• especially heavy with a density of 2500 kg/m 3;
• heavy – 1800-2500 kg/m3;
• light -500-1800 kg/m 3 ;
• thermal insulation - up to 500 kg/m 3.

Cement and sand also influence the following 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, rapid hardening, and 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;
• possibility of using various additives.

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

Plasticized cement is obtained by grinding clinker, gypsum, active additives. Concrete made from this mixture is considered flexible, frost-resistant, and is very convenient and easy to lay. Today, five of its brands are produced: M300, 400, 500, 600, 700. Similar cement is used in the construction of houses and foundations.

Portland slag cement is crushed clinker plus slag and gypsum.

Portland slag cement consists of crushed clinker, granulated blast furnace slag, and gypsum. Concrete made from this mixture hardens a little slower than regular concrete, especially at low temperatures. Today, such cement is produced in the following grades: M300, 400, 500, 600. Such concrete is needed in the construction of above-ground and underground structures; it can be used in the construction of underwater communications. When asked which solution can best withstand the influence of aggressive environments, the answer is clear - it is Portland slag cement.

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Aluminous Expanding Cement for Concrete Mortar

Aluminous cement is a binder and consists of calcium aluminates. Such cement is needed only to ensure high strength with short hardening times. But concrete of this grade is very expensive, so its use is advisable only in certain cases:

• using the solution to quickly eliminate accidents;
• such concrete is needed when or in the case where rapid construction is necessary building structures;
• when concrete is poured at very low temperatures.

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

Aluminous cement consists of calcium aluminates.

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

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

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What requirements must sand meet?

One of the components for making a sand mixture is sand, but which one should you buy? To mix concrete, sand must be used, which meets the following requirements:

• For concrete mortar, you can use only those mixtures that do not contain organic substances that destroy stone and reduce the strength of concrete. It is not allowed for the sand mixture to contain clay inclusions;
• small grains, the fraction of which is up to 0.14 mm, should not be contained in the sand mixture in quantities greater than a tenth. There should not be more than 3% of impurities such as dust, clay, silt. 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 is extremely rarely contained in this composition.
2. Mountain sands have sharp edges; these mixtures most often contain clay and many organic impurities.
3. Sandy marine mixtures are considered the least preferable when preparing concrete mortar. The fact is that it contains impurities in the form of fragments of shells, lime inclusions, which have a negative impact 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 includes a mixture prepared from crushed gravel. It is best to use river sand, since it is the sand that has the necessary properties, fraction and purity. It does not require processing or washing, which reduces the cost of the mixture. This sand provides the necessary strength to concrete.

Construction materials

Which sand is better to choose for bricklaying - an overview of the varieties and tips from the experts

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

All brick houses are laid using mortar, which is made on the basis of sand using a certain technology. Brickwork is done according to a scheme that involves closing the top row of holes in the bottom row with bricks, which allows you to create a solid foundation and in the right way distribute the load evenly across all walls, and use materials sparingly.

To answer the question, 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 strained through a sieve, and then everything is mixed well. If necessary, you can add water in small portions.

In this case, it is necessary to maintain exact proportions and ensure 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, there may be a need to make a cement-clay composition.

In this case, it is better to use fine material so that the strength and reliability of the masonry is higher. In principle, the entire production procedure differs from the lime version only in that lime is replaced by clay. Therefore, it is very important to choose this component correctly and do everything using the instructions for using this technology. At the same time, the clay must have high plasticity and be free of lumps and other foreign substances.

How is cement mortar used?

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

In this case, the sand must meet certain requirements, namely, have a uniform structure and good load-bearing capacity, be as strong and stable as possible, have the required weight and optimal particle size, and also not react with other components of the solution.

In order for the masonry to be done with high quality, you need to use only properly prepared mortar, which should not only be strong and durable, but also not destroy the brick. Therefore, it will be necessary to observe all proportions exactly 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 must be homogeneous, and all its grains of sand must 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 by open-pit mining. Due to the shape of the fractions, it has a positive effect on the strength of the solution that is produced with its help.

