People usually picture beaches or building sites when thinking about sand. For industry pros in landscaping, construction, and gardening in Australia, sand means more than tiny grains, it is a controlled material with measured traits. One major feature experts watch is grading, the way various grain sizes appear within one sand sample. Grading comes from a test called sieve analysis, which sorts sand by size into defined classes. Knowing grading helps decide how sand acts in different work, from concrete to planting beds. Gardening or turf usually needs not just a certain type of sand but the correct grain size for best growing. Right grading in lawn sand keeps good drainage, brings air through, and makes soil save plant nutrients. Fine grains press together, blocking water and air if they are too small. Larger, rough grains let too much water escape if sand particles are too big. Learning about sieve sizes helps users pick sand with the best mix of grains for the purpose.
Sieve sizes: What they are and how they work
The system uses mesh screens that have exact hole sizes, from big to small, in a set order. The common test across Australia uses AS 1141.11.1, a standard close to world guidelines but made for local cases. Each screen or sieve fits a fixed mesh, and openings are measured by millimetres or microns. Using a 2.36 mm sieve, every grain smaller than 2.36 mm falls through, bigger ones stay above. Workers stack the sieves, pour dry sand in, and shake the pile, mostly by machine. The grains sort out by size; bigger ones collect near the top, fines collect lower. People weigh sand from every sieve, then graph the values to create a particle size distribution curve. That curve tells if most grains are same-size (uniformly graded), mixed (well-graded), or mostly one size (poorly graded).
Fine sand vs. coarse sand: Practical differences
Sieve test results sort sand into fine, medium, or coarse. Fine sand gets through sieves smaller than .25 mm and is good for things like mortar, topdressing grass, or plaster. Coarse sand shows up on wider mesh screens, like 1.18 mm and 2.36 mm, and goes into concrete, drainage, or structural filling. Choosing the type of sand matters for Australia’s climate and soil, which can be very different across the country. Fine sand in dry areas may cause the ground to crust or water to run off too fast. Coarse grains in wet or tropical regions might not keep enough moisture for healthy plant roots. Checking grades with sieves gives the right sand for each project or location.
Grading curves and what they tell us
Finishing the sieve check, plotting those numbers, brings a curve describing particle size spread. If the graph line rises sharply around one size, that sand is poorly graded and could pack down too much or let water through too quickly. A curve with gradual slope and steady change between sizes points to well-graded sand, good for load and steady use. In building, such curves mean sand fills space with fewer gaps, resulting in strong, stable structures and fewer shifts. Landscaping or turf setups work best if grading allows dirt to keep some water and nutrients but still drain extra. The curve for grading comes out as a direct clue to the real-life results from using this sand.
Common sieve sizes in Australian standards
Australian standards list common sieve sizes as 4.75 mm, 2.36 mm, 1.18 mm, 600 microns, 300 microns, and 150 microns. For each sieve, experts record the percentage of finer and coarser particles left to rate sand grading. Sand for good turf mostly falls between .3 mm and 1 mm grains, making sure it is not too fine or too stony. Builders often face tighter demands by limiting small grains for better compaction and to stop extra shrinking. Sector standards across Australia make sure all groups use roughly similar sand and can meet critical technical needs. Certified grading reports come with most sand sold in the country, so buyers check the distribution before they use it. Rules and certificates help meet both local building laws and environmental codes set by councils.
