The alternative to river sand
Today, we live in a world that is built upon concrete structures and, naturally-occurring river sand is a huge part of the construction industry. The foundation of this industry relies upon the mining of river sand. A lack of good-quality sand has caused a large impediment.
Time is a critical constraint in all projects. The construction industry now has access to a new type of sand that is readily available to speed up projects. The shift to sustainable sand combines economic growth with climate-smart technology to safeguard the future.
Comparison of M-Sand of River Sand
| Parameters | M-sand | River Sand |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Manufactured in a factory | naturally available on river banks |
| Moisture Content | Moisture is available only in water washed M sand | Moisture is trapped in between particales which are good for concrete purposes |
| Concrete Strength | Higher Concrete strength compared to river sand. M-sand concrete has a marginally higher bond strength, and morter made of M-sand shows higher compressive strength and modulas for masonry, over those of river sand. | Lesser concrete compared to M sand |
| Silt content | Zero silt | Minimum permissible silt content is 3%. It may have 5-20& silt content. |
| Cement Consumption | M-sand is free of impurities such as clay, dust and silt and has denser particle packing than natural sand particles thereby reducing the voids in aggregate and hence saves cement requirement in concrete production. | But it needs more cement |
Compressive Strength of Mortars
| Mortar Proportion | Flow (%) | Water-cement ratio | compressive Strength (MPa) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Sand | Manufactured Sand | River Sand | Manufactured Sand | ||||
| 7 Days | 28 Days | 7 Days | 28 Days | ||||
| 1:6 | 85 | 1.72 | 1.30 | 2.10 | 4.03 | 5.15 | 8.53 |
| 100 | 1.75 | 1.34 | 1.96 | 3.82 | 4.88 | 8.19 | |
| 1:4 | 85 | 1.13 | 0.84 | 2.84 | 7.35 | 12.89 | 15.96 |
| 100 | 1.18 | 0.88 | 2.77 | 6.04 | 11.89 | 15.50 | |
Technical Characteristics
According to the IS-383, the chemical characteristics of M-Sand are somewhat similar to river sand. Several properties such as setting, compressive strength and permeability are enhanced in M-Sand, though it has low water retention and workability and tends to crack more often. Certain remedies can be put in place that can curb these said flaws. IS-383 mandates several specifications such as higher crushing strength for the sand, and before the final stages of production the M-Sand particles undergo processing. During this process, the particles are stimulated and crushed to a certain size, resulting in particles with superior shape and smooth surface texture. The particles are further refined by removing fine particles and impurities through sieving and washing.
Faster Setting, Minimal Defects, Optimum Size
Higher Bond Strength, More Compressive Strength, Low Permeability
Minimal Defects, Lower Royalty Rates, Utilization of Bi-Product