Sands and Aggregates -Highroads

1. The Many Uses of Sand and Aggregates in Construction Highroads

2. In the world of construction, it’s easy to take sand and aggregates for granted, but they have so many uses that it’s hard to keep track of them all. Not only are they essential in concrete building projects, they also have applications in asphalt and concrete work as well as landscaping and garden design. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular uses of sand and aggregates in the construction world today.

3. When you’re building a driveway, adding onto your home or building anything concrete, gravel is a popular construction material. It has two primary uses: to act as an aggregate (it’s mixed with cement and sand), and to provide drainage for rainwater. As a non-engineered fill, it can be used for low-impact development projects like ball fields. Gravel comes in three sizes: small (about one-sixteenth of an inch), coarse (roughly half an inch) and large (roughly 1/4 inch). When crushed, it’s called crushed stone. This rock is popular for curbing as well as landscaping. Gravel and Crushed Stone

4. It’s no secret that homes can be built without a ton of sand or aggregates. Even so, most building contractors use them regularly. Depending on where you live, you may be familiar with these terms; they refer to soil-like materials made up primarily of crushed stone, gravel or dirt. These products are key ingredients in concrete and asphalt—the stuff used to build roads—as well as cement blocks and bricks (which get mixed with water and air to form mortar). But those aren’t their only uses! Residential uses

5. Imports, exports and consumption How is sand used throughout the world? As you can imagine, it’s most heavily consumed right here at home. The U.S. is both a huge importer and exporter of sand, bringing in about $8 billion worth each year from countries like Canada, Mexico, Japan, Morocco and other countries around the world (the top five export destinations for U.S.-made sand are Canada ($4.4 billion), Mexico ($1.6 billion), Germany ($0.74 billion), China ($0.57 billion) and South Korea ($0.45 billion)). We also export a ton domestically: In fact, it’s estimated that we export more sand than any other country on Earth (with sales to China coming in second). And why not?

6. Where does it come from? Well, rocks are made from minerals that are created when heat and pressure fuse elements like silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, potassium, sodium, zinc and titanium together. When it rains on bedrock or an eroding cliff face (as it often does at construction sites), water washes these minerals down to rivers which eventually dump them out into oceans. Over time (millions of years) currents push these eroded rocks around so they eventually form beaches on coastlines all over the world. As your architect will tell you--sand and gravel make up approximately 65% to 75% percent of construction concrete’s aggregate. The other 25% is used to reinforce concrete’s strength (rebar).