The masonry mortar directly affects the convenience of work, and also plays an important role in the formation of the final properties of the brickwork. Hence the need to carefully select the components, because otherwise you can get a dubious result.

Why is there sand in the solution?

Before determining which sand is best for laying bricks, we will find out its functions in the mortar. The loads that the mortar in the masonry withstands are sufficiently uniform and stable. There is almost no effect on the rupture. These circumstances make it possible to use relatively simple mortars for masonry, in which the content of the binder (cement or lime) may be small.

Sand is a filler, and takes up the bulk of the solution (3 quarters, or even 5 sixths). Its task is as follows:

• Regulation of the volume of the solution;
• Reduced shrinkage;
• Compensation for unevenness in bricks to ensure evenness of masonry.

In addition, sand affects the appearance of the mortar, which is important for decorative finishing.

It is sand that is used as a filler because it has a number of useful properties in this case:

• Chemical inertness;
• Relatively homogeneous structure;
• Affordability (both physically and financially).

Selection of sand

Consider what kind of sand is needed for laying bricks.

To begin with, it is important for us that the sand is free of unnecessary impurities. Particularly strong on the properties of the solution will be affected by impurities of clay, which does not allow water to pass, which leads to the formation of lumps in the solution with very different physical and mechanical properties. They will become the weak point under load on the solution. However, other pollution is no less harmful.

So the sand must be clean.

If the sand contains particles of different fractions, the solution will lose its homogeneity. The plasticity of the solution may also deteriorate, which will complicate the alignment of the brick row. In other words, the sand must be sieved to ensure that the particles are uniform.

What sand is the best for masonry in terms of fraction? The optimal and versatile option is sand of the middle fraction (particle size 1 - 2 mm). For rough work, you can use a larger fraction, and for decorative finishing it will be more expedient, on the contrary, to use fine sand.

The origin of sand and its properties

What sand to use for brickwork from the point of view of origin? The very fact of extracting sand from a quarry or from a river is not fundamental. What matters is how it affects its properties.

On the one hand, river sand is cleaner and has a more homogeneous structure. Its particles are sanded with water to an almost perfectly spherical state, which increases the attractiveness of its appearance.

On the other hand, such grinding reduces the ability of the grains of sand to adhere to the cement particles and form a monolithic slurry. Quarry sand is devoid of such a disadvantage. The career option is also cheaper. But it requires washing and sieving.

Thus, what kind of sand is needed for masonry depends on the type of the latter. For load-bearing walls and rough work, treated quarry sand is the best option. For decorative cladding, river sand is more suitable due to its better appearance.

Even a person far from the construction industry will give the correct answer to the question about the most popular building material. It's about cement. It was thanks to him that the construction of strong and stable houses, bridges, factories, pillars and even fences became possible. Cement is the basis of concrete and mortars. True, their quality depends not only on cement, but also on other components. We are talking about sand that can both provide the expected strength and negate all the efforts associated with choosing a good cement. Let's try to figure out which sand for cement is better to choose, but high-quality cement is much easier to find. Cement wholesale and retail in Moscow is realized by the CEM-Cement plant. The company offers a mixture of different brands and with modifying additives. The plant has a full production cycle, so the quality of products is controlled at all stages. Wholesale buyers receive decent discounts and fast delivery, as the manufacturer has its own vehicle fleet at the disposal of the manufacturer.

# 1. The role of sand for concrete and masonry mortar

A huge part of all cement produced is used for production concrete... In addition to the cement itself, crushed stone, water and, of course, are also used. The last one plays placeholder role... It closes the voids that form between the rubble, and when the concrete hardens and deforms, it prevents the formation of cracks and allows the internal stress to be evenly distributed. As a result, the service life of the facility being built increases and increases.

When cooking mortar for masonry sand brick takes on slightly different functions. Here it is necessary to fill the voids that can form due to irregularities on the surface. Also, sand regulates the volume of the resulting solution and can significantly reduce shrinkage. In addition, it can give the masonry mortar the necessary shade, which is important when it comes to.

No other placeholder was found or created. However, there are no problems yet: sand is very common, it is inexpensive and at the same time chemically inert, strong enough and represented by various fractions. It remains only to understand which sand for cement is better to choose, which fraction to give preference to, and to figure out how important the type of sand origin is.

