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What is the difference between river sand and quarry sand. Quarry or river sand - what's the difference

With various construction or repair work it is quite natural to ask which sand is better - quarry or river. What caused this interest? And what are the types of sand? It is no secret that this bulk material is used in so many directions, and often it directly depends on its quality. performance characteristics completed construction object as a whole and its individual fragments in particular.

If you check with the pre-existing GOSTs, and the norms that exist today, it turns out that official documents do not impose special requirements on the place of sand extraction, they stipulate only its physical and chemical characteristics and parameters. However, builders have long noticed that the origin of this loose substance is fundamentally important when it is used in repair or construction.

Those who are far from performing such work often do not even suspect that there is some difference between ravine and river sand.

The consumer usually simply chooses the supplier who has bulk materials cheaper. Often after this, a person wonders why the plaster crumbles and the foundation cracks, although the work done by the builders is still so few months old.

Which sand is better - quarry or river, is determined by exactly where you are going to mix it. Let's try to figure out which sand is most suitable for a certain type of work.

Ravine (quarry) sand

The place of its origin is revealed already in the name itself. Due to the ease of its extraction and the prevalence of deposits, it is the cheapest. However, there is a significant difference in price among quarry sands. This is due to how pure it is and how it is mined.

sandy soil. To be honest, it is rather difficult to call it sand. This mass is simply dug up, not processed in any way and taken out to the buyer. The cheapest kind of quarry sand. However, it must be taken into account when mixing the solution or other construction works that due to a wide variety of inclusions, sandy soil differs very poor quality. It is suitable only for leveling the terrain, filling ditches and filling children's sandboxes (and even then not in any case).
seeded sand. This construction material taken from the surface of a dry quarry. It differs from the soil in that it was sifted and freed from large particles and various unnecessary debris. Costs more sandy soil and its application is somewhat wider - it is introduced into the composition of plaster masses, masonry mortars and cast foundations.
alluvial sand. Produced using hydromechanics from flooded deposits. During mining, clay inclusions and dust are largely washed out. Washed sand is always fine-grained (about 0.6 mm.). The most expensive of the quarry varieties and has the widest application in construction and repair.

However, all types of gully sand contain a certain amount of clay, even washed material, and this is not always suitable for some mixtures. Therefore, it is not recommended to mix it into concrete intended for strip foundation. The range of applications for quarry sand includes:

various kinds of solutions: plaster, screed, masonry. In them, the presence of residual clay even has a beneficial effect, strengthening the adhesion of elements;
finishing work of any kind decorative plasters, laying tiles of all kinds, etc.;
the production of individual varieties of bricks (here, too, clay houses are quite beneficial);
construction of roads and sites. In private use - the equipment of paths and parking on the site.

The introduction of gully sand into concrete mixtures only alluvial type is allowed, with the smallest clay content, and even then - some experienced builders are advised to refrain from this. Otherwise, you will get cracking of the base, and even the most experienced foundation or brick layer will not be able to predict how soon this will happen.

river sand

It is not taken from the beaches, but is mined from the bottom of the rivers. Its main advantage is the complete absence of clay inclusions. In addition, it is very homogeneous and does not contain large heterogeneous particles. River sand comes in different fractions:

fine - particles up to 2 mm in size;
medium - fineness modulus reaches 2.8 mm;
large - sizes range from 2.9 to 5 mm.

Due to its purity and non-clayness, river sand is considered the best building material. It is universal and can be used in any areas:

in cooking concrete solutions, and for any type of foundations and for any design load;
in brick production;
in all mortars, including for screed;
in the manufacture of asphalt concrete compositions, as a cushion for road works, including highways designed for intensive use and the passage of heavy vehicles;
in drainage systems. Moreover, with their equipment, the replacement of river sand with quarry sand is unacceptable. In the latter, filtration is expressed by a coefficient of 4 m / day, which is definitely not enough for drainage - when the water level rises, it will come to the surface. A similar indicator for quarry sand is 12 m / day;
as a filler-stabilizer of dyes and grouts.

The cost of river sand is much higher than the price of quarry sand. Therefore, in most cases, it is purchased for those works in which quality is fundamentally important - masonry, foundations, screed. For finishing needs or for structures that are not designed to withstand increased loads, quarry sand is usually taken in order to save money. In this case, preference is given to alluvial.

However, when buying river sand, you need to be careful and attentive. The fact is that low-quality bulk can contain admixtures of bottom sludge. Such an additive greatly reduces the reliability of, say, the foundation. Therefore, experienced builders are usually interested in the place of production and the developer, and also look through the documentation for the sand, which is supposed to indicate all foreign impurities.

