# How do you keep sand and aggregate clean on a Somaliland site? > Cover stockpiles, separate heaps and a wash check. Dirty sand and aggregate weaken concrete and block, so inspect before batching. - By: Editorial Team, Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com/about) - Published: 18 October 2026 - Format: Practical guide (general practice) - Publication: Somali Construction Review (https://somaliconstructionreview.com) - Subject: Materials - Place: Somaliland - Tags: somaliland, aggregates, materials, concrete-durability - Web version: https://somaliconstructionreview.com/blog/keep-sand-aggregate-clean-somaliland-site ## Key points - Sand and aggregate pick up salt, silt and rubbish quickly in a hot, windy yard, so stockpile them off the ground and apart. - A jar test shows silt in sand in minutes; a cloudy column that will not settle means the sand needs washing before it goes into concrete. - Written delivery notes with the source pit or quarry and the date give you a record to check if a pour later fails. Clean sand and aggregate means keeping each material on a hard, drained surface away from salt, mud and rubbish, and refusing loads that carry too much silt. A jar test settles the question of silt in sand in under an hour. ## Why does clean sand and aggregate matter in Somaliland? Dirt, salt and organic matter on the surface of sand and stone stop cement paste gripping the particles. That weakens concrete and mortar, and it hides in a heap where nobody looks. The check is a visual inspection of each load plus a simple silt test before the material goes into a mix. Aggregate stores a surprising amount of salt if it sits near the shore or on ground that floods with seawater. Salt carried into the mix attacks the reinforcement later, which is why coastal builds need extra care. The same applies to sand dug from a pit that has been used for washing vehicles or dumping rubbish. Ask the supplier where the material came from and write it in the site diary. The [materials](/topics/materials) pages on this site cover cement and steel separately; sand and stone deserve their own routine because they arrive loose and unlabelled. ## How do you store sand and aggregate so they stay clean? Clear a flat area, raise it above the surrounding ground and keep each size in its own heap. A concrete slab or a layer of compacted hardcore under the stockpile stops mud mixing in. Separate walls or old formwork between the heaps stop fine sand spilling into coarse aggregate. Keep the stockpiles away from the cement store, vehicle traffic and any drain that carries seawater. Cover them with tarpaulin or woven sheeting through the Gu and Deyr rains; a wet heap takes days to dry and changes the water content of your mix. Never store aggregate on bare ground next to a rubbish pit or an oil drum. When a delivery arrives, note the date, the source pit or quarry, the quantity and the driver on the delivery note. Add the note to the site file. If a later pour cracks or fails, that record tells you which heap to test. The [concrete calculator](/concrete-calculator) shows how much sand and aggregate a pour needs so you can size the heaps before the truck arrives. > **Tip:** Keep a fixed space for each material and mark it with a painted board. A driver who knows where to tip will not mix your sand with your aggregate. ## How do you check sand and aggregate before batching? Take a sample from several points in the heap, not just the top, and look at it in daylight. Sand should be free of clay lumps, roots and shell. Rub a wet sample between the palms: if it stains your hands brown, organic matter is present and the load needs washing or rejection. For silt, half fill a clear jar with sand, add water and a pinch of salt, shake it hard and let it stand. Sand settles first and a silt layer forms on top. General practice treats a silt layer thicker than about one tenth of the sand depth as too dirty for structural concrete; confirm the limit in the project specification. If the jar stays cloudy after standing, ask the supplier to wash the sand or get a laboratory to test it. For coarse aggregate, check for dust coating, soft stones and oversized pieces. A handful shaken in water should leave the water reasonably clear. Ask the laboratory for a sieve and silt test on a sample when the source changes. The [construction material calculator](/construction-material-calculator) helps you convert the quantities you accept into bags and heaps. ## What to do next Before the next pour, walk the stockpile area and clear a raised, drained space for each material. Then take a jar sample of the sand going into the mix and record the result with the delivery note in the site file. If the silt layer is thick or the water stays cloudy, ask the supplier for washed sand before you batch. ## Questions ### Can I wash dirty sand on site? Yes, if you have water and space. Spread the sand thin, wash it with clean water and let it drain on a hard surface before use. Check the result with a jar test, and ask the engineer whether the washed sand meets the project specification. ### Does rain damage a sand heap? Rain does not spoil sand the way it spoils cement, but it changes the moisture content, which alters the water you add to the mix. Cover the heap and test the moisture before batching. ### Who can test sand and aggregate in Somaliland? A materials laboratory or the engineer's office can run a sieve and silt test. Ask for the site sample result in writing with the sample date and location. ## Sources - [Somali Construction Review: Concrete calculator](https://somaliconstructionreview.com/concrete-calculator) - [Somali Construction Review: Construction material calculator](https://somaliconstructionreview.com/construction-material-calculator)