Repairs Design Furniture

What sand is needed for foundation: river or career? Sand selection for construction. What sand is better career or river?! What sand is better for the foundation

Before starting construction work, many first calculate and harvest the material. It is right and commendable. But at this stage there are different questions, one of them, what sand is needed for the foundation. Sand choose to pay special attention, as it is one of the main and important components used when mixing concrete. And on the quality of the concrete mix, your future foundation, foundation depends on. Taking into account the fact that the market provides a large selection of various sands of both natural and obtained artificially, it is important to choose the most suitable for these work. In this article we will tell how to determine the choice.

Purely theoretically

Anyone who is not knowledgeable in building business and its nuances can guess that it is necessary to choose clean sand for the foundation. In the sand, various organic elements such as grass, branches, and so on may initially be present. For work such sand will not fit, but it can be easily cleaned. Maybe you have repeatedly seen how the workers sift the sand, cleaning it from unwanted elements.

But if we talk about such impurities, like clay, lime and other similar, then there is no simple sifting. Clear such sand is harder, so when buying you need to immediately pay attention to it. The presence of clay in the sand should not exceed 5% of the entire mass, especially if we talk about the foundation solution. Otherwise, the future structure will not differ reliability, will give a shrinkage, and this will lead to cracks. Before buying, it is important to check how clean sand is. You can use a simple way to check.

You will need a transparent bottle, be it glass or plastic. It is necessary to fall asleep sand on 1/3 and fill with water to half. Further shake the bottle intensively so that the sand is stirred with water and completely wet. After that, put it and wait 5-10 minutes. If the water has become dirty, this sand is not suitable for the foundation. If a foreign substance was formed on the surface, layer more than 5 mm, it is impossible to take such sand. Let's look at what kind of sand is what they differ and what type of sand is better to purchase for the foundation.

Sand varieties

Sands are divided into several types, depending on the place of mining:

  1. River.

The name of the river sand itself says that it is mined from the river bottom. This is a universal material, since it contains fractions of different sizes - from 1.6 mm to 2.2 mm. Thanks to this, it is used not only for filling the foundation, but also for different construction purposes. Name the main advantage of river sand is its natural purity and homogeneity. Clay, vegetation particles and other impurities in it are very few. Such sand is ideal for the foundation. Only here it is large enough.

The sea sand is mined from the bottom of the sea, after which it is cleaned of the sewer and other impurities. Difference of such sand is its graininess, which is about 1 mm. This size of the granules makes it possible to use it for the construction of reinforced concrete structures. It can be called quite clean, since it is cleaned before selling it, sip and washed. But for quality you need to pay, so the sea sand is the most expensive.

Career sand is mined by an open way from a career. If you compare it with river and sea sands is the worst option. And it is not surprising, as in its composition a lot of impurities - clay, vegetation and crushed stone. Because of this, the price of such sand is the lowest and is suitable for draft work at the initial stage of construction.

To unambiguously determine which sand is better suitable for concrete, it is important to consider other features. Some masters advise to buy career sand, which is cheaper, referring to the fact that it will not affect the quality of the foundation of the house. Others say the quality is above the price, so you need to choose expensive sand, which will ensure the reliability of the foundation on which it is impossible to save. Be that as it may, it is necessary to consider other features and criteria to help determine the choice.

Characteristics

As mentioned above, the sand should be clean. If it has vegetation or branches in it - it is not scary, they can be selected. But clay, Il, gravel and other particles can lead to a decrease in the quality of the concrete solution. The presence of clay should not exceed 5%. The presence of gravel in percentage of the entire mass should not be more than 5%, and the particle sizes are greater than 10-12 mm. If the size of gravel ranges from 5 mm to 10 mm, then more percentage is allowed - up to 10% of the entire mass.

