With the worlds sand running out, here’s the future of sand.
What if we told you that, as you sit there reading this sentence, the world is running out of sand? Crazy, right!? Well, once you know the reason behind this phenomenon, you’ll be shocked to learn just how much of a threat this problem poses to modern-day society. We dedicated an entire blog post to explore this madness, you can check it out here!
So, now that we know why the world is running out of sand and how harmful this phenomenon is to the environment, we’ve taken some time to explore the future of sand and look into the possible alternatives that could help save our planet. If you’re not interested in learning more about this topic though and would just like to get your hands on quality bulk sand, don’t be a stranger – reach out to us and we’ll sort you out!
Why is sand so important for modern civilization?
To answer this question with a very recent example, all we have to do is look into the 2nd largest economy in the world: China. Over the last few decades, China has positioned itself as the second most powerful nation in the world, in big part with thanks to its quicker-than-life construction capabilities. In a nutshell, China would have never been able to accomplish this feat without construction sand.
This also applies to pretty much every single country in the world with an active construction industry. Construction sand is used as a primary ingredient for the creation of essential building materials, namely concrete, mortar and asphalt. It’s fair to say that mankind would find itself in the midst of a developmental roadblock when we run out of sand and no alternatives have been properly explored. To save you the time of Googling them, let’s take a look at the future of sand by exploring its alternatives.
3 viable alternatives for construction sand
Before we get into the viable alternatives for sand in construction, we’d like to give a very special mention to AI Space Factory and their development of TERA: a 3D-printed building that revolutionizes construction in every possible way. It uses biodegradable materials to print cheap, accessible and luxurious dwellings. You can read more about it here.
- 1. M-Sand
As the front-runner in the ‘future of sand’ debate, M-Sand – short for manufactured sand – has already proven itself as a viable replacement to traditional river sand in the construction industry. It is produced from hard granite stone that is crushed, washed and graded to serve as a suitable aggregate for cement mix; it’s also easier to transport and is more readily available than traditional river sand!
- 2. Foundry sand
As a material that’s already popular in India, foundry sand is a clean, uniform material that has high silica contents. Although it hasn’t been proven as an effective replacement for river sand, it is said that up to 30% of foundry sand can be used in the sustainable development of concrete and possibly other building materials like mortar and asphalt.
- 3. Quarry sand
When it comes to non-structural construction, such as flooring and filling, quarry sand is considered to be one of the best alternatives to river sand as an aggregate. Millions of tons of quarry dust are wasted or recycled around the world every year, making this an ideal solution for non-structural applications. Quarry sand should, however, never be used for structural construction, though because it offers 10-15% less strength as an aggregate in the making of concrete – don’t say we didn’t warn you!
Which one of these three alternatives to traditional construction sand do you think is the most likely candidate to win the ‘future of sand’ debate? We’d love to know your thoughts, especially if you’re considering getting your hands on one or more of these types of sand. Contact us today to get started!