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

River building material is environmentally friendly and free of clay and other foreign substances. 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 or cleaning.

Since sand is suitable for realizing almost any purpose when carrying out the most various works, then 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, is usually mined in an open pit. In masonry work it is used to create foundations. However, it is most often used at the initial stage of construction work.

According to the mineral composition, sand building material can be:

• limestone;
• feldspar;
• dolomite;

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

Two classes of sand can be distinguished. 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 worse quality, since it contains additional very small 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 production of concrete and reinforced concrete. Sand of fine fractions is used to create dry mixtures in construction.

How to choose correctly

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

So, why is sand needed in the solution?

Before you know which sand is best, 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:

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

First, you need the sand to be as clean as possible, since the quality of the solution is affected by clay - 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 there are at least some foreign particles present in the sand, the solution may lose its homogeneity. At the same time, its ductility will decrease, which will complicate the alignment of rows when laying bricks. For this reason, it is best to sift the sand.

For laying, medium sand is suitable, but for rough work it is permissible to use a coarser version. And in the case of decorative wall decoration, it is optimal to use the finest sand.

Properties and origin

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

River is more homogeneous in its structure and much cleaner, because all its fractions are purified by water to almost ideal smoothness, which, in turn, increases its beauty 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 quarry option does not have a similar drawback and at the same time costs an order of magnitude cheaper, but it requires washing and screening.

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

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

Sand is a natural sedimentary rock or a man-made material consisting of small particles of “rock” rocks. Natural and artificial sand material is widely used in construction as a fine aggregate in the production of concrete and cement mortars of various grades.

The technical meaning and function that sand performs for cement is filling the space between particles of crushed stone, expanded clay, slag or construction waste a mixture of cement and sand. In the production of masonry, plaster or repair mortar, the product is used as the main filler, on which the strength and durability of the structure depends.

Sand classification

The building material in question is classified according to several factors. The main factor determining the use of sand for certain construction works is the location and method of extraction. Professional builders and trading companies distinguish the following types of sand:

• River.
• Career.
• Nautical.

Each individual type of material is characterized by the following consumer factors: particle size and shape, the presence of foreign impurities, uniformity of the geometric dimensions of the elements. The highest quality sand is river sand. In terms of grain size, this is a large material. It contains no admixtures of clay, stones or soil.

In addition, its particles have a consistently oval shape and a high sedimentation density. An unpleasant factor is the presence large quantities stone shells of aquatic animals. The problem is successfully solved by sifting the material through a large sieve.

Accordingly, answering numerous questions from private developers about what kind of sand is needed for cement, best option- This is river sand, cleared of shells, sifted through a sieve. The average price of this type of material in the Moscow region is from 850 to 1250 rubles per 1 m3 with delivery.

Quarry sand contains a significant amount of foreign (harmful) impurities in the form of inclusions of clay, soil, and stones. The content of harmful impurities can reach 30% of the volume. Therefore, the cost of quarry sand is slightly lower than the cost of river material.

The cost is also affected by the simplicity and relative cheapness of the mining method - open pit mining using high-performance excavators. At the same time, if we take into account that the quarry product requires additional washing and drying, its cost cannot be called “very low” in relation to the cost of river sand. The average price of quarry sand in the Moscow region is from 550 to 800 rubles per 1 m3 with delivery.

Sea sand is an analogue of quarry material and also requires additional cleaning. It should be noted here that thorough cleaning of small stones and shells is necessary if the task is to plaster or cladding the room.

If the task is to fill a foundation, wall or floor slab, you can use any available sand, cleared of impurities using a mesh from an old armored bed. Average price of this product in the St. Petersburg region from 580 to 830 rubles per 1 m3 with delivery.

Specifications any sand used in construction and production of reinforced concrete products is regulated by the requirements. These include: specific gravity, grain size and percentage of harmful impurities.

The use of one or another type of filler in the production of concrete or mortars is regulated by a regulatory document for a specific material. For example, for heavy concrete this is GOST 26633-2012.