An important moment when choosing a material is its granulometric composition, that is, the size of the granules. Based on the size of the sand pellets, it is divided into:

  • very thin sand, the size of the granules of which is not more than 0.7 mm. For the manufacture of concrete such sand will be unsuitable;
  • thin sand, the size of the granules of which is from 0.7 mm to 1 mm. This view is also not used for the manufacture of concrete;
  • very small sand, the size of the granules of which is in the range from 1 mm to 1.5 mm. It is not necessary to choose it for concrete;
  • small sand, the size of the granules of 1.5 mm to 2 mm. Not suitable for the preparation of high-quality concrete mix;
  • sand of medium size, the size of the granules from 2 mm to 2.5 mm. It is the sand of such aity perfect for the preparation of a concrete mix under the foundation;
  • large sand, the size of the granules of which ranges from 2.5 mm to 3 mm. It is used for the manufacture of high-quality high-quality concrete;
  • sand of increased size, the size of the granules is from 3 mm to 3.5 mm. Sand such a fraction is better to use for the foundation pillow under the base of the construction.

Very large sand, the size of more than 3.5 mm can also be used for the foundation pillow.

Another important point when choosing sand for the foundation - humidity. The content of water in the sand plays the last role, since its quantity must be taken into account when the solution is made with the addition of water. The recommended sand moisture for the foundation should be no more than 5%. The dried breed may have 1% humidity. If the sand fell under precipitation, then its humidity can reach up to 10%.

If you purchased sand, you need to take care of its precipitation protection. To do this, it needs to be covered with something or unload under the canopy. Then he will not absorb excess water.

But how to determine the humidity of the sand? Take advantage of pan or iron bucket. Take the container and put it on the weight. Having learning the weight of the capacity, take 1 kg of sand and fill it with a container. Now you need to dry the sand. To do this, put it on the slab with a weak fire and "cook", stirring, 30 minutes. After expiration, everything is again needed to weigh. From the weighing result, take the weight of a bowl or bucket and multiply the result by 100. As a result, you should have a number in the percentage ratio, which indicates humidity. For clarity: a bucket or a bowl has a weight of 0.2 kg. After you dried 1 kg of sand, the total weight turned 0.9 kg. It turns out:

0.9 - 0.2 x 100 \u003d 70

Humidity of your sand is 7%. There is another method for determining humidity. It is enough just to use a special device that will show an accurate digit.

Let's summarize

So, having all the data, you need to analyze them and determine the choice. You learned that the ideal sand for the foundation is considered:

  • clean sand, which consists of clay and gravel do not exceed 5% of the whole mass;
  • sand with medium size, the size of the granules is from 2 mm to 2.5 mm;
  • sand, whose humidity does not exceed 5%.

Buying such a building material for the foundation, you must pay attention to these indicators. The most optimal option for the price and quality is washed and dropped career sand, the size of the granules of which is 2-2.5 mm. It is better to buy it directly at the place of mining. If you have money and want your foundation to be durable and stood for a very long time, stop on the river sand of the same fraction. Then your concrete under the foundation will have the necessary qualities.

Buying sand, you should control the process of weighing a loaded and empty dump truck, as there are unscrupulous suppliers who displease sand, stating on you.

We hope that this article helped you figure out what sand to choose for the foundation.

Praphraseing the famous phrase about the water, in binding to construction, one can say - "sand, sand, circle of sand" - and this is exactly describing the process occurring in the construction of the foundation of your country residence. The construction site uses a lot of this building material - sand for the foundation, for the pillow, in the finishing of the inner and external, in the fastening mixtures - it is necessary to be very much, and all it must be proper quality.

Construction of the foundation of the cottage It occurs when directly using huge amounts of sand, which is selected and is calculated at the design stage of Innovasy specialists. It is responsible for this process, since such parameters such as the stability of the structure, durability, shrinkage, drainage, adhesiveness of components, and environmental friendliness are directly dependent on the quality of the material. In order to choose correctly choose the desired volumes and types of sand, you need to understand the differences that the variants of this sedimentary fossil material are necessary in the construction market.

Sand for foundation: What does he look like?

