Manufactured sand improves profitability in concrete production

The quality of fine aggregates has the biggest impact on concrete properties and production costs. By using Metso solutions, you can significantly improve your profitability in concrete production.

Cement is the most expensive component of the concrete compound

The workability of the final concrete mix and the amount of cement used are two of the most important parameters in concrete production. These parameters, in turn, are mainly affected by the quality of sand used in the process.

The consistency of the sand can be a challenge when using natural or crushed sand that has not been produced in a well-controlled industrial process. Inconsistent sand quality leads to a higher safety margin, which results in an unnecessary increase in the amount of cement used. Cement is the most expensive component of the concrete compound, representing more than 50% of the cost of raw concrete, but less than 20% of the volume.

Characteristics of fine-sized aggregates in concrete are also crucial. Only a perfectly cubical and rounded shape of all fractions and their consistent quality can form an easily workable concrete mass. This allows the lowest possible amount of cement to be used in the final cement mix. 

Save up to 15% of cement by using Metso’s industrial process

At Metso, we have developed a unique industrial process to reduce the amount of cement needed in the concrete mix. An unbiased study done in Norway in 2015 verifies that the amount of cement can be decreased by up to 15% when using Metso’s highly advanced manufactured sand solution instead of local natural sand. The production cost of the concrete mix can be significantly decreased when cement is replaced by using high-quality manufactured sand. As a raw material, industrially produced sand is much more inexpensive than cement. The price of manufactured sand can also be lower compared with natural sand, which decreases the production cost of the concrete even further.

If we consider the fact that natural sand sources are getting scarcer, especially close to urban areas, transportation costs can be considerable if the sand has to be transported with trucks from tens of kilometers away. In some cases, you even need to haul it from other countries, like in the United Arab Emirates, where sand is imported from Australia.

Controlled quality

Thanks to its superior quality characteristics, manufactured sand produced with Metso process and equipment enables considerable savings in concrete production. The strength of the concrete improves when gaps between the aggregate fractions are smaller and less binder is needed. Aggregates are practically always stronger than cement when it comes to increasing the strength of the concrete.

The quality characteristics of aggregates are mainly based on an optimized shape, continuous grading and the moisture of different fractions in the concrete mix. The optimal shape can be best achieved by relying on Metso’s cone and vertical shaft impact crushers with different crushing stages after the primary crushing.

A full-scale industrial process

Nordberg HP cone and Barmac VSI crushers are the most common solutions to make perfectly shaped manufactured sand and aggregates, also with very abrasive rock as feed material. Nordberg NP horizontal impact crushers are commonly used for the finished shape in the tertiary crushing stage when the abrasiveness of rock is slightly lower.

One of the key benefits of sand produced with a Metso process is the precise control of the continuous grading. This process requires deep integration and automation between different crushing and separation stages. Screens do the work when oversize aggregate fractions exist by returning these fractions back to the crushers. The screening is then followed by the final and most critical stage when controlling the continuous grading. This is when Metso’s air classifiers take over the material flow and classify different fractions with an accuracy of microns. Air classifiers are the most efficient way to achieve ultrafine separation in industrial applications. Dry classifying uses no water, which provides a very environmentally friendly and economical classifying solution.

Metso air classifiers provide a full solution and an alternative to wet classifying. The solution is designed to achieve extremely accurate separations even though these air classifiers contain no moving elements in the air stream. This is achieved through the classifiers’ intelligent airflow design and use of a recirculating, secondary airflow. Because the airflows are not affected by wearing, the grading always remains the same with an accuracy of microns. At the same time, particle moisture remains at an optimal level.

An optimal shape, continuous grading and controlled moisture during the production process all make it possible to decrease the safety margin of mixed concrete. This means that even up to 15% of the cement can be replaced by using Metso’s high-quality manufactured sand in the concrete mix when the quality characteristics of the aggregates are well controlled. Replacing cement with more affordable aggregate materials leads to a better profitability of the concrete mixing plant and better quality concrete.

Improved concrete quality

Key performance indicators in the concerete industry are workability, strength and production costs. High-quality sand is the most significant component affecting these.

Up to 15% savings

In the use of cement in concrete

Perfect shape

Perfectly cubical and rounded fractions

Reduced cost

Less transportation for aggregates

Safety margin

Optimal shape, grading and moisture