# 2. Sand particle size

According to GOST 8736-93, sand is divided into several fractions by particle size (fineness modulus). Sand with particles larger than 3.5 mm is called very coarse, with particles of 3-3.5 mm - increased size, etc. The distribution by fractions can be seen from the table, but in reality, sand is often divided into only three types: fine, medium and coarse.

Depending on the particle size, sand is usually divided into two classes:

• Class I. The composition does not contain fractions with a particle size of up to 1.5 mm, which are undesirable in the preparation of solutions. With an increase in their content, the connection between larger particles deteriorates, the quality of the solution decreases, and its cost increases;
• Class II contains the smallest particles of sand. Such sand is not suitable for preparing concrete for a foundation, but it can be useful for a masonry mortar. When it comes to decorative finishes, the solution is kneaded using sufficiently small particles.

If it is necessary to prepare concrete for further pouring the foundation, it is better to use sand with particle size 2-2.5 mm... For cooking high quality concrete take fraction 2.5-3 mm... If necessary low grade concrete(up to M200), it is allowed to use sand with a fraction of 1-1.5 mm. The logic should be clear: the more stable the solution is needed, the larger the fraction is used. Sand of increased size and very coarse is sometimes used in private construction to create a sand cushion.

When choosing sand for preparing concrete for, it is allowed to contain particles of 5-10 mm in size (gravel), but their part should not exceed 10%. Dust and silt fractions (particle size less than 0.05 mm) should not be more than 3%, otherwise it will not be possible to achieve the design strength of concrete.

Some experts advise to choose "Varied" sand where, in addition to the medium / coarse fraction, there are slightly smaller particles. The thing is that sand with a high modulus of coarseness is characterized by an increased rate of voidness. To fill the space between grains of sand, more will be needed, which will affect the final cost. Therefore, in some cases (when we are not talking about critical objects) it makes sense to use a little fine sand, which will perfectly fill the voids.

It is important that the sand is clean, free of clay (which will cause lumps to form) and foreign particles such as branches and other debris. Much depends on the origin of the sand.

No. 3. Sand extraction site

There is a lot of sand on the planet. All the deposits are united by the fact that the extraction is carried out in an open way, but the peculiarities of the natural formation of sand leave an imprint on its properties.

According to the type of origin, sand is usually divided into the following types:

• quarry sand lies at a shallow depth under the ground. Quarries are created for its extraction. This sand contains a significant amount of clay, soil and dust, which is clear from the peculiarities of its occurrence. In its raw form, it can be used for bedding under or foundation. Washed sand (washed at the mining site) is suitable for preparing concrete. Quarry sand is finer than river sand, excellent for preparing mortars for, as well as masonry mortars for bricks. Also, washed sand is used in the manufacture of paving slabs;
  
• river sand due to constant exposure to water, it is clean of impurities, and the grains of sand themselves have a very smooth surface. With its help, it is much easier to obtain a high-quality solution, but it also costs more. On the other hand, the surface of the grains of sand is absolutely smooth, their adhesion is slightly lower than that of quarry grains of sand, and the weaker the connection of the individual components, the less strong the solution comes out. The difference, in fact, is not that significant, but in some cases it makes sense to play it safe. River sand is excellent for pouring concrete foundations and creating reinforced structures. It is used for the preparation of masonry mortars when working with large building blocks, as well as in production;
• sea ​​sand actually repeats the properties of the river. It is quite clean and uniform in fractional composition, but it may contain shell particles, requiring additional cleaning;
• so-called artificial sand, obtained by crushing rock. It will definitely not contain impurities, but too small particles may come across in it, so sieving is often indispensable.

If you are not sure about the purity of the sand, and laboratory tests are impossible for any reason, do a simple analysis. It is enough to take a transparent container, fill it 1/3 with sand and add up to half of the water, shake everything well, ensuring that the sand is completely moistened, and leave the container alone for 10-15 minutes. If the water turns out to be dirty, or a layer of foreign substance is present on the sand, then sand is not suitable for creating concrete and mortar.

No. 4. Main characteristics of sand

The quality of concrete and mortars is strictly regulated by the relevant regulations, including the requirements for sand are also spelled out. Some parameters can be checked directly at the construction site, others - only in the laboratory, but when a responsible project is being built, quality control for all characteristics should not be neglected.

To the most important characteristics sand include:

No. 5. Preferred sand for concrete and masonry

For the preparation of concrete, river sand will still be preferable. Even though its grains are smooth and have a lower degree of adhesion, it is much cleaner than quarry. In the latter, even when washing, it is not possible to completely remove all the clay. Mixing of river and quarry sand is allowed. The size of the grains of sand is 2-3 mm.

