Individual

Name: Wilson Tay

ID: 18WVD06364

Bulking Of Sand
The volume of fine aggregates may be increased by 1% to 25 % due to the presence
of moisture in it. This property of the increase in the volume of fine aggregate i. e
sand due to moisture is called bulking of sand.

Bulking Of Sand
Causes of Bulking Of Sand
Bulking occurs due to the formation of a thin film of water around the sand particles.
When the sand is moistened, free moisture forms a film around every particle which
tends to keep the particles away from one another & thus causes bulking of sand.
Factors Which Affecting The Bulking of Sand
The extent of bulking (bulking of sand) depends upon the
1. The fineness of sand. Finer sands bulk considerably more than coarse sand.
2. Moisture present in the sand. It has been observed that the addition of 5% to
6% of moisture may increase the volume of dry sand by 18% to 38 %. If the
percentage of moisture content is beyond 10%, the increase in bulk of sand starts
decreasing. When the sand is completely saturated, its volume becomes equal to that
of dry sand.

Thus, while grading aggregates, the bulking effect of sand should be considered and
the proportioning should be corrected accordingly.

If no the allowance is made for bulking, the mix will be richer than specified.This
also causes the deficiency of sand in a mix which increases the chances of
segregation and honeycombing of concrete. The yield of concrete will also be
reduced.