You may not have given it much thought, but as a sand and gravel supplier for much of the Washington area, we have spent a great deal of time considering how important sand and gravel are to many of the industries in the United States.
Sand and gravel are an essential building element in the basic construction of roads, homes, the making of concrete, and a base component in plaster and mortar. Together, sand and gravel has thousands of uses in their various forms.
Sand
The sand used for construction is a high-volume, low-value commodity, and comes in various sizes and colors, and from many sources. The major use of sand in landscaping is for a bedding under brick or stone patios. In building construction, sand is used as a mixture base for making concrete and is used by masons when laying bricks or stone blocks. Sand is also used much of time to fill holes for fence posts and pillars.
Gravel
Gravel (much like crushed stone) is an aggregate that is formed by natural erosion. For consumer use, gravel (in its many forms) is used from anything to patios and driveways, to walkways and as drainage.
Another common gravel used by homeowners is pea gravel. Pea gravel is prized for its color and size, and is most commonly used as decoration, accent, or to fill in between pavers to prevent slippage and unwanted vegetation growth.
Sizes
Both sand and gravel come in many different sizes for a variety of uses. Sand ranges from 1/20 inch to 1/12 inch; anything under 1/20 of an inch is classified as silt, not as sand.
Gravel, on the other hand, ranges from 1/12 inches in diameter to 4 inches in diameter, and are classified and cataloged by a numbered guide.
Fun Facts
Did you know that it takes an estimated 38,000 tons of aggregates like sand and gravel to construct a one mile lane of highway, and 15-20 truckloads of aggregate to build one home? We can dig it!