For masonry, you can take cheaper quarry sand. The fraction depends on how large the blocks are stacked: for a slok block, you can take sand with larger particles, and for facing bricks - on the contrary, with small ones.

When buying sand, you need to study all accompanying documentation. This will allow you to be sure that the object being built will turn out to be durable and strong.

• especially heavy with a density of 2500 kg / m 3;
• heavy - 1800-2500 kg / m 3;
• lungs -500-1800 kg / m 3;
• thermal insulation - up to 500 kg / m 3.

Cement, sand also affect this separation of concrete:

• cement on clinker, which are used for construction;
• silicate (only on sand);
• gypsum (based on gypsum and gypsum cement binder);
• asphalt (only for road construction);
• polymer-cement.

Cement mixtures in construction

Cement mixtures have plasticity, fast hardening, high strength.

Cement mixtures differ not only in quality, but also in areas of application. Portland cement is often used for private construction. Concrete prepared on its basis has the following properties:

• plastic;
• fast hardening;
• high strength;
• resistance to low temperatures;
• the possibility of using various additives.

Today, concrete from Portland cement is considered one of the most popular. Grade 400 is used for precast reinforced concrete, monolithic structures. Grade 500 - for monolithic structures, hydraulic structures, foundations, load-bearing walls of buildings. Cement 600 is used in the manufacture of precast concrete products, grade 700 - with high strength requirements.

Plasticized cement is obtained by grinding clinker, gypsum, active additives. Concrete from such a mixture is considered mobile, frost-resistant, it is very convenient and easy to install. Today, five of its grades are produced: M300, 400, 500, 600, 700. Similar cement is used in the construction of houses and foundations.

Slag Portland cement - crushed clinker plus slag and gypsum.

Portland slag cement consists of crushed clinker, granulated blast furnace slag, and gypsum. Concrete from such a mixture hardens a little slower than ordinary concrete, especially at low temperatures. Today, such cement is produced in grades such as M300, 400, 500, 600. Such concrete is needed in the construction of above-ground and underground structures, it is allowed to use it in the construction of underwater communications. When asked which solution perfectly withstands the influence of aggressive media, the answer is unambiguous - this is Portland slag cement

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Alumina Expanding Cement for Concrete Mortar

Alumina cement is a binder, it consists of calcium aluminates. Such a cement is needed only to provide high strength with short hardening times. But concrete of this brand turns out to be very expensive, so its use is advisable only in some cases:

• use of a solution for the rapid elimination of accidents;
• such concrete is needed when or when it is necessary to quickly erect building structures;
• when concrete is poured at very low temperatures.

Expanding cement mixtures are used when there is a need to produce a mortar with fast hardening properties.

Alumina cement is composed of calcium aluminates.

This is facilitated by the formation of fast-growing crystals from the calcium hydrosulfoaluminator at the time of setting. A similar concrete of 2 types is produced industrially today: waterproof and gypsum-alumina.

Expanding gypsum-alumina cement is fast-setting, it is used as a binder when it is required to prepare a mortar with non-shrinking, waterproof qualities. This type of cement is obtained by grinding natural gypsum and blast-furnace slags. In construction, a cement mixture is used in the manufacture of plasters, when sealing joints between individual reinforced concrete structures. You cannot use this type of cement for structures that will be operated at temperatures greater than 80 ° C.

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What requirements should sand meet?

One of the components for making a sand mixture is sand, but which one should you purchase? For mixing concrete, sand must be used, to which the following requirements are imposed:

• for concrete mortar, you can use only those mixtures that do not include organic substances that destroy stone and reduce the strength of concrete. It is not allowed that there are clay inclusions in the sand mixture;
• small grains, the fraction of which is up to 0.14 mm, should not be contained in the sand mixture in an amount greater than a tenth. There should not be more than 3% of such impurities as dusty, clayey, silty. The most dangerous are clay inclusions, which significantly reduce the strength of concrete.

To prepare concrete, you can use the following types of sand mixtures:

1. River sand is the cleanest, does not require additional processing, the shape of individual grains is round. Clay in this composition is extremely rare.
2. Mountain sands are distinguished by sharp edges; it is these mixtures that most often contain clay, many organic impurities.
3. Sandy sea mixes are considered the least preferred in the preparation of concrete mortar. The fact is that it contains impurities in the form of shell fragments, lime inclusions, which have a negative effect on the strength of the future solution.
4. There is also a division into natural and artificial sands. The first 3 types are natural; artificial sand is a mixture made from crushed gravel. It is best to use river sand, since it is this sand that has the necessary properties, fraction and purity. It does not need to be processed and washed, which reduces the cost of the mixture. This sand provides the required strength of the concrete.

