Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles, with silica being the most common constituent. There are different types of sand sourced from pits, rivers, seas and dredging, with each having distinct properties that make them suitable for different construction applications like plastering, masonry or concreting. Proper testing and grading of sand ensures it meets the necessary quality standards for use in various building works.

1. BUILDING MATERIALS
SAND
Ar. Ravindra Patnayaka
B.Arch, M.Tech (Planning)
Assistant Professor in Architecture

2. SAND
 Sand is a naturally
occurring granular material composed of finely
divided rock and mineral particles.
 the most common constituent of sand is silica (silicon
dioxide, or SiO2), usually in the form of quartz.

3. SOURCES OF SAND
Sand is formed by the weathering of rocks. Based
on the natural sources from which sand is
obtained, it is classified as follows:
 Pit sand
 River sand
 Sea sand

4. PIT SAND
 This
sand
is
obtained
by
forming pits in
soils.
 It is excavated
from a depth of
about 1-2 m from
the ground level.
 This sand is found
as deposits in soil
and it consists of
sharp
angular
grains, which are
free from salts.

5. Pit Sand
 It serves as an excellent material for mortar or
concrete work.
 Pit sand must be made free from clay and other
organic materials before it can be used in mortar.
 A coating of oxide of iron over the sand grains
should be removed.

6. RIVER SAND
 This sand is widely used for all purposes. It is
obtained from the banks or beds of rivers and it
consists of fine rounded grains. The presence of
fine rounded grains is due to mutual attrition
under the action of water current.

7. River sand
 The river sand is available in clean conditions.
 The river sand is almost white in color.

8. River sand

9. SEA SAND
 This is obtained from sea shores.
 It is brown in color and it also has the fine
rounded grain.

10. Sea sand
DREDGED SAND
DESPOSITION

11. Sea sand
 As it is obtained from sea it contains salt, which is
used in attracting moisture from atmosphere.
 Such
absorption causes dampness and
disintegration of work.
 It is generally not used for engineering purpose
due to its retards setting action of cement. It is
normally used for non structural purposes.

12. Crushed Stone Sand / Artificial
Sand
 It is a substitute for River Sand, fine aggregates
which manufactured by crushing either granite or
basalt rock using 3 stage crushing process.
 This sand is manufactured in conformance to IS
Codes and is an effective alternative to river
sand.

14. CLASSIFICATION OF SAND
 Based on the grain size distribution
 Fine sand: The sand passing through a sieve with
clear openings of 1.5875 mm is known as fine sand.
Fine sand is mainly used for plastering. .
 Coarse sand: The sand passing through a sieve with
clear openings of 3.175 mm is known as coarse sand.
It is generally used for masonry work.
 Gravelly sand: The sand passing through a sieve with
clear openings of 7.62 mm is known as gravelly sand.
It is generally used for concrete work.

16. Grading of sand:
 On the basis of particle size, fine aggregate is
graded into four zones.
IS Sieve
Percentage passing for
Grading Zone Grading
I
Zone II
Grading
Zone III
Grading
Zone IV
10mm
100
100
100
100
4.75mm
90 – 100
90 – 100
90 – 100
90 – 100
2.36mm
60 – 95
75 – 100
85 – 100
95 – 100
1.18 mm
30 – 70
55 – 90
75 – 100
90 – 100
600 micron
15 – 34
35 – 59
60 – 79
80 – 100
300 microns
5 – 20
8 – 30
12 – 40
15 – 50
150 microns
0 – 10
0 – 10
0 – 10
0 – 15

17. Sand for Construction Works
Different construction works require different
standards of sand for construction.
• Brick Works: finest modulus of fine sand should be
1.2 to 1.5 and silt contents should not be more than
4%.
• Plastering Works: finest modulus of fine sand should
not be more than 1.5 and silt contents should not be
more than 4%.
• Concreting Works: coarse sand should be used with
finest modulus 2.5 to 3.5 and silt contents should not
be more than 4%.

18. PROPERTIES OF GOOD SAND
 It should be clean and coarse.
 It should be free from any organic or vegetable






matter; usually 3-4 per cent clay is permitted.
It should be chemically inert.
It should contain sharp, angular, coarse and durable
grains.
It should not contain salts which attract moisture from
the atmosphere.
It should be well graded, i.e., it should contain
particles of various sizes in suitable proportions.
It should be strong and durable.
It should be clean and free from coatings of clay and
silt.

19. Tests

To check the quality of fine aggregates or sand;
put some quantity of sand in a glass of water.
Then it is vigorously shaken and allowed to settle.
If the clay is present in sand, its distinct layer is
formed at the top of sand.

To detect the presence of organic impurities in
sand, a solution of sodium hydroxide or caustic
soda is added to sand and stirred. If the color of
solution changes into brown, it shows presence of
impurities.

20. BULKING OF SAND
 The increase in the volume of sand due to the
presence of moisture is known as bulking of sand.
This is due to the fact that moisture forms a film of
water around the sand particles and this results in an
increase in the volume of sand. The extent of bulking
depends on the grading of sand. The finer the
material the more will be the increase in volume for
the given moisture content.
 For a moisture content of 5–8 per cent, the increase
in volume may be about 20–40 per cent depending
upon the gradation of sand. When the moisture
content is further increased, the sand particles pack
near each other and the amount of bulking is
decreased. Hence, dry sand and the sand completely

22. Deleterious materials in sand
 Sand shall not contain any harmful impurities such as
iron, pyrites, alaklies, salts, coal or other organic
impurities, mica, shale or similar laminated materials,
soft fragments, sea shale in such form or in such
quantities as to affect adversely the hardening,
strength or durability of the mortar. The maximum
quantities of clay, fine silt, fine dust and organic
impurities in the sand / marble dust shall not exceed
the following limits:
 (a) Clay, fine silt and fine dust when determined in
accordance within not more than 5% by mass in IS
2386 (Part-II), natural sand or crushed gravel sand
and crushed stone sand.
 (b) Organic impurities when determined in color of the
liquid shall be lighter in lighter in accordance with IS
2386 (Part –II) than that specified in the code.

23. references
 http://theconstructor.org/concrete/joints-in-
concrete-structures/970/
 http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Concrete