The Sa(n)d Story!! I’ve heard that man’s best friend in not the dog, but reinforced concrete. The material allows for the building structures that define modern urban living, from skyscrapers to hydroelectric dams. This essential inanimate compound is composed mainly of sand, gravel, cement and water. That being said, it is fair to say sand is the second most widely used material in sheer volume in the world, losing only to water. You cannot hold a handful of sand without it trickling through your fingers any more than you can hold a pint of water, and our modern society is watching both resources disappear before our eyes. I realized the full extent of our gargantuan appetite for sand. Sand and reinforced concrete started being used in construction a little over 250 years ago, and today fifteen billion tons of it are consumed globally every year. Silicon Valley in California was built on sand in the form of microchips, and so are our cell phones, cars, airplanes, glass, and the list goes on. Who would have thought sand would become such a desired commodity? This is a sensitive environmental issue when talking about erosion control in a country in India especially with no specific environmental legislation protecting topsoil.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 05:03:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015