If we consider it from the point of view of geology, the sand is a sedimentary breed of a very small type, represented by fragments of various minerals, is produced in an open way or produced by industrial enterprises. In essence, it is very small pebbles of various shapes, sizes - resulting as a result of natural or artificial processes. There are several varieties of sand on sale, each of which has its own unique properties, and is suitable for various building processes:

  • Career - the most common and cheapest option. It is produced in an open method in workings, it contains a mass of impurities from clay, lime and land, which is necessarily taken into account when choosing this type of sand;
  • The river is a cleaner option produced from the bottom of the rivers - most suitable for the construction of foundations and application in the brand monolithic concrete. By the way, the famous oak skyscrapers are built using river sand from Europe;
  • Mineral - It turns out when processing various stone breeds - that is, it is finely ground residues of granite, rubble, limestone, marble and other varieties. Almost never used in concrete mixtures, as it has certain restrictions on adhesion and strength - and it is suitable for finishing;
  • Sea - mining it from the bottom of the seas and is additionally cleaned. Such sand is considered the highest quality and expensive, used in vintage concrete and has increased characteristics of strength, since it does not contain organic or harmful clay inclusions.


What sand is needed for the foundation, based on the above, it is necessary to determine at the stage of design and development of the building process. Professional specialists of our company will offer several options that will be optimally correlated in quality and cost. Although country cottages are built for many years of use, to use very expensive materials is not always rational, since on such small amounts of the quality of different sand varieties are almost identical. Moreover, if the project laid the use of ready-made concrete mixes from the manufacturer, which itself monitors the quality of the sand used in the monolithic concrete.

What sand is needed for foundation: technical parameters

When they talk about the properties of the described sedimentary material, many begin to perplex - why are it all, and is it not easier to just take and buy sand in the nearest career not to bother? The answer is obvious and simple - not easier! After all, the sand remains one of the important components of the design, is designed to improve and ensure the reliability of the structure, its durability and stability.

In the construction practice of Innovasy, a variety of sand varieties are used, each of which has its own technical parameters. Below we will only describe those that allow you to correctly pick up sand for the foundation so that the base of the house is as reliable as possible. The selection is made in different criteria, in accordance with the adopted GOST and SNIPA standards:

By varieties

Depending on the method of mining and cleaning, each option has its own clear direction of use. Career sand, due to the special structural structure of the fractions, the most suitable for the base of the base of the building base, as it allows you to create a dense damping layer - softens the impact of the soil and does not lead to a strong shrinkage of the building. For fastening mixtures, purified career sand is also used, as has very high adhesiveness - the ability to fasten the components of the solution among themselves. River sand is most used in monolithic concrete and with a device of drainage layers - due to its more uniform size of fractions, which are larger than the career analogue. Sea sand is used in high-quality concrete and reinforced concrete structures, has the lowest content of third-party impurities. The mineral version is better to use for decoration, as it has many very small fractions, practically dust, which is not suitable for concrete perfectly.


In size granules

It is well known that the size matters when creating concrete mixtures, solutions, a foundation and drainage cushion device. The larger the sand fraction, the better its properties in the construction and arrangement of the foundations of cottages. For example, to pour monolithic foundation, price Innovasy, does not take into account the creation of a sandy pillow, which should be located all over the building stain and to achieve a significant thickness. In construction, sand subclasses are used, which is for the belt, which is for the pile base of the house:

  • Small - the size of the pebbles vary from 1.5 to 2.0 millimeters - it can be used in lightweight grounds of not deep liaison;
  • Middle- Fractions in the range of 2.0-2.5 millimeters are the most ideal option when pouring any type of foundation of the private house. Also suitable for hiding free space if carried out device of pile foundation, price which is significantly lower than other analogues;
  • Large- The sizes of pebbles from 2.5 to 3.0 millimeters - suitable for concrete mixes with a high indicator of braziness, as the only capable of ensuring its strength and necessary technical parameters. Such sand is used by concrete mixtures throughout the country;
  • Especially large - with fractions from 3.0 to 3.5 millimeters - an ideal option for creating a pillow of the foundation, drainage layers under the bottom of the building, in the breakfast, with a device of garden tracks.


According to the composition

Naturally, it is difficult to calculate the sand for the foundation, since it is impossible to predict its overrun. Our company's specialists use modern computer simulation and many years of experience in order to determine the amount of sand with maximum accuracy, you need to build a cottage. This allows you to hold installed on ribbon foundation Prices in the Moscow region and Moscow at an affordable and acceptable level. Most often, one variety of sand is purchased to optimize the financial costs. The mid-phrase building material is perfect for the pillow, and for concrete mixes, when construction is carried out in a temperate climatic zone.

