Demand for and environmental impacts of sand mining
Sand is mined for many applications. Sand is used for fracking, water treatment (filtration), metal casting, and making glass, silicon chips, and ceramics. But the largest use by far is for fine aggregate in concrete. Concrete consists of cement, water, fine aggregate (sand), and coarse aggregate (gravel). Aggregate makes up about 60–70 percent of the concrete volume, with 40–50 percent of the aggregate consisting of sand. The nearly 20-year-long construction boom in Asia, beginning in China, India, and Singapore, shows more signs of spreading than abating, with major projects for high-speed train lines, airports, roadways, and commercial and residential buildings planned in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. As a result, the demand for sand is huge. See also: Asia; Cement; Ceramics; Concrete; Glass; Hydraulic fracturing (fracking); Metal casting; Sand; Water treatment