Construction Materials

What sand is better to choose for bricklaying - an overview of varieties and advice from the masters

From the author: Good day, dear readers. Today I invite you to talk about sand, which is best for brickwork. I sincerely hope that the tips in this article will be useful to you, and you can put them into practice.

All brick houses are laid with mortar, which is made on the basis of sand according to a certain technology. Brickwork is done according to a scheme that involves the closure of the upper row of holes in the lower row with bricks, which allows you to create a solid foundation and correctly distribute the load evenly across all walls, as well as economically use materials.

To answer the question of which sand is better, it is necessary to find out exactly what role the mortar plays in construction.

What is lime mortar

Sifted fine dry sand is added to the milk of lime, which must be filtered through a sieve, and then everything is well mixed. If necessary, you can add water in small portions.

In this case, it is imperative to observe the exact proportions and monitor the uniformity of the composition itself. For strength, cement must be added to such a solution. In some situations, for example, when building stoves or fireplaces, it may be necessary to make a cement-clay composition.

In this case, it is better to use small material in order to increase the strength and reliability of the masonry. In principle, the whole production procedure differs from the lime version only in that lime is replaced by clay. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right component and do everything using the manual for the application of this technology. In this case, the clay should have high plasticity and not have lumps, as well as other foreign substances.

How is cement mortar used

The classic mortar includes a certain brand of cement, refined sand and water. Some experts advise adding such an unconventional component as a detergent to the mixture. Then the solution will turn out to be more plastic and will mix well, which will make the masonry very durable and as reliable as possible.

At the same time, the sand must meet certain requirements, namely, it must have a homogeneous structure and good bearing capacity, be as strong and stable as possible, have the necessary weight and optimal particle size, and also not react with other components of the solution.

In order for the masonry to be made with high quality, it is necessary to use only a properly prepared mortar, which should not only be strong and durable, but also not destroy the brick. Therefore, it will be necessary to observe exactly all proportions and pay due attention to the brand of cement, weather conditions and other equally important factors.

Types of sand and their purpose

First of all, the material should be homogeneous, and all its grains of sand should be the same size, because this directly affects the quality of the solution, its plasticity and resistance to stress.

The gully species is considered very popular and is mined in an open way. Due to the shape of the fractions, it has a positive effect on the strength of the solution that is produced with it.

Due to the fact that it contains stones and dust, its quality decreases slightly, however, an admixture of clay makes it possible to use such a material for high-quality masonry. If you do not spend money on the additional cleaning procedure, then it can be used in solutions for pouring the foundation.

River building material is very environmentally friendly and free from clay and other foreign matter. It is mined from the bottom of rivers, where the continuous movement of water cleans and polishes almost every grain of sand. Therefore, it does not need processing and cleaning.

Since sand is suitable for realizing almost any purpose in carrying out a variety of works, it is deservedly considered a universal material. It can be divided into large, medium and small.

Quarry, which is a rock and consists of particles of quartz, minerals, clay and stone chips, as a rule, is mined in an open way. In masonry work, it is used to create foundations. Moreover, it is most often used at the initial stage of construction work.

In terms of mineral composition, sandy building material can be:

• limestone;
• feldspar;
• dolomite;

A green or blue tint indicates that the composition contains aluminum salts.

There are two classes of sand. The first class includes large and very large, medium and small. The second class includes very large and large, medium, small, very small, thin and very thin.

Sand of the second class is of inferior quality, since it contains additional very fine grains of sand, which can significantly deteriorate the quality of the adhesion.

The medium-sized material is used in the production of bricks. Large - in the manufacture of concrete and reinforced concrete. Fine sand is used to create dry mixes in construction.

How to choose the right one

The mortar for masonry plays a major role in giving it the necessary properties and affects the convenience of the work performed, therefore, there arises the need to carefully combine all the components included in the composition so as not to get a negative result.

So, what is sand in a solution for?

Before you know which sand is best for you, you need to determine what role it plays in. It is the main filler, which is extremely important for the composition.

Its functions are as follows:

• fix minor surface irregularities in bricks;
• form the volume of the solution;
• smooth out shrinkage;
• give a certain color.

