

No 08

200

50

No 16

300

250

No 30

650

400

No 50
No 100

1120
1250

620
625

Sol:
Sieve

Savar cumulative
amount ratio

Durgapur
cumulative
amount ratio

Savar cumulative
% retained

Durgapur
cumulative %
retained

No 04

50

No 08

200

50

16

No 16

300

250

24

20

No 30

650

400

52

32

No 50
No 100

1120
1250

620
625

90
100

50
100

286

206

Here,
Fs =

=2.86

= 2.06

Fcom =
Ratio =

Fd =
.

= 2.46

=1

Ex 03: The following is the result of the sieve analysis of two samples of sand, one from
Savar & another from Durgapur. Calculate the combined fineness modulus.

Sieve

Savar
Retain

No.4
No.8
No.16

8
10
12

Sunamgonj
Retain

10
15
8

Savar
cumulative
amount
ratio
8
18
30

Sunamgonj
cumulative
amount
ratio
10
25
33

No.30
No.50
No.100

6
10
8

4
5
10

36
46
54

37
42
52

Sol:
Sieve

Savar
Retain

No.4
No.8
No.16
No.30
No.50
No.100

Sunamgonj
Retain

8
10
12
6
10
8

10
15
8
4
5
10

Savar
cumulative
amount
ratio
8
18
30
36
46
54

Sunamgonj
cumulative
amount
ratio
10
25
33
37
42
52

Savar
cumulative
% retained

Sunamgonj
cumulative
% retained

14.81
33.33
55.55
66.66
85.19
100
355.54

19.23
48.08
63.46
71.15
80.77
100
382.69

Here,
.

Fs =

=3.56

Fd =

= 3.83

Fcom =
=

= 3.69 Ans:

Ex 04: Two sample of sand from Savar & Sunamgonj were mixed together. Their fineness
modulus is 2.84 & 2.24 respectively. Combined fineness modulus is 2.54. Determine the
ratio in which they are mixed.
Sol:
Given,
Fs = 2.84;

Fd = 2.24;

& Fcom = 2.54;

Ratio =

=1

So mixed is 1:1

Ex 05: Three difference variety of sand a, b & c were mixed in the ratio 1:2:3 and their
fineness modulus were 2.62, 2.32 & 2.80 respectively. Compute the combined fineness
modulus.

Sol:
Given,
R1 = 1;

R2 = 2;

R3 =3;

F1 = 2.62;

F2 = 2.32;

F3 = 2.80;

Fcom =
=

=2.61 Ans:

Surki:
Surki is made by grinding freshly burnt and well burnt bricks
It should be perfectly free from foreign matter & sufficiently fine to pass through No.8 sieve.
It is used in making lime mortar, lime plaster & lime concrete.