Construction Concrete Aggregates

Concrete aggregates are the part of a concrete mix that is not the cement material. If cement is the glue, then the aggregates are what you are gluing together. Certain properties of the aggregate such as density, rigidity and overall shape contribute to the finished properties of the concrete.

As a general rule of thumb, the lighter you make concrete, the weaker it gets. For all conventional concrete mixes this will be true. You can make lightweight, or lighter weight concrete for various purposes but it important to understand well the limitations of these kind of mixes.

Construction Sand

Construction sand is a washed grade of sand which means it is free of debris. It is a mix of sands as well as stone aggregates up to 1/4" in diameter. The maximum aggregate size in construction sand will depend on the quality of the supplier that you use.

This type of sand is commonly used in concrete mixes that also incorporate gravel into the mix. Though it can be used for purely mortar mixes, the larger aggregates can sometimes make mixing and finishing of mortar made from construction sand difficult, so it is not often used for this purpose.

Coarse Sand

Available as washed or not washed and sometimes referred to as brick sand, coarse sand is a rough and sharp sand that is free of small stones, which is what differentiates coarse sand from construction sand. This sand is often used for mortar preparation for tile setting and various other mortar mixes.

The lack of larger stone aggregates makes mixing constancy and finishing possible, and the sharp edges and rough shape of the aggregate allows for maximum strength bond in the finished concrete. This is also an ideal sand for brick setting and various masonry tasks.

Proceed to the second half of the section on Concrete Aggregates