The main thing that is required from the supplier is to provide clean and dry building materials, since all its technical characteristics depend on it. In construction, sand is applied only with such indicators:

  • Density - not lower than 1.5 tons / m3. If this indicator below, it means too much moisture in the sand, and if there are above-sided impurities;
  • The composition is without organic enclosures that are completely unacceptable for the building material. The number of clay impurities, lime and land can not exceed 5% of the total mass;
  • The form of fractions - it is believed that faceted pebbles of career sand are much better bonded solutions, and smooth river and marine analog - do not allow to achieve the desired strength. Confirm or disprove such maxias can only be laboratory methods, and it does not affect the quality of the construction of the foundation of the cottage;
  • Availability - the cheaper and faster there will be logistics, the easier and builders and customers. Asking what sand to choose for the foundation, our specialists are always studying the market of your region to understand how expensive career or river sand will be brought.

High-quality concrete foundation: Sand proportions

One of the criteria that will allow more or less approximately to know the number of sand required for construction, are generally accepted proportions and its ratios in mixtures. As a rule, an indicator is applied 1: 4 - that is, one part of the cement accounts for four parts of the sand. And even when involved in the solutions of rubble, the percentage ratio does not change - all the same sand is 4 times more than cement. This, provided that the concrete is mixed in place and it is required to constantly feed it to the formwork.

If the case is limited only to the creation of pillows and drainage under the foundation, the sand proportions will differ sharply, as they are calculated by cubic meters, based on the thickness of the required layer. In any case, the sand does not happen much, as it is used in any building process - from the masonry of the walls of the foundation, until the seams and the exterior decoration are wiping. Innovast specialists will be calculated by the required amount of material for the qualitative structure of the founding of the building. Even if a little sand remains, you can safely arrange a playground near the house - and the children joy and the sand will not disappear.

Which sand to choose for foundation: results

Based on the above data, it is necessary to select the type of sedimentary building material, based on the features of the cottage, its characteristics, the properties of the soil and the construction work. In Russian practice, career and river sands of various fractions are equally used equally, which is not very different at cost and quality characteristics.

It is best to contact our architects and designers who have been building country cottages for more than seven years - they will be able to prompt the most optimal and advantageous option. Of course, no one excludes the elimination of construction, when the country palace itself simply requires only high-quality sea sand, and not simple and common analogues.


Sand is one of the most important components of the concrete mix required for the construction of the foundation. This bulk building materials refer to the type of sedimentary rocks. Also, the sand is obtained by artificially - crushing rubble or stone.

Due to some differences in building material, the question is what sand is needed to fill the foundation? - Extremely relevant among developers. In this article we will try to give it an exhaustive answer.

A little theory ...

Even a person who is not familiar with the various nuances of the construction case, it is clear that the sand for the foundation is needed clean. The presence of various types of organodes (herbs, branches, etc.) is unacceptable. However, clean the sand from the organic is easy: just to sift it enough.

It is worse things with impurities: clay, lime, and so on. Determine the presence of contamination in this case is quite problematic. Such an impurity, like clay, in the sand used to fill the foundation, there should be no more than five percent of the total mass. If clay is more, it will lead to a decrease in the reliability of the finished structure.

To check the purity of sand in the field, builders use glass or plastic transparent capacity.

In the ordinary bottle by a third, sand fall asleep and poured it with water to half the volume. Now you need to shake the bottle, having achieved the maximum sand moistening, and leave it alone for five minutes. If water after this procedure remains dirty - this sand is not suitable for the construction of the foundation.

Sand is not suitable, on the upper layer of which a third-party substance is formed with a thickness of more than five millimeters.

Varieties of construction sand

When choosing sand for the foundation, it is necessary to take into account not only the magnitude of the fractions (grains), but also the characteristics of the material that are based on the species.

Main types of sand is:

  1. River.
  2. Nautical.
  3. Career.

River sand

This material is produced from the bottom of the river and is considered universal. The dimensions of the river sand fraction range from 1.6 to 2.2 millimeters, which allows it to be used not only for filling the foundation, but also as a material for equipment of the drainage system, when finishing the premises, and so on. River sand practically does not have clay impurities.

