Stock Pileing Sand....

[JDGreenGrass]

I am thinking about haveing some sand on hand for the winter months here in central Maine.

Question....If there is no salt in the sand, will it freeze.?? Which brings me to this question....I wonder if I can get sand with salt.??.....

It would be used for the storms that bring that crappy snow, rain, ice mix that kills the elbow when you go down un-expectedly.

I am sure there is an answer from someone.

Thanks.

 

[aczlan]

if you can keep it dry, it will be fine, but let it get wet and you will have a sandcube until things warm up.
Salt will help, but if the sand gets wet enough, it can leach out.

Aaron Z

 

[JDGreenGrass]

Whaoh, that don't sound good.

How does one keep it dry.??

 

[E/S]

Tarp the pile.

E/S

 

[JDGreenGrass]

Tarp the pile.

E/S

Correct.

What type of material would this tarp be made of.??.....Canvas.?? Plastic.??

 

[techwrtr2]

Really good chance the sand will already be wet when you get it delivered unless you buy play sand by the bag. $$$$$$

 

[pitt_md]

Having just bought sevel 18 ton truck loads of sand i can tell you it does come with enough moisture to make it freeze.

 

[CompactTractorFan]

You can get a salt/sand mixture. I think a lot of Public Works Departments/DOT's use it.

 

[CBW1999]

A Sand/Salt mix won't make a difference. Salt only lowers the freezing temperature of water so, the moisture in the sand would have to react with the salt for that to occur. Since there would not be a complete/even distribution of the salt in the sand, you would still get clumping.

A lot of the highway departments around here will dump the bucket of sand into a slatted grate above the dump truck to sift out the larger frozen chunks. However, they have the advantage of a huge pile to dig into, and beyond the frost layer.

If you have a heated garage, you can always put the sand in a couple of garbage cans to keep it from freezing, I would put them up on a short platform sp the bottom does not freeze. If you can, build a 3 sided box to store it in- insulate underneath, and keep it coveredwith the tarp. That will help some.

I had a yard of sand delivered last winter....it froze solid and the center didn't thaw till late May!:laughing:

 

[Gordon Gould]

The only way that really works is to keep it a heated shed or get and use it before it freezes but thats not a stockpile I guess.