How to dilute sand concrete?

In the construction industry, a material such as sand concrete is very often used. Its peculiarity lies in its high resistance to various types of impact. The range of its application is huge - it is paving slabs, and side stones, and piles, and concrete pipes. This article will discuss how to dilute this very useful mixture in construction.

To save time, as well as to obtain a better solution, you can purchase a ready-made dry mixture in the store. The ratio of sand and cement in them is approximately the same: 1/3 goes to cement, and 2/3 goes to sand. If you do it yourself, then you need to focus on this very proportion.

Unfortunately, most companies have not sold a conventional blend for a long time. In addition to the basic components, various chemical impurities began to be added to it.

If the dry mixture can be purchased ready-made, then in any case you will have to add water to its composition yourself. Depending on the ratio of the amount of water to the rest of the mass, such a solution is divided into 3 types.

• Bold - there is too little water in the mixture. This proportion is very disadvantageous, and if there is too much lack of liquid, the solution will crack after solidification due to its low flexibility and plasticity.
• Skinny - there is too much water in the mixture. Its excess will lead to the fact that the mixture does not harden at all. Another scenario is that too much moisture will evaporate from the solution, and it will shrink much more than planned.
• Normal is a solution with an adequate amount of liquid. The correct proportion will allow the sand concrete to be not only strong, but also plastic, which will save it from cracking. Such a mixture will be optimal not only in terms of its qualities, but also in terms of price.

In order to dilute sand concrete, you need to follow the following instructions:

• part of the water is poured into the container under the batch as the first step;
• then, in the presence of a concrete mixer, you need to pour out the entire dry mixture and gradually add the remaining water;
• if such an apparatus is not available, add a little dry mixture and stir gradually.

Another option is to initially add all dry sand concrete to the container, and then make a funnel shape out of it in the center. Water should be gradually poured into it and mixed. The funnel method is much more convenient and, most importantly, more efficient than pouring water over the entire area of ​​the mixture. Thanks to this, it is possible to mix the solution with water slowly so that it is clear at what point it is time to stop.

For sand concrete types such as M100 and M250, which are used as a bonding element, water can be added a little more or less at your discretion. But for more important purposes, for example, for laying paving slabs or pouring a foundation, it is better to adhere to strict standards - in this case, the maximum strength and durability of concrete will be ensured.

After creating the sand concrete mixture, you can proceed to the next stage - adding another component - crushed stone.It is needed to increase the rigidity of the material. There are 3 main types of crushed stone, namely:

• limestone - a soft, but frost-resistant rock;
• gravel is the most popular type, used in most construction tasks;
• granite is a more expensive, but strongest stone, needed to create the strongest sand concrete.

To correctly determine how much to add crushed stone, it is better to choose a 2: 1 ratio, that is, about half of the mass of dry sand concrete. However, this figure may vary depending on the purpose of the finished mixture. So, for simple tasks, such as gluing, you do not need to add crushed stone at all. On the other hand, when making concrete from sand concrete for the foundation of a house, it is better to use granite and add it in a larger proportion - 2.3-2.5 to 1.

Once the water has been added and mixed well, rubble can be added to the solution. It is necessary to manually add stones to the sand concrete mixture and gradually stir. This is a very important point: if the crushed stone is unevenly located in the solution, then ultimately this will lead to a poor-quality distribution of the characteristics of the concrete itself.

Expanded clay is a very light material that is fired special clay in the form of balls. The properties of expanded clay concrete also depend on its properties - it also has a low weight. Other qualities of this solution include:

• low cost - indeed, for the production of expanded clay concrete does not require large costs, due to which this solution is very popular among people who are engaged in construction on an ongoing basis;
• poor thermal conductivity - this allows you to use this mixture in those places where it is required to keep heat and not let the cold pass.

There are also negative features, for example, expanded clay concrete has a high rate of moisture absorption. Because of this, there are some restrictions on its use in places where a large amount of water can get on it.

Expanded clay concrete from sand concrete or from ordinary concrete is almost the same. The difference between them is only in the type of filler: expanded clay instead of crushed stone. This solution is mixed like sand concrete. The components should be added in the following proportion: C1: P3: K4: B1.5 or Ts1: P4: K5: B2, where, respectively, C is cement, P is sand, K is expanded clay, V is water.

The order of addition is the same.

• For concrete mixer. Part of the water is added, then the dry mixture. Then the rest of the water is poured out and expanded clay is added.
• In the absence of a concrete mixer. You must first pour out the dry mixture, add water to it and gradually mix them into a homogeneous mass. After that, a filler in the form of expanded clay is added.

It is important to remember that expanded clay concrete is very sensitive to water. If there is too much of it in the mixture, then expanded clay may simply float due to its low density.

Sand concrete is a very popular material in the manufacture of various construction projects.