On 17/04/2015 17:27, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Fri, 17 Apr 2015 16:03:54 +0100, "Wilkes, Andy"
wrote:

On 17/04/2015 15:47, Chris Hogg wrote:
It's mostly angular grains of quartz of differing
sizes. After grading into different grain sizes, it makes excellent
building sand, and also horticultural sand.

But horrible to walk barefoot on

Crinnis beach, by any chance?


Don't think so - I just can't remember the name - all I can remember is
that it is memorable

I think at the time, there was a leisure centre on the beach looking
very incongruous.

--
regards andy

On 20/04/2015 08:51, Wilkes, Andy wrote:
On 17/04/2015 17:27, Chris Hogg wrote:

Crinnis beach, by any chance?


Don't think so - I just can't remember the name - all I can remember is
that it is memorable

I think at the time, there was a leisure centre on the beach looking
very incongruous.


Typical - the moment I post, it comes back to me
Carlyon Bay, I think.

--
regards andy

On Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:32:59 +0100, philgurr wrote:

B&Q can call it what they like, but there are precise definitions of
'sharp'
and 'soft' sand. Sharp sand is usually found in river systems where the
time for abrading the edges of the sand/grit particles is limited.
'Soft' sand is usually found in marine environments with prolonged
exposure to the rounding of the grains - any sandy beach will illustrate
this.
The best 'sharp' sand that I ever found was from a gravel pit in
Walton-on-Thames. They would crush the river gravel to make a 'sharp'
sand that was like a myriad of tiny razor blades.



I recall hearing that one of the reasosn so many buildings in Haiti
collapsed was the use of beach sand in the concrete - being rounded it
made a weaker material.

On 28/04/2015 13:27, BlackSpot wrote:
On Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:32:59 +0100, philgurr wrote:

B&Q can call it what they like, but there are precise definitions of
'sharp'
and 'soft' sand. Sharp sand is usually found in river systems where the
time for abrading the edges of the sand/grit particles is limited.
'Soft' sand is usually found in marine environments with prolonged
exposure to the rounding of the grains - any sandy beach will illustrate
this.
The best 'sharp' sand that I ever found was from a gravel pit in
Walton-on-Thames. They would crush the river gravel to make a 'sharp'
sand that was like a myriad of tiny razor blades.



I recall hearing that one of the reasosn so many buildings in Haiti
collapsed was the use of beach sand in the concrete - being rounded it
made a weaker material.


Not to mention the lack of steel reinforcement!

On 29/04/2015 10:43, Chris Hogg wrote:
And the distinct possibility that they used a lot more sand and a lot
less cement in the concrete than they ought to have done.

It was probably also a bit salty - and salt weakens concrete.

Andy