Sea sand

We produce sand from the seabed, then cleaned from shellular debris and other impurities. This material is considered an excellent component in a device of reinforced concrete structures, thanks to the extremely small size of the fractions: only one millimeter.

Just like river sand, the marine is considered extremely clean, since certain stages of washing and cleaning are underway before use.

Career sand

Career sand, of course, is not so good in quality, like river or sea, but it has an important advantage: low cost. Career sand is mined by the method of destruction of rocks. One of the varieties of such a material is mountain sand.

Definitely answer the question of which type of sand is optimal for the foundation, difficult. It all depends on the type of structure being constructed, from the technical characteristics and so on. Many builders recommend taking the most inexpensive sand - career, believing that the quality of the building does not suffer from this.

In terms of functionality, the best sand for the foundation will be rivercontaining a minimum number of small fractions. Depending on the size of the fractions, the sand is divided into:

  • Very thin (the size of the sand does not exceed 0.7 millimeters). Such sand for the construction of the foundation is not suitable.
  • Thin (from 0.7 to one millimeter). The material is not recommended for use for filling the foundation.
  • Very small (fraction size up to 1.5 millimeters). It is better not to use for the preparation of concrete.
  • Small (from 1.5 to 2 millimeters). Poor suitable for the construction of the foundation.
  • Middle sand (the size of the fraction is from two to 2.5 millimeters). Ideal for making concrete on the construction of the foundation.
  • Large sand (up to three millimeters) is used for high-quality concrete.
  • Increased size (up to 3.5 millimeters) - recommended as a pillow under the foundation.

Acquire sand best in place: directly from the career. The optimal option is to choose the dying and washed career sand with a dimension module from 2 to 2.5 millimeters. Particles of such sand have sharp grains, which increases the binding qualities of concrete.

Suppliers often mistaken the batch of material, so it is necessary to check the weighing, taking into account the mass of the empty and loaded dump truck. The accompanying documentation should be spelled out the density of sand, the ideal density for this material is 1.5 tons / cubic meter.

Low density signals about unnecessary sand moisturizes; High - about the presence of impurities.

As for the price of the sand, the cost of the cube depends on factors such as the order volume and the cost of transportation. The further the supplier will have to keep the sand, the more expensive it will be its cost. In the suburbs, the cost of the cubic meter of sand without delivery ranges from two hundred and two hundred and fifty rubles. If you order sand with delivery, then for five cubes of the material will have to pay about three thousand rubles.

How much is sand for under the house?

Experts in building affairs argue that the best recipe for the foundation is 1 to 5, that is, one part of the cement to five parts of the sand. On the proportion of materials in this case, neither the size of fractions, nor the type of sand affects.

In principle, the answer to the question - how much sand is needed for the foundation of the house? - It should be solved on the basis of the individual characteristics of the future structure, however, the above recipe should be considered universal.

Many builders are added to the breadstone mixture, in which case the final composition of the concrete will be as follows: 1: 3: 5 (part of cement, three parts of rubble, five sand parts). As we see, the sand in the construction of the foundation in any case requires more than other components. But often for many types of bases under the house, a construction of a special sand pillow is necessary.

The foundation, as you know, the basis of any building, be it a private house, a country house or a country cottage. To the construction you need to approach the most scrupulously, carefully choosing the necessary components. This is especially true of such a material like sand.

Reliable base of construction is the key to its strength and durability. Laying is based not only on the selection of high-quality concrete and competent strapping of reinforcement, but also the correct filling of the pillow of the pit. Choosing sand for the foundation, it is necessary to take into account varieties, breeds and nuances of using the material.

Functions of sand pillows

Quartzite fractions are applied to create a fundamental basis and organization of underfers in construction. In the latter case, the sand copes with several tasks:

  • lines tight soils, evenly distributing the load of the construction;
  • compensates an increase in the volume of frozen water on bunched soils. The material eliminates the deformation, reduces the risk of cracking;
  • eliminates damage to organic breeds - peatlands, increases the carrying ability of the substrate.

