I have been in a few barns where the aisle ways have had the sand hardened. The sand is hard, almost concrete like, and the dust is extremely low. Unfortunately, none of the people who work there seem to know how it was done or what product was used. What ever product I use, because there are animals in the barn, it needs to be non or low toxicity. Any ideas?
- Thread starter JimS
- Start date
Steve@Advance
Well-known Member
Found this, never tried it though...
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/Articles/Harden_Earthen_Floor.htm
http://www.dirtcheapbuilder.com/Articles/Harden_Earthen_Floor.htm
Many many years of compaction. We have a machine shed built on a sand knob.
In the door way it is hard packed sand from years of driving in and out.
But inside off to the sides the sand is still loose from no traffic.
Same way with the driveway to the shed, hard packed. Get off the drive and loose sand.
In the door way it is hard packed sand from years of driving in and out.
But inside off to the sides the sand is still loose from no traffic.
Same way with the driveway to the shed, hard packed. Get off the drive and loose sand.
john in la
Well-known Member
It has been my experience that pure sand will never really compact 100%.
The particles are to big.
Water can be a great aid in compaction of soil but it does nothing to compact a beach made of sand.
Another example is try building a pond with a sand bottom. It will never hold water.
You need a mix to get true compaction. Clay works well in the mix to fill the voids between the sand.
Gravel will also reinforce the mix.
Just look at crushed limestone. That stuff will get so hard you can not dig in it with a pickax.
The reason is it has all sizes of pieces from sand size to rock size.
But to answer your question.
Portland cement; Lime; or Calcium Chloride; are all used to compact soil under different condition.
They dry out the soil and increase the surface tension between the soil particles to compact it.
The particles are to big.
Water can be a great aid in compaction of soil but it does nothing to compact a beach made of sand.
Another example is try building a pond with a sand bottom. It will never hold water.
You need a mix to get true compaction. Clay works well in the mix to fill the voids between the sand.
Gravel will also reinforce the mix.
Just look at crushed limestone. That stuff will get so hard you can not dig in it with a pickax.
The reason is it has all sizes of pieces from sand size to rock size.
But to answer your question.
Portland cement; Lime; or Calcium Chloride; are all used to compact soil under different condition.
They dry out the soil and increase the surface tension between the soil particles to compact it.
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
John,
I have an old gravel pit, sand and gravel. About 30 ft below grade. It about 2 miles from a river. As the river goes up so does the water level in gravel pit. This fall the water level was down and I harvested sand, gravel and some of the lake mud to put on higher ground to plant flowers. Some years the water table is higher. This is the first time in a few years the water was this low.
I have an old gravel pit, sand and gravel. About 30 ft below grade. It about 2 miles from a river. As the river goes up so does the water level in gravel pit. This fall the water level was down and I harvested sand, gravel and some of the lake mud to put on higher ground to plant flowers. Some years the water table is higher. This is the first time in a few years the water was this low.
Richard G.
Well-known Member
At an experiment station in lower SC, they disked in cement in the sand in the parking and equipment areas. Held up for a while. Moving equipment and rain made it start breaking up. Holes showed up and it became rough. That being said, it should work well in a barn situation with animals. You would have to put enough cement to make it work and then sprinkle water on it for long enough to get it soaked through. Just my opinion.
Richard in NW SC
Richard in NW SC
Logan in S.E. Texas
Member
It's known as stabilized sand in my area. I don't know the ingredients. I have used it in the feed shed for my show animals back in the '70s.
rustyfarmall
Well-known Member
No experience with it myself, but I think the fines from a rock crushing facility can be used much like sand and will compact to become almost like concrete.
Dave H (MI)
Well-known Member
At the local pit they sell something called road gravel. Specifically, I think it is "23A road gravel (state spec)". Looks like sand with some stone in it of various sizes. I have no idea what this stuff is really, but it reminds me a lot of brown sugar. Gets crusty when it sits, compacts well, gets pretty hard. I drive over it for a few weeks and then put chip stone on top. Makes a nice driveway.
showcrop
Well-known Member
I have been in a number of sand quarrys where the sand is "live" or "sugar" sand. You compact it all you want with whatever you can get to go over it which won't be much because you can't get traction in it. The gains are rounded. In order to be able to get trucks in and out they mix in loamy dirt to make roadways where they need to be able to go with trucks. You get off the road just a little and you are stuck. Stone dust could also be called sand. The grains are very angular. You could put it into a sander body and drive a half a mile and it will compact enough that the chain will pull out only a little before it bridges over. Rounded grains move over each other freely and won't pack. Angular grains will not move past each other so they will pack nicely. Stone dust will pack like concrete after a little traffic.
showcrop
Well-known Member
I have been in a number of sand quarrys where the sand is "live" or "sugar" sand. You compact it all you want with whatever you can get to go over it which won't be much because you can't get traction in it, and it will never pack. The gains are rounded. In order to be able to get trucks in and out they mix in loamy dirt to make roadways where they need to be able to go with trucks. You get off the road just a little and you are stuck. Stone dust could also be called sand. The grains are very angular. You could put it into a sander body and drive a half a mile and it will compact enough that the chain will pull out only a little before it bridges over. Rounded grains move over each other freely and won't pack. Angular grains will not move past each other so they will pack nicely. Stone dust will pack like concrete after a little traffic.
caterpillar guy
Well-known Member
Don't know about the packing sand. Crushed concrete works great for a driveway. It will pack down like cement and holds loads good. I can un hook my loaded trailers in the spring without blocks under the feet this is on semi trailers. It is 6 inches thick. I keep expanding the area to park on.
We have some clay floors in a couple of sheds the floor are loose and dusty from lack of moisture.
We have some clay floors in a couple of sheds the floor are loose and dusty from lack of moisture.
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