Thus, it is quite difficult to unequivocally answer which sand is better - quarry or river sand. It all depends on what exactly you intend to cook with his participation. However, in most cases, developers prefer to make do with quarry fill whenever possible.

Sand is an indispensable material in the construction industry. It, like any building material, has its own characteristics and features in the application.

river sand

The river sand used by builders has a personal fractional and chemical composition, it is the most demanded material among its analogues.

washed sand

Homogeneous in color (yellow or gray) grains of sand with perfectly smooth surface are at the bottom of the river. In the composition of this sand, iron and silicon oxides can be found. In river sand, there is practically no presence of clay impurities and other third-party debris, because this type of sand is washed in its natural environment. The size of each grain of sand is small, it is generally considered to be medium.

In the field of construction, however, the coarse-grained type of river sand is considered to be more valuable. Such material is extremely rare, as a result of which it is expensive. Sand can be found in any dry river bed. This type of sand is successfully used for masonry, finishing, as well as design work. It is included in compositions for coating highways, used to make bricks.

Coarse-grained river sand unobtrusive color, neutral shade, it is perfect for the decor used in the backyard.

coarse river sand

This type of sand is usually extracted from rocks located in rivers. The boulders are split on specialized equipment, and subsequently the resulting parts are crushed and split. The largest grain of sand can reach a diameter of 5 millimeters.

Factions

River sand is known from the following fractions:

pulverized.
Medium grained.
Coarse-grained.
Clayey.

The sand is calibrated by grain size using a special sieve with cells of different diameters.

Sand mining

It is customary to extract river sand using a dredger, which, in turn, is fixed on a barge. The dredger has specialized mechanical equipment, which includes:

Powerful pumps.
Sand collection tanks.
Sita.

The purchase of river sand should definitely begin with viewing its passport and certificate, in which the characteristics will have to meet GOST - 8736-93.

Areas of application for river sand

This material is commonly used for:

Production of concrete and concrete products (sand helps to maintain their strength for a long time and increases their frost resistance).
Production of dry building mixtures.
Creation of foundation pillows.
Production of mortars required for masonry and plastering works.
Room decorations.
Aquarium filling.
Arrangements playgrounds for children and so on.

Benefits of river sand

Environmentally friendly product.
Possesses high moisture resistance.
Ideal soundproofing material.
Over time, it does not rot.
Meets most technical requirements.

Quarry sand is presented in the form loose rock, in which you can detect with the naked eye grains of feldspar, quartz, mica and other minerals found in natural conditions.

In the field of construction, quarry sand is very popular material, which is directly related to its good natural properties and low price.

It is used not only in the field of construction, but also such sand has found its wide application in the fields of industry and agriculture.

Quarry sand is mined in the following way - loose rock is dug in large layers. In the future, such sand is subjected to sieving and washing. It refers to GOST - 8736-93.

Size classification:

Fine-grained - the diameter is not higher than 2 millimeters.
Medium-grained - 2 - 2.8 millimeters.
Coarse-grained - up to 5 millimeters.

Varieties of quarry sand

alluvial(washed sand) - this type of quarry sand is usually mined in flooded deposits and deposits using hydromechanical equipment. Sand, thanks to this technology, turns out to be clean, there are no impurities and unnecessary components in it.
seeded sand- quarry sand is sifted from stones and large particles.
sandy soil– crude quarry sand is mixed with various components, the price of the material is very low.

Applications:

Construction.
National economy.
Industry.
Applied art.

Advantages

The sand is sold uncleaned, as a result of this, enterprises that extract quarry sand and sell it can save on cleaning and screening.
The extraction process is quite simple, as a result of which the material itself is cheap.
Delivery of quarry sand is carried out at low prices.

Common between river and quarry sand

Used in the construction industry.
They have the same indicators according to GOST.
Used for decoration.

Differences

There are different ways of extracting sand.
River sand is considered more pure material, since in it, unlike a quarry, only fragments of clay can be found.
Quarry sand is a cheaper building material.
River sand is environmentally friendly.
For children's sandboxes and aquariums, it is best to choose river sand.

It is hardly worth saying that river sand is considered the highest quality and is used everywhere to perform various kinds construction works. However, unscrupulous sellers, seeing that a non-professional is standing in front of them, can sell quarry sand instead of river sand.

There is an easy way to detect fraud. Better to avoid cheating in general. To do this, it is necessary to cooperate only with proven, well-established suppliers. Quarry sand with delivery to St. Petersburg today can be purchased on the most favorable terms.

