How much does a cube of sand weigh: calculation of material for construction work

The calculation of sand is carried out in tons or cubic meters

How to determine how much a cube of sand weighs: material characteristics

Many country house owners are trying to calculate how much sand is in one cube. This indicator is especially relevant for suburban construction, affecting such serious arrays of work as the construction of a building or the arrangement of the courtyard and the local area. How much does 1 cube of sand cost with delivery is one of the burning questions of any person who undertakes independent construction or is concerned about purchasing material for hired workers.

Depending on how many kilograms of sand are in a cube, the basic proportions of the concrete mixture will be calculated. This point is very important, since an incorrect calculation will lead to a violation of technology and serious consequences.

Sand is used for a wide range of construction works

Why is it so important to determine how many cubes of sand are in 1 ton

An indicator reflecting how many kilograms in 1 cube of sand, with erroneous calculations, can cause many difficulties:

• violation of the formulation of a mixture of concrete;
• incorrect consistency of the finished solution;
• loss of adhesive properties;
• poor concrete quality;
• disturbances in the solidification process;
• decrease in the strength of concrete;
• premature destruction of a structure made of cement mortar.

For this reason, it is very important to determine not only how much sand is in 1 cube, but also how much material is contained in this volume.

Note! In most cases, 1 cube of sand is used as a standard measure of weight. It is this unit that is considered as a generally accepted indicator for calculations. Despite this, other options can be found in reference books and tables, for example, sand in tons / cubic meter. m or in grams / cubic meter. cm.

When calculating the required number of cubes of sand, take into account its specific gravity

The indicator reflecting 1 cube how many kg of sand is contained in a specified volume is called specific gravity or specific gravity. This measure, applicable to bulk materials, is in the range of 1500-2800 kg / m³.Accordingly, you can now estimate how many kg are in a cube of sand.

The specific gravity of a material can be influenced by various factors, including:

• composition of minerals;
• grain composition;
• size of fractions;
• humidity level;
• the percentage of compaction;
• impurities.

Compaction of paving slabs using wet sand

Sand density

Today, many are concerned about the cost of a cube of sand, but few know that the final price is influenced by the characteristics of the material, one of which is density. Sand, like crushed stone, belongs to the category of bulk materials. Its density depends on the air spaces that form between the solid particles.

Related article:

How much does a cube of concrete weigh? Main characteristics and composition. General information about the concrete mix, weight determination. Varieties of concrete, depending on the material. What affects the weight of concrete?

The density of sand is:

• technological;
• real;
• bulk - represents the ratio of the specific gravity of sand to the volume occupied by this material. In this case, the volume includes not only solid particles of sand, but also all the pores, as well as voids in the composition of the embankment (taken as a basis for determining how many cubes of sand are in a bag or bucket);
• true or conditional - the value is considered as the limit of the ratio of the specific gravity of the material to the volume it occupies, minus all pores and voids present in the embankment.

The density of sand varies in the range of 1.3-1.8 t / m³, and is equal to 1.3 t / m³ for river sand, and 1.4 t / m³ for quarry.

The density of building sand is 1.3 to 1.8 tons per 1 cubic meter

Useful advice! In fact, it is impossible to determine, taking as a measure a bag or a bucket, how many cubes of sand in a given volume will be contained. The indicator of the true density of the material will always be higher than the real one, it can only be considered theoretically (conditionally). As for the practical application of such a measure as a bucket or a bag of sand, how many cubes in this container will actually be - depends on the bulk density.

Sand fraction size

How many cubes of material are in a bag of sand can be determined taking into account its grain composition. To do this, it is enough to sift the grains of sand using special sieves. As a result, you will be able to determine the level of gravel particles in the material with certain dimensional data. Usually, the size module of the material is used in calculations.

Table 1. Sand size modulus:

If you have fractions in front of you that exceed 2.5 mm, most likely you are dealing with quarry or river sand, how much a cube of material weighs in this case will depend on water demand.

According to the particle size, the material is divided into 2 classes:

• I - more than 1.5 mm;
• II - with any dimensional data.

The class of material and the size of its fractions determines how much 1 cube of sand costs for construction work.

There are three sizes of sand grains - fine, medium and coarse

Varieties of construction sand: how much does 1 cube of each weigh

How much 1 cube of sand weighs is influenced by its type, storage method and moisture level. According to GOST, the weight of standard building sand is 1550-1700 kg / m³ (18.5-20.4 kg / bucket). The weight of dry loose sand is 1440 kg / m³, and that of compacted sand is 1680 kg / m³. Standard wet sand has a weight of 1920 kg / m³.

There are several types of sand. The classification is based on how and where the material was obtained. The sand used in construction is:

• riverine - the production zone is located at the bottom of the rivers. The material is inherent in purity, the shade is gray or yellow. The size of the fractions varies in the range of 0.3-0.5 mm. It is used for the preparation of mixtures, solutions, the organization of the drainage system;

The most demanded types of sand in construction are river and quarry

Note! Despite the demand for the river option, buyers are also interested in quarry sand. How much a cube of material weighs in this case depends on the amount of impurities, which can be in the form of small pebbles or dust particles.

• quarry - mining is carried out using an open method. The size of fractions varies within a wide range - 0.6-3.2 mm. The scope of application extends to foundation work, arrangement of sidewalks. In addition, sifted and washed quarry sand is used in finishing and plastering works, as well as in the recipe for preparing a cement screed;
• sea ​​- the mining area is the seabed. The scope of application is extensive, but the material is not in high demand, since its cost is high.

Table 2. Sea, river and quarry sand: how much does 1 cubic meter and 1 bucket weigh:

The price of river sand with delivery per cubic meter is considered the most affordable of all if the purchase of material of natural origin is required. However, there are other types of sand - obtained by artificial means.

Artificial types of sand:

• slag;
• quartz;
• expanded clay.

There are artificial types of sand with expanded clay, slag and quartz impurities

Construction sand: how many cubes per ton

Specific gravity of sand per 1 cu. m of volume is calculated using the formula:

m = V * pwhere

m is the mass of the material;

V is the volume;

p is the density level.

Using this formula, you can find out from the table how many cubes of sand are in a ton, and what is its specific gravity within the generally accepted unit of volume. For 1 cubic meter m, the weight of the material is equal to its density, and the bulk density can usually be obtained from suppliers involved in the sale and delivery.

To calculate the weight of sand, you need to know its volume and density.

Helpful advice! The weight is influenced by another indicator - the level of humidity. Most often it is 6-7%. If the material is wet, this value increases to 20%. The specified difference must be added to the mass of sand.

Filling capacity of ZIL and KAMAZ dump trucks: how many cubes of sand in the back

Despite the large tonnage of KAMAZ, all buyers still want to know how many cubic meters of sand in the back of a car, since it is this measure of weight that is the generally accepted value used in all calculations.

KAMAZ usually has 12 cubic meters of sand. How much ZIL holds in its body is also a useful value, since many suppliers carry out the delivery of construction materials in smaller sizes. In this case, the capacity is 3 m³. MAZ is used to deliver 6 m³.

The body of KAMAZ can hold up to 18.5 tons of sand

It is very important to find out in advance, when ordering sand, how much a cube of bulk material you need costs, and how much kg it contains.

The average price of river sand is 8000 rubles / m. cubic meters, quarry - 500 rubles / m. cub. How much sand with delivery costs depends on the supplier, the amount of sand and the distance. Average prices for a service within one city and region are 2000-3000 rubles.