Posted By:Infra Bazaar
Sand is an important material used for construction of buildings and infrastructures for many years. But in recent times, sand has been mined extensively. So much, that it is soon surpassing its renewal rate. The UN believes that sand and gravel, or aggregates, account for up to 85% of all mining activity around the world. Along with this, a 2014 report by the UN confirms that, globally, more than 40 million tons of sand and gravel are extracted every year.
But regardless, Construction requires an enormous amount of sand. But, the level of depletion has surpassed its renewal rate and hence is affecting the ecological balance and is disrupting flora and fauna of those regions. Moreover, illegal mining and extraction of sand has only added to this unfortunate ituation. This poses a great threat and long-term negative effects to the environment.
In search to combat these effects and find an alternative solution that is both cost-effective and eco-friendly, led to the production of Manufactured sand or also known as M-sand What is M-sand and How is it Produced? M-sand is artificial sand that is produced by crushing large stones like granite, or quarry into
sand-sized aggregates that are then washed and fine-graded. The M-sand differs from river sand in its properties as well mineral constituency as it is the product of crushed rocks, that are then screened and segregated based on its sizes to suit different construction requirements. The extracted product is then washed to remove the micro-fine particles. It is used as concrete aggregate for construction purposes and is considered as a superior alternative to river sand.
M-sand- An Eco-friendly Alternative
Sand is a prominent ingredient in making mortar and plaster, concrete and aggregates for constructing buildings. But, with the depletion rate rising, environment scientists are promoting the use of M-sand as a means to maintain and preserve the environmental balance. M-sand is considered an eco-friendly and superior alternative, as it has higher silt content and water absorption rate compared to river sand. M-sand offers various advantages due to its
properties and manufacturing process. The major advantage of this alternative is its higher cohesiveness. Since it is only a product of crushed rocks, it consists of lesser impurities. This in turn leads to concrete of better strength and quality. M-sand is considered to have better compressive strength and flexural strength in comparison to river sand.
Many construction companies are adopting M-sand for their construction works as, it was estimated a 30% increase in masonry strength obtained with usage of M-sand for construction. It also requires lower water content in the cement. Apart from this, M-sand reduces the disastrous environment impact that sand extraction can have by proving to be a cost-effective and quality alternative.
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