Every builder knows about the main criterion that determines the quality of sand - the presence of clay in it. The more clay in the sand, the worse it is. Checking sand for clay can be extremely simple.

To do this, take a handful of sand and actively knead it in your hand. If, after all the sand has gone through the fingers in the hand, there will remain greasy stains from clay, it is not recommended to buy such sand.

When choosing river sand, you need to pay attention to the following:

the price cannot be lower than the price of quarry sand;
upon closer examination, the sand fractions will be oval, rounded;
river sand, in principle, has no clay impurities.

The roundness of the sand fractions can be explained by the constant action of water in the river.

Water wears away the stone. In addition, due to the constant flow of the river, the sand is effectively washed naturally from various kinds of impurities.

The main disadvantage of natural river sand is considered high price. If it is allowed to purchase the required amount for the construction of a small private house, then at large industrial facilities the purchase of river sand becomes unprofitable.

In this case, experts turn to quarry sand. The quality of the latter depends entirely on the method of extraction. For example, the alluvial technique guarantees the almost complete removal of accompanying impurities.

You can buy quarry sand of various caliber fractions. The cost also depends on how fine the sand is.

Artyom Davydov will demonstrate how you can find out the real quality of sand in a matter of seconds:

There are many classifications of sand. One of the most common is the one most often used by builders. This is a classification according to the method of extraction and processing. It includes:

River (aka sea) sand
Quarry sand
washed sand
seeded sand
sand soil

River and sea sand, of course, differ in the place of production. But these varieties rarely stand out in separate categories. Both river and sea sand have similar characteristics and applications in construction.

But today we will talk only about the first two varieties - river and quarry sand. What are the features of their composition and application? What is the difference between them? What kind and when is it better to use? You will find answers to all these questions in this material.

river sand

Obtained from riverbeds. It is characterized by a very low percentage of clay and loam impurities. And the reason for this is the natural cleaning of sand, which occurs with the constant movement of water in the river.

They are divided into three categories of fineness: fine (particles less than 2 mm), medium (2-2.8 mm), large (2.8-5 mm). Most of the grains of sand have a run-in, well-polished shape, and all because of the already mentioned movement of water.

IN landscape design and construction. However, if in the first case it performs a purely decorative function, then in the second it is assigned a much more responsible role. as a component of concrete and cement mortars, as an element of the drainage system and screeds, as one of the parts of the filtration system. Besides, certain types of this material can be used, for example, in the production of tiles.

Also, river sand is often added to plant soil to increase its volume, increase crumbliness, and allow beneficial bacteria to gain access to the air.

River sand can be gray, light gray or light yellow. The color depends on the place of extraction.

The only drawback of the material is the cost. Due to the need to attract complex mining equipment (which is carried out using several barges and a powerful hydraulic pump), the price of sand is quite high.

Serious cost becomes the reason that builders often prefer to use other types of sand for “roughing” work (quarry, for example).

Quarry sand

- almost the complete opposite of the river. It is cheap, easy to mine, and has less than impressive stats. For example, the average content of clay impurities in it is 6-7 percent. Of course, pure quarry sand is also found in nature, which does not require further processing, but this is quite rare.

By the way, about processing. In order for quarry sand to become suitable for use in mortars, as a filter for water and for other similar works, it is subjected to cleaning. And it turns out seeded or. According to their characteristics, these varieties are close to the river, but their cost is much higher than that of the quarry.

Where is quarry sand used? Drainage systems, embankments of automobile and railways. Plastering and masonry work. Soil enrichment in landscape design. Works of the "zero" cycle. And much more.

River or career - what to choose?

River or quarry sand - which is better? Difficult question. You can answer "River" and disperse on this. However, the scope of sand depends primarily on the requirements of the customer and the severity of construction project. Parameters such as cost, particle size modulus, percentage of impurities and filtration coefficient are extremely important. If, according to the given parameters for specific work, the selected sand suits you, then it is quite possible to use it. Regardless of the place of extraction. After all, it happens that high-quality and more expensive river sand is not very good for certain tasks, but quarry sand is perfect.

Natural natural sand - loose rock, which contains grains of feldspars, mica, quartz and other natural minerals. In fact, any sand is suitable for construction. Both river and sea or quarry are used, but the use of quarry is in demand due to its low price and good natural properties.

Description of building material

Quarry sand - almost universal material, which is used in many areas of the economy and industry. Construction, road works and landscaping are key applications for quarry sand.

This sand is mined in a quarry way, as its name implies. Various careers provide different types sand with different structure, grain size and composition. The final properties that quarry sand will have are also influenced by the methods of its extraction: washing, screening and open pit mining.

