SIC 1442 Construction Sand and Gravel

Encyclopedia of American Industries | 2005 | Copyright

SIC 1442
CONSTRUCTION SAND AND GRAVEL

This category covers establishments primarily engaged in operating sand and gravel pits and dredges and in washing, screening, or otherwise preparing sand and gravel for construction uses.

NAICS Code(s)

212321 (Construction Sand and Gravel Mining)

Industry Snapshot

Construction sand and gravel is a fundamental raw material used primarily by the construction industry. It is among the most accessible of natural resources. Sand and gravel production benefited from growth in the construction industry in the 1990s, but growth diminished into the 2000s as the economy slowed. As a result, construction sand and gravel production in 2002 was approximately 1.13 billion tons, roughly the same as 2001 production. It is estimated that 2003 output will be approximately 1.2 billion tons, up slightly from the previous year. In 2002, about 4,000 companies in 50 states produced 1.3 billion metric tons of construction sand and gravel worth an estimated $5.8 billion. Nine states accounted for about 51 percent of U.S. output of construction sand and gravel. In order of volume, the leading states were California, Texas, Michigan, Arizona, Ohio, Minnesota, Washington, Colorado, and Wisconsin. About 51 percent of the total output was used for unspecified purposes. Of the remainder, 45 percent was used as aggregate in concrete; 22 percent for road stabilization and road base and coverings; 13 percent as aggregate in asphaltic and other bituminous mixtures; 13 percent as construction fill; 2 percent for concrete products, including bricks, blocks, and pipes; 1 percent for plaster and gunite sands; and 4 percent for roofing granules, snow and ice control, railroad ballast, filtration, and related uses.

Organization and Structure

Sand is composed of particles of feldspar, limestone, slag, gypsum, coral, or quartz formed by such natural processes as erosion and weathering. Gravel consists of pebbles, stones, and rock fragments broken from larger deposits of such minerals as shale, quartz, granite, or sandstone by water or ice erosion. Gravel occurs geologically in riverbeds and seas but is more commonly found in dried-up streambeds formed by glaciers during the Ice Age. Sand is graded for commercial use by passing the grains through standardized sieves, which yield such classifications as very fine, fine, medium, coarse, and very coarse. The five standard gravel sizes are also classified according to the sieves through which they pass. Acceptable sizes for commercial sand and gravel vary with the engineering organization, highway department, or government agency setting the standard and are occasionally revised.

Sand and gravel are primarily used by private construction firms and government agencies in the construction and paving industries. Combined, they take the form of "aggregate" in concrete, portland cement, asphalt, mortar, and plaster, or can be used alone as "fill" in the construction of building foundations, runways, highways, dams, and a wide range of other applications. The commercial use of sand and gravel is so extensive that the growth or decline of production by industry firms is considered a reliable indicator of the country's economic activity.

Roughly 80 to 85 percent of the weight of concrete is typically contained in its sand and gravel aggregate content. In other words, one ton of concrete usually contains about 1,700 pounds of sand and gravel. An estimated 54,000 pounds of sand and gravel are used in the...

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