A qualitatively equipped interlayer will play the role of a barrier in the conditions of the close location of the groundwater and depreciates the weight of the multi-storey house.

What is the need for embankment?

The residential building should be built on a solid capital basis. The monolithic design, located on a special bulk support, has good strength indicators. After preparing the territory (cleaning from garbage, markup), determining the depth, the digging of the pit is lined with a pillow of sand. When is it better to build it? Speakers are recommended in the following cases:

  • when erecting dwellings on bubbly soils. The sandy layer prevents the design and deformation of the design during freezing and thawing;
  • if there are soil irregularities. The mound ensures the distribution and leveling of the construction site;
  • with increased dampness from undergoing groundwater. The layer performs a barrier;
  • with the possible sediment of the building. The pillow is opposed to the compression forces in the soil;
  • when building buildings in several floors. Running is lined up for the depreciation of the structure.

The sand under the foundation is laid by uniform layers, at a depth of no more than 20 cm, followed by a rambling and a watering of each.

What type of material is satuled for the basis?

The correct arrangement of the bottom of the bottom, according to the standards and rules of SNiP, 3.02.01 - 87 "Earth structures, grounds and foundations", requires the use of a bulk mixture to ensure reliability of the structure. Pick out which sand is needed for the foundation - river or career, it is worth focusing on the assortment line of modern producers.
The building market market realizes the sedimentary breed for the construction of the base in 2 types: career and river. Which one is better to apply for the pillow? Responding to this question, you should decide on the nuances of using each.

Career sand: characteristics, features of application

Raw materials are extracted from a quarry formed by the destruction of rocks. It has low quality due to large volumes of clay impurities and other substances. It is used to arrange the kittlers, but not in natural form. Before use, for the construction base, it is washed, dried and sifted from impurities. Popularity is due to low cost of raw materials.
The cushion from the career mound should have an important factor determining the reliability and strength of the future design - humidity. Its percentage of raw materials should be 1-5%.

Varieties of material

By type, the processing quartz raw materials is divided into:

  • washed. It is produced using hydromechanical equipment from waterfront deposits. Technology allows you to get the composition without impurities and various components. Washing type is used in the production of bricks, concrete, reinforced concrete products, paving slabs and roads;
  • sown. Receive as a result of technical and mechanical sifting from stones and large particles. It is used in the casting of stone products, preparation of masonry solutions and for the formation of the mass of plaster;
  • sand soil. It is a crude mixture with a plurality of impurities. They, as a rule, fall asleep trenches and leveled the relief of summer sites.

The career crumb, offered in the construction markets, has exceptional quality according to GOST 8736-93. Materials mined in quarries are characterized by cheap price. To check the quality, i.e. Humidity, it is recommended to weigh wet sand and hold it in the sun for about 30 minutes, and then repeatedly weighed. Humidity is calculated as a mass of raw materials after heating, from which a mass of the container was detected, separating it to 100. The optimal indicator of humidity is from 1 to 5%.

River sediment - universal material

Universal type of quartzite raw materials is mined from the bottom of freshwater rivers. The composition is considered a natural, pure product designed for multipurpose applications according to GOST - 8736-93. It rarely be impurities and other organic compounds. Due to the natural grinding, the river breed fractions are perfect. Specialists celebrate the fact that it is better to use it for the construction of foundations.
The small-phrase product is relevant for internal and exterior finishes, for brickwork and plaster walls, as well as to create a drainage system.

Graduation of breed

Raw materials mined from the bottom of the river is characterized by heterogeneity. Choosing the desired size of pebbles under the base, it is worth dealing with a fractional variety.
There are the following types of river bulk material:

  1. Mytoy - is the grave, gray or yellow grave grave grave. In their composition of silicon and iron oxides.
  2. Coarse-grained - mined in the rivers of dry rivers. It has an unobtrusive neutral color. It is used to decorate and finishing the premises.
  3. Large - pebbles reach dimensions up to 5 mm. Get it on specialized crushing and grinding equipment, by splitting rock.

River bulk material is a few fractions. Sizes range from 0.7 mm to 3.5 mm. The pillow, equipped with a mound from small grains, is intended only for lightweight buildings. Small-phrastructive fusion is strongly tamped and seated.

