CDE and YTL promote manufactured sand as the construction material of the future

Batu Tiga Quarry Sdn Bhd, YTL Corporation Berhad's quarry division, operates 15 quarry sites with 25 crushing and screening plants in Peninsular Malaysia, producing more than 21 million tonnes of quarry products per year. The division produces various sizes of quarry products including 20mm,10mm, quarry dust, crusher run, ballast, armour rocks and other customised sizes, and is the largest producer of manufactured sand in Malaysia. In the sector of manufactured sand, the division has enhanced its quality for use in the production of ready-mixed concrete by improving the particle shape, controlling the silt content and using proven world class technology and equipment. For this sole purpose, the CDE manufactured sand technology was first introduced at the Batu Tiga quarry situated near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The process of producing manufactured sand begins with crushing hard rocks into smaller fractions in a controlled manner to achieve a good particle shape. However, the crushing operation generates a high and varying level of ultra-fines that lowers the commercial value of the crushed material and creates technical challenges for its use in concrete production. To alleviate these challenges, advanced wet processing techniques from CDE were used to consistently grade sand, making it free from adulteration and impurities, furthermore improving the project’s efficiency by reducing the consumption of cement.

“We have almost eliminated river sand in our projects through substitutions and wherever sand has to be used, we have switched to manufactured sand. It not only addresses ecological issues but also improves project efficiency significantly", explained Mr. Patrick Pereira, Executive Director of the YTL group quarry division.

“The CDE Combo technology has helped us to enhance the quality of manufactured sand by controlling the level of silt and delivering the right gradation. It also gives us the flexibility of adjusting the fineness modulus of sand as per our project requirement.”

Sand accounts for 35 per cent of the volume of concrete used in the building construction industry and as the Asian region rides a growth trajectory, demand has ballooned and led to the plunder of river beds. Traditional sources of sand, such as rivers and creeks, are being restricted by several countries in South East Asia, causing significant shortages. The destruction of riverine ecosystems by indiscriminate sand mining is gradually giving way to a lightly regulated industrial-scale production of manufactured sand with the support of large conglomerates such as the YTL Group. It is lending some respite to city administrators and affected communities. Manufactured sand has not only helped to address environmental issues but has also improved the delivery and aided in the cost reduction of construction projects.

CDE Asia is creating this entirely new marketplace across Asia with over 280 installations spread over India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. “Our sustainable technology of producing washed and graded manufactured sand is helping to replace natural sand, which is fast becoming scarce and expensive. It will benefit sand manufacturers by providing top quality graded construction sand and sustainable operations by reusing up to 95% of the process water. By utilising normally low-value crusher fines for sand production, we can extend the life of natural resources and also add huge commercial value to our customers’ enterprises,” shared Manish Bhartia, Managing Director of CDE Asia.