11 Common Uses for Sand in the Constructed and Natural World
Sand is an ever-present element in the world, and the uses for sand are versatile and wide-ranging. Its unique properties, including its size, shape, and composition, make it an essential ingredient in various industries and in our everyday lives. The shape and small size of grains of sand give builders and manufacturers versatility in shaping sand components to fit their needs. The raw materials that sand contains are useful in a wide range of industries.
Sand’s pervasiveness all over the world has provided the impetus for innovation in the uses of sand, but sand is also valuable for itself. Sand is an amazing natural material that has helped to shape the modern world, and its many uses speak to its value and versatility.
Uses for Sand
Sand is useful in a plethora of industries in its natural and transformed state. Sand is also one of the most omnipresent natural materials, providing the backbone of many landscapes, protection from harmful weather, and areas for rest and recreation.
Construction
The construction industry uses sand in a multitude of varied applications. Many construction mixes and materials like mortar, concrete, asphalt, stucco, bricks, and plaster use sand as a filler ingredient. The sand in these materials is crucial in filling the spaces between the larger aggregate material. Sand helps provide cohesion in certain composite mixes that are made to withstand heavy loads like those that manufacturers create for road and railroad construction and maintenance. Sand is also useful as a leveling material for flooring and to create temporary barriers.
Glass Manufacturing
Sand is one of the key raw ingredients in making glass because of the high silica content in sand. The glass-making process involves melting sand and fusing it with other materials to create transparent and versatile designs. The type of sand that manufacturers use will determine the type of glass they create, including soda-lime glass, lead glass, and borosilicate glass.
Glass producers use sand to create glass for numerous applications including windows, bottles, mirrors, phone screens, optical fibers, and laboratory equipment.
Beaches and Recreation
Sand is produced naturally by the sea and by rivers and they wash over rocks and shells. Beaches along the coastline are a result of this process of erosion. Sandy beaches serve as places for tourism, recreation, and rest, but they are also vital habitats for plants and animals and provide protection against storm surges and wave impacts along the coastline.
In most cases, beaches are naturally occurring and sustained, but in some localities, municipal authorities create sand beaches to provide an artificial buffer in these vital coastal areas or even to provide recreational areas.
Water Filtration
Sand is useful in industrial and municipal settings as an effective and economical way to perform water filtration. Sand filtration removes water impurities by trapping them in the void spaces between the sand particles.
It is a common practice in water treatment plants to use sand filtration as an initial first step as part of a multi-step process. Industry professionals carefully select sand for water filtration to control for particle size distribution and uniformity. They may use different types of sand depending on the filtration needs.
Landscaping
Sand is a versatile material that is useful in many landscaping applications. Landscapers use sand as a base material for hardscape surfaces like patios and walkways. The small particles of sand help create a stable and level surface, helping to ensure the structural integrity and durability of the project. Sand is also useful in garden design, play areas, yard contouring, water features, and for erosion control.
Sandblasting
Sandblasting, also called abrasive blasting, is the process that uses sand particles to clean, roughen, smooth, or shape a surface. Sandblasting involves pressurized air or gas that propels sand particles onto a surface to remove old paint, rust, dirt, and burrs. Removing the old coatings allows new coats of paint and other finishes to adhere to the surface better to create a more lasting finish.
Sandblasting is also a proactive treatment whereby artists and designers use sand to etch the surface of glass, metal, or stone surfaces to get the look they desire for their project.
Metal Casting
Metal casting is a process that shapes metal into different forms. Sand plays a crucial role in metal casting in creating shapes into which the metal is poured. Sand is both a cost-effective and versatile way that manufacturers use to create molds. It is useful in both large-scale and small-scale operations and is ideal for creating complex-shaped molds.
Sand in metal casting is reusable, so it provides a more eco-conscious option over other mold types. Using a specific type of resin-coated sand helps to improve the casting time and the cleaning properties of the sand after use.
Oil and Gas Extraction
Sand is a crucial component of hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking”. This process utilizes a specific type of rounded silica sand for the proppant. The proppant helps to hold open the fractures created during the drilling process. Keeping the fractures open allows the gas and oil to flow more freely to the surface. Silica sand is one of the most effective proppants because it is widely available and cost-effective.
Agriculture
Sand is useful in a variety of agricultural settings. Sand can help improve soil drainage in soils like heavy clays where the particles pack together and trap water. Mixing these with sand helps to increase the pore space so that plant roots are not damaged by standing water.
Sand is also useful in propagating new plants because it is a medium that is stable, well-draining, and light. Sand’s composition plus small particle size mean that it is strong but still easily penetrable by young roots.
Erosion Control and Water Protection
For erosion control and protection of the earth against the encroachment of water, sand is utilized in both large and small-scale operations. Sandbags are useful temporary measures for reducing water in areas of flooding. Sandbags redirect water flow and protect structures from water damage.
For long-term water control, water management professionals use sand to restore dune areas that have been depleted over time. These natural barriers protect the land from storm surges and high waves.
Artistic Expression and Religious Rituals
Sand’s versatility, pleasing texture, and abundance mean that it has become a part of the cultural fabric of many societies and a medium for individualistic expression. Sand art where artists pour, rake, and shape sand in areas like Zen gardens and sand sculptures that depict famous landmarks and imaginative scenes are artistic endeavors in many cultures throughout the world. Sand painting is a traditional art form in Navajo and Tibetan cultures.
Religious rituals using sand, including cleansing and blessing, hold deep symbolism, signifying our connection to the physical world and the impermanence of life. These cultural practices serve to create continuity with historic rituals and foster a deeper connection to nature.