Use of Manufactured (m) Sand in Construction

Manufactured sand has an important place in the world of construction.

Manufactured sand is used as a substitute for river sand.

In this blog, we will discuss in detail about manufactured sand and its uses in the construction industry.

What is Manufactured Sand?

Manufactured sand is an artificial sand produced by crushing hard granite stones into cubical shapes for mixing with cement or concrete.

The size of m sand or manufactured sand is less than 4.75mm and It is used as a substitute for river sand, while both have different physical and mineral properties, still Manufactured sand is preferred over river sand because it goes through a proper manufacturing process.

Also Read : Types of Sand Used in Construction

M sand Manufacturing Process

Extracting and Blasting

• The rocks are broken down into smaller parts by blasting them so that they can be handled easily.

Aggregate Crushing

• The small stones are fed to primary and secondary crushers to reduce tier size. Then the stones are further crushed into sand-like particles using vertical shaft impact (VSI).

Screening and Sorting

• Manufacturing plants screen the sand by using feeders so that they can obtain a uniform particle size.

Air Classifying

• Air classifying is done to separate larger particles from finer particles.

Also Read : How to Find Cement Sand and Aggregate Quantity in Concrete

Manufactured Sand Specification

• Durable
• High Strength.
• Cost-effective
• Provides Great Workability
• Artificially Created Sand
• Prevents Construction Defects

Manufactured Sand for Concrete

Manufactured sand is used in concrete because of the following reasons.

• Higher Concrete Strength

The physical properties like shape, the smooth structure of the surface, and consistency of manufactured sand provide additional strength to the concrete mix by preventing segregation, honeycombing, bleeding, voids, and capillary.

• Enhance Workability

Because of manufacturing sand, the concrete mix demands less water and provides higher workability.

• Fewer Defects

Because of the optimum initial and final setting time the use of manufacturing sand prevents defects in the structure.

• Economy

The use of manufacturing sand reduces post-concrete defects, it also is more economical than the river sand, and also saves transportation costs.

• Eco-friendly

As the manufacturing sand is artificially created it prevents the misuse of river beds.

Manufactured Sand Uses

Manufactured sand is used as a better substitute for river sand. It is used in the production of concrete as mortar mix which can be used in any kind of concrete work and masonry-related work.

Manufactured Sand Density and Specific Gravity of Manufacturing Sand

Manufacturing sand has a density of 1850 kg/m3, and the specific gravity of manufacturing sand is around 2.56.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Manufacturing Sand

Following are the advantages and disadvantages of manufacturing sand.

Advantages of Manufacturing Sand

• Manufacturing sand provides good workability due to a higher fineness modules index.
• Cost-effective due to higher availability and less transportation cost.
• Provides higher strength and durability to concrete due to perfect grading and cubical shape.
• Eco-friendly
• Better abrasion resistance

Disadvantages of Manufacturing Sand

• More water and cement requirement due to smooth and angular texture.
• The strength and workability of concrete can be compromised if the manufacturing sand contains a larger number of micro-fine particles.

These were the advantages and disadvantages of manufacturing sand.

Conclusion

So, this was all you need to know about manufacturing sand. Manufactured sand in India is readily used due to its properties.

The use of manufactured sand is crucial as it has many added benefits to it.