Use of sand in concrete production

Let's consider the most popular and used type of concrete - heavy concrete. The regulatory document “says” that in the production of heavy concrete it is allowed to use any natural sand product that meets the requirements of GOST 8736-2014 “Sand for construction work”.

Therefore, the developer in terms of using one or another type of fine aggregate for the construction of a structure faces the only question: what is the correct ratio of cement, sand, crushed stone in concrete of different grades?

The developer will find the answer to this question in the tables of proportions of the main components for the preparation of popular grades of material based on Portland cement CEM I 32.5N PC (M400) and CEM I 42.5N PC (M500).

Cement-based concrete TsEM I 32.5N PC

Cement-based concrete TsEM I 42.5N PC

In what ratio should cement and sand be mixed in accordance with the data given in the tables?

Let's take as an example the most popular concrete M200 based on Portland cement CEM I 32.5N PC and quarry aggregate. Table proportions in kg – 1: 2.8: 4.4: 0.7. That is, for 1 kg of cement it is necessary to add 3.4 kg of sand and 5.3 kg of crushed stone. Mix thoroughly, add 0.9 liters of water, mix everything again - the concrete can be used for its intended purpose.

Some sites offer conversion of the indicated proportions from “kilograms” to “buckets” of different sizes. Considering the different specific gravity of a particular batch of material, this is not entirely correct. It would be correct to weigh the buckets filled with cement, sand and crushed stone one by one, and then recalculate the number of buckets in accordance with the tabular data.

The use of sand in the production of solutions

Cement-sand mortar, as well as heavy concrete, comes in different grades. In accordance with the requirements of GOST 28013-98 “Building mortars,” mortar is divided into: masonry, facing and plaster.

Since all types of mortar are laid on the base in a relatively thin layer, strict requirements are imposed on the fine filler in terms of maximum grain size. Maximum sand grain size for mortars for various purposes:

• Material for masonry: 2.5 mm.
• Material for rough plaster: 2.5 mm.
• Sand for finishing plaster: 1.25 mm.
• Sand for facing work: 1.25 mm.

These requirements can be achieved only in one way - by sifting the filler through a sieve with the appropriate mesh sizes. The answer to the question: what is the ratio of cement and sand in mortars of different brands and for different purposes is contained in the following tables:

Cement-based mortar CEM I 32.5N PC

Cement-based mortar TsEM I 42.5N PC

The practical application of tabular data is to answer the following common questions from private developers:

• In what ratio should cement and sand be mixed for masonry? The most popular brands of mortars for laying bricks, cinder blocks and foam blocks are M50 and M75. Accordingly, we take the proportions of the components from the tables and prepare the solution.
• What is the ratio of cement to sand for plaster? For grouting, M50 grade material is used. Brand M100 is recommended for interior works. Mortar M150 is used for plastering surfaces: facades, plinths and walls of buildings that are operated in conditions of high humidity.
• What is the cement to sand ratio for tiles? For laying tiles, mortar grades M75 or M100 are used.

Conclusion

Other types of sand of artificial origin are also used in construction: expanded clay, quartz, as well as material obtained by crushing rocks or waste from the metallurgical industry.

For objective reasons, the cost of such building materials is significantly higher than natural analogues, and production volumes are limited by the availability of raw materials and equipment capacity. Therefore, artificial sand is practically not used in low-rise construction and is used to a limited extent in the production of reinforced concrete products and the construction of multi-story buildings.

Strength of masonry and depends on the characteristics of the sand in the binder mortar.

In addition, the choice of this material depends directly on the nature of the work:

• For load-bearing walls, seeded quarry sand is used. After extraction, it is processed - washed and sifted to remove clay, stone particles and large grains of sand;
• For decorative masonry, river sand is better because it does not contain foreign impurities and it looks neat.

To ensure that the seams are filled with mortar evenly and look good, sand with a size of 1-2 mm, i.e., fine or medium fraction, is best suited.

