Salt-Free Sand in Construction
Good quality sand should be devoid of any organic matter and contaminants like salt, while also having an appropriate particle size for the intended application. The use of desert sand or sea sand for construction purposes has been a topic of debate, but it may not be advisable due to various reasons. When selecting sand for building construction, it is crucial to consider the presence of rocks and other impurities that can compromise its stability. Salt is one such impurity.
Construction utilizes a wide range of sands, such as river sand, concrete sand, fill sand, coarse sand, utility sand, pit sand, fine sand, and M-sand. These sands differ in terms of their stiffness, particle coarseness, and other characteristics.
Why use salt-free sand in construction:
All these sand types should be free from impurities.
Weaker bonds: If your sand has salt, you need to be careful and wash the sand before it is used. Otherwise, when the concrete cures, it will form crystals inside the construction. Thus, the adhesion bonds between sand and rods/metals get weaker.
Absorption of water: When salts are put into concrete, the extra water they draw into the concrete’s pore structure can increase by up to 10%. Consequently, the pore structure has less capacity for expansion, which expands pressure inside the concrete when it freezes and makes the surface crumbly and flaky. This incident is known as ‘spalling’.
Corrosion of your structure: Additional sulfates may be present in your sand. Because salt has a larger chloride percentage, it corrodes the steel. The corrosion can also spread to other locations and cause the project to collapse. Corrosion is a major problem that should be monitored. Salts can cause sand particles’ edges to become rounded rather than sharp owing to erosion, which reduces the strength of the concrete. As a result, it could not be immune to pollution and acid rain. When salt % exceeds a specific quantity, rusting becomes the main problem.
Financial drawbacks: Washing the sand is also not an easy option as it can increase the project’s cost by manifold.
Environmental damage: In addition to the purely economic costs associated with procurement and cleaning, removing sand from the beach and the seabed definitely has an impact on the environment.
It would be best if you always used salt-free sand in construction. When using sand, be sure to check the certification and technical data sheets with details of organic matter components, salts, and other contaminants.
Our company, Sound Build Care takes care of these important details. Clients trust us to provide the best quality products. Our products use great quality sand, such as graded silica sand when making ready mix plaster, multipurpose tile adhesive, and mortars. This company has three manufacturing sites with an expert R&D team. We also comply with BS, ASTM and ANSI requirements and take certification and compliance seriously.