The quality of the material used directly influences construction results, but surprisingly often, contractors order fill material but have no idea where it's coming from or how consistent it is in the quality they expect it to be. It is important to pay attention to the quality of sand delivered by the bank, as they are directly affected by the way they are sourced.
Using reliable sources of aggregates ensures that the material delivered is consistent and is as natural as is appropriate for good bank sand, rather than fluctuating randomly between loads as it might be difficult to compact or affect the structure of a job site.
Key reasons for sourcing consistently.
Bank sand delivery is sand which is dug directly from a sand pit or a natural deposit and will therefore contain some variation based on the source location. A supplier who has dependable and consistent sources, however, will be more likely to provide material of predictable properties than a supplier who looks for materials when they become available.
This uniformity is important because contractors may develop a compaction and application plan depending on the behavior of the material and make compaction processes more difficult if there is a significant difference in the behavior.
Which questions should be asked to check the quality of sourcing?
Contractors can ask a few direct questions that will give a good idea of the supplier's commitment to source material:
- Where does the sand found in the bank come from?
- What is the consistency of the material from one delivery to another?
- Does supplier have continuing contracts with particular sources of aggregates?
- What quality checks take place prior to delivery of material?
Investigations into how inconsistent material can affect project outcomes.Explorations into how inconsistent material can impact project outcomes.
Unexpected variation in bank sand received to a load site can cause a real hassle in the field. A technique that worked well for one delivery may not properly work for a slightly different mix and result in changes in the middle of a project that can hinder efficient on-site operations.
This sort of inconsistency can become especially disruptive for projects with several deliveries over a long period of time, as it would require crews to essentially reinvent the safe-handling method for the material each time it changed properties in ways they hadn't prepared for.
Why investing in established supplier relationships is beneficial
Suppliers who use trusted sources of aggregates regularly will over time develop true expertise in the unique properties of that source of aggregate. This experience results in improved guidance for contractors on how to use these materials and the anticipated compaction properties, and also reasonable estimates of the volume required for specific project requirements.
Some advantages of doing business with well-known, trusted suppliers include:
- Improved consistency throughout deliveries of material properties.Consistency of material properties throughout deliveries.
- Increased awareness of suitable uses
- More consistent on delivery dates to customers.More consistent in timely delivery to customers.
- Less chance of quality related surprises that are not anticipated.
The connections this has to the overall project efficiency.The links this has to the overall project efficiency.
While the materials chosen for your project may seem less obvious than the prices or delivery dates of your supplier, it does have an impact on the efficiency of your project. Consistent material minimises the need for on site adjustments as well as keeping the crews' productivity steady and free of any unexpected complications related to fill characteristics.
What to Expect from a Trustworthy supplier
In addition to the source, a real sand supplier with a reliable bank will also have a few other characteristics that you'd want to look out for, such as responsive communication, flexibility with delivery dates, and successful delivery experience with similar types of projects of a similar size.
Final Thoughts
More attention needs to be paid to material sourcing because of its importance in supplier selection. When a bank sand supplier collaborates with reliable and consistent sand sources, they help reduce the variability that can make compaction more challenging and impact overall project efficiency. The time invested to ask the appropriate questions in the early stages of the construction process is well spent throughout the entire project.