Expanded clay is a building material with a porous light structure, it is made from low-melting clay, fired in special furnaces. Expanded clay sand, which has various fractions, has gained sufficient distribution.
Benefits
Sand is most often used to create cement screeds, which provide not only surface leveling, but also floor insulation. The material is one of the constituent components of the concrete mix. It is also used as a filler for hydroponic systems.
Fine-grained expanded clay sand is optimally suited for the production of masonry mortar, which has a high level of heat retention. It is made from natural natural material and does not contain impurities in its composition. The resulting granules are exposed to high temperatures, due to which they acquire characteristic features:
- lightness;
- fire resistance;
- water resistant;
- durability and strength;
- thermal insulation characteristics;
- resistance tofrost.
Features
Expanded clay sand belongs to the category of bulk materials and is used along with crushed stone and gravel. It is ideal for landscaping your home. Also, sand is indispensable in the design of flower beds and paths in summer cottages and in the role of drainage. It is not affected by temperature, so it can be used to cover tree rhizomes and strengthen structures of various types.
The porous structure of the material provides reliable adhesion to the mortar and increases the strength of products, such as lightweight concrete blocks. It is suitable for sealing voids, which is especially important in landscape design, and for soundproofing ceilings, floors and walls. Expanded clay sand (fraction 0-5 mm) is used in the arrangement of water supply and various pipeline systems.
Expanded clay is an excellent replacement for gravel and other materials with similar characteristics. In particular, it is used to create backfills, blind areas and cushions for garden paths. This provides not only cost savings, but also environmental friendliness, since the material is completely natural.
Quality
The main indicator of the quality of porous filler is strength. This parameter is determined using a special technique, which consists in squeezing the granules in the cylinder using a metal punch. Thus, the stress value is determined, which reflects the strength of the filler. But the technique is notdevoid of shortcomings, the main of them is the effect of the voidness of the composition and shape of the granules on the strength indicators. This significantly distorts the data obtained, which makes it impossible to compare even identical porous aggregates if they are produced at different plants.
Before compressing the granules on a press, preliminary preparation is required to determine the degree of strength. It includes grinding grains. Turning is carried out on both sides until the supporting parallel flat surfaces are formed. The shape of the granules becomes barrel-shaped. As the number of test grains used increases, the accuracy of the average strength parameter increases.
Application areas
The material has many positive aspects that have provided extensive use. Expanded clay sand has acquired the greatest distribution in the following areas:
- plant growing;
- water filtration;
- insulation of pipelines, roofs, walls and foundations;
- production of masonry mortar with high heat retention coefficient;
- development of dams, bridges and roads;
- production of expanded clay blocks and lightweight concrete.
Dry expanded clay sand is actively used as backfill for warming various objects, it is also indispensable in hydroponics and agriculture. It is also often used by gardeners to drain plants.
Strong and at the same time porous structure ensures the durability and reliability of the resulting products. Sand has a fairly reasonable cost and costssignificantly cheaper than other similar materials, due to which it is common not only in landscape design, but also in the construction of various objects.
Arrangement of the coupler
Backfilling sand is made from the far corner opposite the door. The level of the lighthouse should be 2-3 cm above the layer. With the help of a special tool, the backfill is periodically leveled. Next, the floor is covered with liquid cement and carefully compacted, this is necessary for a tighter adhesion of the particles.
After 24 hours, the solution is poured in an even layer. Expanded clay sand screed dries out within a few days. After the coating has set, it is necessary to remove the beacons and cover the resulting gaps with a solution. The surface after complete drying is sanded.
The selected floor covering is installed after two weeks. It can be parquet, linoleum or laminate.
