In ordinary life, people are accustomed to the surrounding sand, without thinking that it can be different. And only certain categories of specialists, by the nature of their activity, know that sand is divided into several types. It depends on several factors:
- composition;
- places of production;
- mining method (natural and artificial, obtained by crushing rocks);
- characteristics that sand has.
What is the modulus of fineness
Any sand is characterized by grain composition, that is, the number of grains of a certain fraction. Particle size is one of the main criteria by which sand is divided into different types. The modulus of fineness is this value that allows us to estimate the size of individual particles of a granular substance (its grain composition).
How much material you need to use to prepare the mortar depends on the size module . The result of the work done and the quality of the manufactured products, which include sand, will also largely depend on this indicator. The size modulus determines the area of application of a given substance.
Bulk substance size
To determine the fraction, special vibrating screens with a certain cell size are used. Sand is sifted through these devices. The modulus of fineness is calculated by a certain formula. It is equal to the quotient of dividing the sum of the total remains of sand on each sieve by one hundred.
Complete is the remainder of the substance that would remain on the sieve if all sand were sifted through it. The size module (GOST 8736-85) allows you to determine the group of sand by size. These values are usually given in tabular form.
Types of sand and their use
After determining the grain composition according to the table, the type to which the sand belongs is:
- The particle size modulus 3 and higher is coarse grain. It is used for the preparation of concrete mortar of high grades, the production of tiles and borders for sidewalks, rings for a well.
- For medium grain size, the characteristic sand size is 2.0-2.5. Used for the production of concrete class B15.
- The size of 1.5-2.0 corresponds to a fine fraction of sand. This type of material is suitable for the construction of bridges (including their part located under water), the manufacture of bricks and cement mortar.
- Granularity of 1.0-1.5 characterizes a very fine fraction of sand used for the manufacture of finely divided substances.
The use of sand of various fractions depends on its characteristics. A solution prepared using this material will be more durable and reliable if the particle size modulus is greater. And at the same time less water will be needed to knead the composition.
At the same time, we can say that the higher the granularity, the worse the plasticity of the prepared solution and its viscosity. If such sand is used, for example, for screeding the floor as part of a cement mortar, then it will be worse to fill the space between gravel or gravel particles. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right grit size depending on the purpose of its use.