Make sure that the grains of sand are approximately the same, otherwise the uniformity and elasticity will not be as high, and it will be more difficult to align a row of bricks perfectly evenly. In view of this, the product is carefully processed - washed and sifted in order to get rid of foreign particles.

Quarry sand is inexpensive because it is abundant in nature. Even washed or seeded, it is cheaper than extracted from the bottom of the river.

Sale of non-metallic materials in Moscow and Moscow region

The Veles company sells sand with round-the-clock delivery within Moscow and the Moscow region. We offer favorable conditions to individuals and construction companies. We work both wholesale and retail. During the transaction, we conclude a formal contract, and the buyer receives all accompanying documents.

The principle of creating a solution

A characteristic feature of cooking various types is that it is better to mix them all using quarry sand, rather than pure river sand, which is more often used to create plaster mortars.

To fasten bricks together, masonry mortars are used: lime, lime-cement and cement.

You should calculate the required amount of sand mass, after which, adding it to lime dissolved in water, that is, lime milk, thoroughly stir the composition.

The unit of measurement for sand mass for masonry work is cubic m. In this case, the required volume is calculated taking into account the normal humidity level, which is 4%. The mass of the base material will be about 1500 kg per cubic meter. m volume of this sand mass.

So, to prepare 1 cubic meter. Any type of masonry mortar will require the use of loosely poured cement or lime as a binder, mixed with sand in the same condition.

Masonry mortars are mobile, able to retain water, and are easy to install.

The content of mixtures for masonry usually includes the required amount of the listed materials, the appropriate proportions of which should not allow the mixtures to spread during application to any surface. At the same time, you should not prepare mixtures that are too thick, because this will not allow you to fill the seams efficiently, and creating a thin, even seam will be difficult.

To check the quality of the prepared composition, use a trowel, which takes a portion and places it on a wide surface of the brick. It is necessary to ensure that it slides off the trowel and does not spread on the plane of the brick. Water and sand are added if the mixed substances begin to stick to the trowel due to their excessive “greasy” content. If dissolved building materials are not able to retain moisture during the laying process, which disrupts viscosity, then the batch is considered “skinny”, so it is necessary to add clay pulp in a thick state.

Thus, having made one batch, you need to take into account the proportions of sand and clay used for the next one. If the masonry mortar requires the use of cement or lime, then to determine the required amount of sand, you must be guided by the following ratio: one part of the binder (lime or cement) and four parts of sand, that is, 1:4. You can determine the consistency level of the solution by tilting the container with it 40 degrees.

Proportions of materials

To prepare masonry mortar, use cold, clean water temperature from +20 to +15 (1 part binder to 0.8 parts water).

In order to prepare cement-sand masonry mortars, a technology is used that involves mixing all components with water, which is used in a ratio with cement with a mass fraction of 0.85 to mix the mixture.

To obtain masonry mixtures of grades 150 and 200 when using cement grade M400, take the following in proportion with sand, respectively: 1. 150 - 1:3. 2. 200 – 1:2.5.

To obtain a mixture of the same grades using M500 cement, it is taken in proportion with sand accordingly:

1. 150 – 1:4.
2. 200 – 1:3.

When constructing load-bearing walls, enclosing structures, fences, facing masonry, etc., the following is used:

Sand with a grain size of no more than 2.5 mm is suitable for masonry mortar.

1. Cement grade M400 with sand – 1:3.
2. Cement grade M500 with sand – 1:4.

When laying finishing tiles on vertical surfaces, “lean” masonry mortars are widely used, which contain the greatest amount of sand mass.

This mixture can be prepared using the following proportions of sand and cement:

1. M400 – 1:4.
2. M500 – 1:6.
3. M600 – 1:8.

The peculiarity of masonry mortar for finishing tiles is the absence of cracks and crevices after it dries and gains a certain strength.

Cooking steps

Preparatory stage

For laying a stove or fireplace or performing other types of work, preparing a masonry composition is possible manually, that is, without the use of a concrete mixer or mortar mixer. To do this, before starting work, you need to prepare the following materials:

The quality of the furnace masonry, and subsequently the operation of the furnace and its service life, depend on how well the solution was prepared.

