Tuesday, 10 January 2017

How Can Low Quality Sand Compromise Your Building Strength?

Building regulations pose real barriers to stakeholders and engineers who try to cut costs when it comes to paying for materials, but buildings that collapse due to the use of poor quality materials are still a very prevalent disaster today! Late last year saw the collapse of buildings due to just this reason, like the building collapse in Bengaluru in October 2016, in which three people died.
Reportedly, this collapse occurred due to builders’ choice of using filter sand in its foundation and concrete make-up for the simple reason that it was cheaper. Supplying river sand, or other quality aggregates that are suitable for building with is not as cost-effective, and incentivises engineers to try and cut corners that lead to these disastrous results. So, why does filter sand circulate on the construction market?
Filter sand is a product of earth washing. Excavated earth is exposed to high pressure water washing, where the denser bulk of earth sink
s down and the top layer is scooped up and used as the much cheaper alternative to river sand in construction.
Using this sand in the concrete mixing process can lead to the development of cracks in structures and compromise its integrity and, ultimately, its lifespan – which makes it a real hazard for the public. The excavation sites that these sands are unearthed from are often also illegally excavated, posing dangers to the ecology, nearby villages and also the lives of those involved in the process.
River sand is made up of a variety of different particles, like rock, clay and silica and is not only clay-based like filter sand. This is the main reason that it increases the integrity of concrete blocks when used in its construction, whereas filter sand only compromises its integrity.
Always make sure that you’re dealing with trustworthy aggregate suppliers that trades in quality sand when tackling a construction project – especially if you’re planning to create a public space!

Friday, 29 July 2016

How to Test Your Sand For Impurities On Site

plaster sand
Having quality sand for construction purposes can mean the difference between failure and success. Plaster sand, in general, should contain different sized sharp particles, and should be clean – free from silt as much as possible. However, in order to know how ‘clean’ you sand is, you need to test it.

Wednesday, 13 July 2016

How to perfectly seal your Formica LifeSeal Worktop edges: 5 Useful Tips

Formica supplier
Keeping your Formica LifeSeal Worktops in pristine condition consists of making sure the edges are properly sealed to keep any moisture at bay and prevent chipping, which can cause damage to the wood.

Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Construction Permits for Building a Warehouse in South Africa

building a warehouse
The Doing Business project measures and compares regulations relevant to businesses in 189 economies. They compiled a detailed summary of the time, cost and procedures that go into building a warehouse in South Africa.

Thursday, 26 May 2016

How to be eco-friendly: Recycled aggregates

sand suppliers
Building eco-friendly is becoming ever more popular amongst potential home owners and new-age contractors. Not only for sustaining the environment due to high levels of pollution created over the years, but to save money where it matters most – your home.

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

Building on quality sand: 5 tips

River/plaster sand
Building on sand can be quite tricky. If done wrong your whole project can collapse  - causing not only major financial loss but a serious blow to your ego. In case you’re new to all of this and are thinking of either building on sand or using sand in your construction process, here are a few tips to keep in mind to ensure your building stays put:

Thursday, 10 March 2016

8 Interesting Uses for Aggregates

Aggregate is one of the most mined materials in the world, with multiple uses. Sand Shifters, in particular, is an Aggregate supplier of top quality recycled and non-recycled Aggregates for the construction industry - with many valuable and practical uses as a raw material that you may not even know about.