Positive River Sand Characteristics

For residential inadial houses, it is better to use a church of medium and large size - 2-3 mm, and for multi-storey buildings, an exceptionally large-phrase type is used.
The river sedimentary breed has a number of positive qualities:

  • meets aesthetic and technical requirements;
  • has increased moisture resistance;
  • not exposed to an aggressive environment, does not rot;
  • characterized by excellent noise insulation qualities;
  • environmentally friendly and safe.

It is popular not only in construction sites. Bumping breed is used to arrange playgrounds, for the manufacture of concrete products, landscaping, in decorating rooms and in landscape works.

Sand material fractions

Career and river variety are classified by the size of the elements. Experts identify several quartz fractions:

  • very thin. The gradation of 0.7 mm is unsuitable for the construction of the foundation. They can be used in the arrangement of children's game zones;
  • thin. Dimensions of grains reaches 0.7-1 mm. The loose sand is not suitable as a component of the base, but not bad to create a skinny concrete;
  • very small. Elements are 1.5 mm, but it is not enough to fill the foundation;
  • small. It is characterized by the presence of fractions of 1.5 - 2 mm. The use of this type of material increases the consumption of the cement mixture;
  • middle. Cruppers from 2 to 2.5 mm diameter are suitable as a component of standard concrete;
  • large. Peschins up to 3 mm magnitude - ideal for performing a high-quality concrete mix, designed for large-scale construction;
  • the composition of increased particleness with sands up to 3.5 mm is needed for the foundation pillow and the mass distribution of the structure on it.

For the pouring, only particles are needed with sharp edges that increase the adhesion of the concrete dough with the surface.

Features of the sandy pillow

For the construction of a reliable basis, it is necessary to properly make a mound and align the surface of the pit. The arrangement of the embankment implies the following indicators:

  1. The pillow is constructed by 1/3 of the width of the foundation. The depth of the mound layer should not exceed 20 cm.
  2. Before the flooring, a geotextile cannon is stacked on the bottom of the bottom. It will provide additional drainage and keeps the mound from the mixing with the soil.
  3. Mound fell by parts. After laying each layer of bulk material, it needs to be well moistened and seal. Framing sand is better with the help of vibrating plates.
  4. The trimmer of sand under the foundation is performed until then. While on the surface there will be no traces from the legs.
  5. Upon completion of the forage, check the surface level. It must be smooth. This indicator depends on the correctness of the subsequent building building.


After the bottom of the bottom, the strapping is placed from the reinforcement, the formwork is stacked and concrete is poured.
To build a good and reliable foundation, it is necessary, first of all, take care of the arrangement of a sand pillow. It plays an important role in the construction of the foundation, especially on bubbly soils.

Looking at a bunch of sand brought to the object, two builders will behave in different ways.

The newcomer will throw an indifferent look at it and takes the shovel.

An experienced builder first pulls the sand into a hassle, carefully look at him and flies in his palms. After that, he will lead the verdict: it is suitable in concrete, and it will not go to the plaster and the masonry.

What is the secret of building sand, requiring such an attentive assessment? We will analyze this question in more detail.

Physico-mechanical characteristics

Volume weight

It shows a mass of 1 m3 of sand in its natural state (wet, with all impurities). On average, the volumetric weight of this material is from 1500 to 1800 kg.

The composition of the construction sand is assessed by such parameters:

  1. Granulometric;
  2. Mineral;
  3. Chemical.

Granulometric shows the percentage ratio of grains of different size. To determine the sand sieved through calibrated sieve (from 0.16 mm to 10 mm).

Sieve with the size of the holes 5 and 10 mm reveals gravel granules. GOST allows grains of 1 cm in size. In this case, their number should be not more than 0.5% of the total weight of the sand.

Granules are larger than 5 mm normal.

  1. Maximum content - up to 10% in natural;
  2. up to 15% in crushed;
  3. up to 5% in enriched sand.

Mineral composition

Chemical composition

It plays an important role to determine the suitability of the bulk material in different areas of construction. Red, yellow, and orange shades talk about the presence of oxidized metals. Green and blue colors are characteristic of river sand in which aluminum salts are present.