By fineness and grain size, fine-grained, medium- and coarse-grained sand is distinguished. Fine-grained - sand, whose grains have a diameter not exceeding 2 mm. Medium-grained - from 2 to 2.8 mm, and coarse-grained has grains of sand up to 5 mm.

The fact that various impurities are present in quarry sand (sometimes percentage reaches 7%), is a disadvantage on the one hand and an advantage in some cases.

When the sand is mined open way rather than by washing, the presence of clay makes it more convenient when mixing solutions. It settles less and makes the building composition more elastic and mobile.

Varieties of quarry sand

According to the type of processing used after mining, sand is divided into:

Alluvial (washed) — this species quarry sand is extracted from flooded deposits and deposits in quarries by using hydromechanical equipment. Thanks to the use of this technology, the sand is ultimately clean, that is, without impurities and unnecessary components. During mining, clay and dusty particles are washed out of the sand by hydromechanical devices. The use of alluvial sand is considered the most appropriate for the production of concrete and bricks, as well as in the construction of buildings, roads and reinforced concrete products.
seeded sand is obtained as a result of simple technical and mechanical screening from large particles and stones. Such sand is perfect for forming a plaster mass, preparing a mortar for masonry or casting a foundation.
sandy soil- this is an unrefined mixture of quarry sand with various components. The price of such sand is minimal, and the scope of use, as a rule, is limited to backfilling trenches or leveling the relief of the land.

This is how alluvial (washed) quarry sand looks like in the photo

Sand mining in quarries: process features

Of course, the open method is considered the most popular, in which construction and mining companies can get by with ordinary equipment: excavators, bulldozers, and so on. This method quite cheap, so the sand is not suitable for all work. Quarry sand mined in this way is usually found in upper layers soil, so miners mainly use the technique of opening upper layers and occasionally explosives.

For quarries flooded with water, a dredging unit is used, which is a powerful pump for unloading sand from the bottom. The floating pontoon on which the equipment is installed (the so-called dredger) is fastened with anchors and cables or is located on board a specially equipped vessel. The suction sand is called "pulp" because it passes through the pulp channel, which screens out clean sand without impurities and returns water to the quarry. This method of extraction is called hydromechanized.

In other cases, other equipment may be used that has a specific purpose, and is also not typical for regular use. For example, a sieve is used to screen stones and clay from open pit sand. Instead, the usual metal grid, which allows you to sift the sand with your own hands. Before developing a new quarry, it is necessary to prepare all calculations and coordinate work with government services.

Dredger S-42 sand extraction hydromechanically:

Specifications and properties

The main property of quarry sand is its purity and the absence of impurities. Moreover, alluvial career material has the following characteristics:

Fractions range from 1.5 to 5 mm.
Low percentage of dust, clay and other impurities - no more than 0.03%.
The density of alluvial quarry sand is 1.60 g/cm3.

Depending on what fraction the sand grain has, the alluvial material is divided into the following categories: fine, large fraction and medium-sized fraction. Shades of quarry sand are also different and can be either amber yellow or Brown color depending on deposits and quarry.

Applications

Due to the exceptional quality of quarry sand and its compliance with GOST 8736-93, it is widely used in the construction industry, national economy as well as decoration. The use of sand in the production of bricks and concrete, as well as in housing and road construction, is especially relevant and cost-effective.

Alluvial quarry sand of coarse fraction has gained great popularity in the production of high-strength concrete and various reinforced concrete structures. paving slabs, masonry and street curbs also use quarry sand in their production. And due to the absence of impurities, the resulting materials will have exceptional strength and durability.

Surface and coating mortars use sand with a fine grain fraction, which allows to achieve an aesthetically attractive appearance of the final mixture. Decoration, use on summer cottages and on playgrounds, makes the extraction of fine sand quite cost-effective.

Some more information about the use of quarry sand:

Advantages and disadvantages of quarry sand

Enterprises that are engaged in the extraction and sale of sand, gravel and granite, sand, as a rule, is a priority material. What is its popularity? For the most part, due to the fact that, compared to other types of sand (for example, quartz), quarry sand is not at all expensive.

This is because:

Enterprises do not spend resources on sand cleaning. Since quarry sand is not affected and processed, enterprises save money on cleaning and screening quarry sand.
The mining process is very simple. Absolutely, the easiest, cheapest and most common way is open, which is used by the vast majority of mining companies.
Low shipping cost. There are a lot of quarries with sand deposits, so you can always find required amount sand nearby.

Although the performance of quarry sand does not reach alluvial or seeded, but a pleasant price and others quality characteristics make this sand more popular and in demand than its counterparts.