Inert material in construction: types, features, conditions of carriage

Perhaps, it is impossible to imagine a construction process in which it would not be supposed to use inert material. For any builder such an element of construction is not a curiosity. Words such as rubble or sand are not special. But before they get to the construction site, they go through a thorny and long road.

What it is?

Inert materials are materials from a stone, having a natural or artificial origin. Before they get to the construction site, they are treated in a special way using various equipment. Extraction is carried out in open pit mining. Most often this type of building materials is used for the construction of buildings, railways or highways. It also plays an important role in the production of quality concrete mortars and mixtures. They are bought in large quantities by enterprises that specialize in the manufacture of building mixtures, concrete mortars, reinforced concrete products and so on.

The main advantage that any inert material for construction possesses is its low cost. As a rule, it is used as an auxiliary material, which helps increase the mass of the solution or mixture. At the same time, construction costs are significantly reduced.

The most commonly used are the following inert building materials.

Crushed stone

Obtained in the process of crushing rocks and rocks. Frost-resistant and durable. Has properties such as density and water saturation. Most often used in the construction of rail or road, as well as in the creation of a solid foundation of various structures. Can be used for ennobling and creating landscape compositions.

Building sand

As a result of the destruction of rocks, a friable mixture forms. The list of works in which this inert material takes part is huge. Sand is used for the construction of buildings and road surfaces, in the process of laying utilities, in a number of finishing and landscape works. It is an excellent filler for building concrete mixes. Quarry sand is considered to be cheaper, since various impurities may be present in it. But the river sand, extracted from the bottom of the reservoirs, is cleaner. Therefore, it will cost an order of magnitude more.

Expanded clay

A material with a porous structure, somewhat resembling rubble. It has excellent sound and heat insulating qualities. It has resistance to chemical attack. Not afraid of fungus or acids. It has been used in construction since the sixtieth year of the last century.

Granite screenings

Widely used by builders around the world is inert material. Most often used for the manufacture of asphalt concrete, paving slabs and concrete. You can find it in the composition of various decorative finishing materials. In winter, the time can be used to reduce the slip coefficient (sprinkled on roads and sidewalks).

Gravel-sand mixture

Usually used to level the roadway. The mixture can be used in landscape works if large areas need to be leveled. It is divided into two types: enriched and natural.

Features of transportation

Delivery to the construction site of loose materials is carried out either from a warehouse or from a quarry. Transportation of inert materials, as a rule, is carried out by specialized companies that have all the necessary equipment and special transport for this.

When transporting inert goods, it is necessary to take into account a number of characteristics that they possess. First, they all have a loose structure, which makes it impossible to transport by personal transport. Secondly, the need to hire special vehicles for transportation is due to the fact that cargo volumes can be very, very large. Someone needs a couple of sacks of river sand for the upgrading of the site, and for someone and two KAMAZ trucks there will not be enough rubble for the construction of a country house.

As a rule, specialists call this load very mobile. This is because any inert building material, be it rubble, sand or expanded clay, can easily crumble along the way. During transportation it is also necessary to take into account the fact that different material has a different coefficient of friction. And only experienced specialists can determine such nuances and understand the peculiarities of transportation of this or that inert material.

Appealing to specialists in the delivery of such goods, of course, will slightly increase the cost of construction. But on the other hand, ignorance of nuances of transportation and features of inert building materials can cost much more. As a rule, professionals deliver goods quickly, without losses on the road. Without knowledge of the case, self-transportation can cost much more. Experienced builders say that it is better to knead a concrete mortar with your own hands and at the same time spend less than to save on poor-quality independent delivery of bulk cargo.