First, you need the sand to be as clean as possible, since clay affects the quality of the solution - it does not allow water to pass through, which can lead to the appearance of lumps. However, other types of pollution are just as harmful.

If at least some foreign particles are present in the sand, then the solution may lose its homogeneity. At the same time, its plasticity will decrease, which will complicate the alignment of the rows during the laying of bricks. For this reason, the sand is best sieved.

When laying, medium sand is well suited, and for rough work it is permissible to use a larger version. And in the case of decorative wall decoration, it is optimal to use the finest sand.

Properties and origins

So what is the best sand to use? It is impossible to give a universal answer to this question, since the goals and situations are very different. Most often, a river or open pit is used, which is mined from sources corresponding to the name, with medium-sized particles.

The river is more homogeneous and much cleaner in structure, because all its fractions are purified with water to almost perfect smoothness, which, in turn, enhances the beauty of its appearance. However, such a chic appearance can reduce adhesion - the ability of grains of sand to adhere to cement to form a monolithic mortar. The career option does not have a similar drawback and at the same time costs an order of magnitude cheaper, but it needs washing and sifting.

Therefore, for the construction of load-bearing walls and the production of rough work, a processed material of a quarry type is best suited, and for decorative cladding, a river one is needed, since it looks better.

That's all, my dear readers, until we meet again on our construction portal. Visit our website, as only here you can find out a huge amount of useful information related to construction, which will be useful not only to you, but also to all your friends and acquaintances.

The most demanded material in the construction or renovation of housing is sand for the foundation and brickwork. There are several types of sand used for these purposes: river, quarry and ravine. Moreover, this or that type of sand finds its use mainly for its intended purpose. Why mostly? Because you can use all these types in any case, but the quality of the solution, where sand is an obligatory component, can suffer from this. Therefore, we will consider each type separately.

River sand and its applications

It should be noted right away that river sand is not used to prepare a solution for arrangement or brickwork, but you need to get acquainted with it in order to better understand the purpose of quarry and ravine sand.

Among all types of sand, mined in the wide open spaces of Russia, river sand is the most expensive material of this type. The high cost is influenced by its exceptional purity, the absence of various impurities, uniformity of fractions, as well as the costly method of its extraction. As you know, they wash it from the bottom of reservoirs using dredgers, pumps and other equipment that allows sand to be removed in layers and fed upward through the sleeves, where it forms large mountains. It all costs a lot to maintain this entire sand mining line.

Construction river sand

Considering that river sand is purified with water, it does not require additional purification and is shipped to consumers right after being fed upstairs. Due to the homogeneity of the particles, fine-grained sand is used to prepare mixtures for plastering works, and medium-grained and coarse-grained sand can be used to prepare concrete.

River sand is irreplaceable for the construction of pillows for highways, runways, for the preparation of asphalt concrete mixtures and those products where guaranteed strength is required: rings of wells, curbs, for the manufacture of paving slabs.

Quarry and gully sand

Ravine sand

It would seem at first glance that these are two identical concepts, but the similarity between them is like a brook with a large river. That is, if the gully sand is practically on the surface: it is only necessary to remove the fertile layer, then the quarry sand is mined from a depth of several tens of meters. In addition, gully sand contains more clay and other organic substances than quarry sand. Clay is also present in quarry sand, but various organic additives are absent, with the exception of some minerals, which do not significantly affect its quality.

For the preparation of the solution, gully sand is more preferable after sifting and washing. The presence of a small percentage of clay makes the mortar more plastic and mobile, which has a positive effect on the bricklaying process.

Quarry sand extraction

When pouring the foundation formwork, preference should be given to quarry sand, which does not contain organic compounds and contains less clay. However, like ravine sand, open-pit sand must be flushed to free the grains of sand from the enveloping clay, which impairs the adhesion of the sand fractions with the cement solution. The highest quality will be the foundation in which quarry sand of various fractions is used.

Now let's return to river sand, where its fractions have a round polished surface, which does not come into contact with cement well. Whereas the fractions of quarry sand have an approximately cuboid surface with sharp edges and the conclusion suggests itself.

In the information, which is a lot on the Internet regarding river sand, a lot has been written about its advantage over other types, but almost many builders who used it to fill the foundation were extremely dissatisfied. On the forums devoted to this topic, you can read many situations when concrete with the use of river sand was easily picked out with a simple stick, while concrete where quarry sand was used could not be destroyed with a hammer.