Types of construction sand

The classical definition states that the sand is a mixture of mineral particles (quartz, mica, limestone), formed as a result of natural or artificial destruction of rocks.

"On the shelves" the most important properties of the sand unfolds GOST 8736-93. According to this standard, the sand is divided into two classes:

  • I class - very large, then goes the sand of highlands, large, medium and small;
  • Class II is a very large, high size, large, medium, small, very small, thin and very thin.

The main difference between these classes is that less high-quality sand (second class) includes three additional fractions. Small dust particles are an undesirable component of building solutions. They worsen the relationship between large sand granules that binds cement.

In real production there is no so thin graduation.

Here, the extracted sand is conditionally divided into three fractions:

  • 0.5-1 mm - small;
  • 1.5-2 mm - medium;
  • 2.5-3.5 mm - large.

Sands with a 2-2.5 mm size module go to the production of concrete and reinforced concrete structures. Bulk material with a size of 1.5-2 mm is used for the manufacture of bricks. The smallest sand is used to prepare dry building mixes.

Taking note of the classification of GOST, we turn to the practical aspects of the origin and use of the construction sand.

According to the type of production distinguish:

  • Career;
  • River;
  • Nautical;
  • Quartz (artificial) sand.

Career

The name clearly indicates the origin of the sand. It has clay and stones, so career material is used limited: to plan a plot, submits for concrete ties or foundations.

To improve the properties, the career sand right on the platform is washed with water, freeing it from dust particles and clay. So it turns out an awesome (washed) sand. It is suitable for plastering and masonry solutions. In addition, sieving via sieve can be used to remove clay.

Important practical conclusion: If you are offered to buy career (loose) sand, do not forget to clarify whether it was cleaning (washing, sieving) or not.

The areas of use of mesat (sifted) career sand:

  • cement screed, masonry and plaster solutions;
  • finishing work;
  • brick production;
  • fundament device;
  • cooking concrete.

River sand

This building material produces dwelling from the bottom of the river. There are no clay particles in the river sand and very few stones. This allows without restrictions to use it for concrete works.

It is very valuable that the river sand of the middle size (1.8-2.2 mm) practically does not give a shrinkage. Therefore, it is optimally suitable for masonry and plaster.

Career sand is harder to use in such an area. In the solution, it sits on the bottom and it is necessary to intermittently mix.

River Sand Applications:

  • concrete production;
  • brick production;
  • masonry work and cement screed;
  • preparation of asphalt concrete;
  • drainage device;
  • filler for paints and threads.

The sea sand in its properties is similar to the river. It is also highly appreciated in construction for the high purity and homogeneity of the particle size distribution.

Quartz sand

This material is obtained as a result of mechanical crushing of quartz-containing rocks. It is homogeneous in structure, chemically inert and clean.

The main sphere of application of this type of sand is the industry of building materials. It goes in dry building mixes, silicate brick, blocks and concrete, used to prepare grinding compositions. Landscape design, expensive interior and facade plasters also do not cost without quartz sand.

Unambiguously answer the question of which sand is better impossibleSince each material is intended for certain types of work.

Nevertheless, the main conclusions are already obvious:

  • for brick and large-boring masonry, it is better to take river sand. If you mix it with a small amount of non-career sand, then the solution will become more plastic (due to clay particles);
  • for concrete, a large or medium river sand is suitable (it is possible to add a little small washed career sand);
  • for plaster, a washed career sand with a small addition of river or without it is better suitable.

Approximate prices

It is obvious that the cost of sand is higher, the more manipulations had to do with it during mining and cleaning.

The cheapest is a career unwitched and not seeded. Its price per cube ranges from 300 to 400 rubles. Purified by water or sieving career sand for construction work will cost from 550 to 700 rubles per 1 m3 with delivery.

River sand is significantly expensive than a career. Its price starts with 750 rubles and ends at the mark of 950 rubles / m3.

Fractionated quartz sand is the most expensive. When buying from 10 tons (1 KAMAZ), its delivery price ranges from 4,500 rubles per cubic meter.