Since sand is an important building material, the use of good quality sand is always beneficial. To determine the consistency of the sand available, the properties of good sand must be identified. Such attractive properties need to be checked before using sand in a plant.
Sand is a mixture of small rock grains and granular materials that are mainly characterized by thickness, being finer than gravel and rougher than silt. And from 0.06 mm to 2 mm in thickness. Silt is considered particles bigger than 0.0078125 mm but less than 0.0625 mm.
Properties of Good Sand
Following are the desirable properties of sand
- Should be completely inert therefore should not have any chemical activity.
- Grains should be sharp, strong & angular.
- It should not contain any hygroscopic salts.
- Should not contain clay & silt; usually 3-4% clay & silt is ordinarily permitted for practical reasons.
- There should be no organic matter.