• sifted sand;
• soaked clay;
• cold water;
• cement;
• ground quicklime.

Tools and accessories you will need:

• trowel;
• sieve (cell size 2*2);
• wooden or metal container.

The productivity of the work on laying bricks and other building and finishing materials will depend on how well and carefully the preparation of the masonry composition was carried out. Therefore, to prepare it, it is necessary to perform a number of operations until the mixture in the container acquires a homogeneous structure.

It is necessary to use clay and sand only in a cleaned state, otherwise, after drying, cracks may begin to appear in the brick mass. When the laying has already begun, removing large grains of gravel, crushed stone and stones from the composition is difficult. Before starting to prepare the batch, that is, one portion, it is necessary to soak the purified clay in an equal amount of water for two or three days. As a result, the soaked clay should be separated into individual small particles.

For the solution, you should prepare dry sand or dry it in advance if it is wet. After this, sift the entire sand mass through a sieve, the cell size of which is 2 * 2 mm. It must be borne in mind that wet sand is suitable for preparing a mixture in which dry ground clay is used, while dry sand, on the contrary, is diluted together with clay pulp containing water in sufficient quantities.

Types of solutions

To prepare a solution from sand mass and clay pulp, you should:

Samples of clay-sand mortars: a – suitable for masonry; b – bold.

1. When the clay has already been soaked, it needs to be loaded into a prepared container and filled with water to form a jelly-like pulp, which must be thoroughly mixed.
2. The resulting clay pulp is poured through a sieve into a container for preparing the mixture, where sifted sand is then poured, and the entire solution is mixed very thoroughly. Quantity calculation necessary materials will depend on the size of the mixing container.
3. The ratio of clay to sand is taken respectively 1:2 or 1:3, or 1:5 if the clay has a high fat content. This is necessary to obtain a good clay-sand mixture, which, after drying, will not shrink or crack, while having sufficient compressive strength.

To prepare cement mixtures with sand and clay, you need:

1. Sift and pour the already dry sand mass into a special container, taking cement and sand in a ratio of 1:4, possibly 1:6, which is determined by the future brand of the composition, which is obtained by mixing the dry mixture without adding water.
2. Pour the clay pulp, the so-called clay “milk,” into the resulting mixture in small parts through a sieve. If you pour in more “milk”, you can achieve a very liquid state of the mixture, which is then problematic to bring to the required consistency.

To create lime masonry mortars, it is necessary to prepare ground quicklime (lime paste) and sand in identical but separate containers, observing proportions of 1:2-1:5, which will depend on the degree of fat content of the lime paste, then mix them with water. The resulting homogeneous mass is passed through a sieve to remove lumps from it.

For greater masonry strength, lime-cement mortars are used, which are created using lime mass and cement in the following way:

Checking the masonry mortar: 1. If it sticks to the trowel, it means “greasy” - you need to add sand and water. 2. If it does not spread well on the surface of the brick, does not hold moisture, breaks, it means “skinny” - you need to add thick clay pulp.

1. Dilute slaked lime with water until a mixture has the consistency of milk.
2. Strain it.
3. Prepare a dry mixture of sand and cement.
4. Pour milk of lime into the dry mixture to increase the plasticity of the solution.
5. Mix all ingredients.

In the process of making cement mortars, sand and cement are used, which are taken in ratios of 1:3 to 1:6 (cement and sand, respectively).

Mixing is carried out in the following sequence:

1. Take a dry mixture of sand and cement, calculating the proportions in advance.
2. Add water to dry mixture.
3. Thoroughly mix the mixture with water until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Lime-cement masonry mortars are used in construction work on the construction of above-ground structures on wet and low-moisture soils, the humidity level of which can be 60% or higher. The use of cement mortars is typical for work on the construction of foundations and other building structures on soils with high humidity. In masonry mortar it is necessary to use cold water, which is taken in a ratio of 0.8 parts water to one part binders. Sand is usually used as a filler; its grains should have a particle size not exceeding 2.5 mm.

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