Checks 1–4: at the truck, before it tips
1. Weighbridge slip and papers
Read the slip before the body goes up: vehicle number, gross, tare and net weight, date and time. A 10-wheeler carries 16–20 MT; 25 MT on a 10-wheeler is an overload or a wrong entry. Check the GST invoice (HSN 2517, 5%), the AP e-transit pass and, above ₹50,000 inter-state, the e-way bill.
2. Colour and smell
Crushed granite is grey to blue-grey and has no smell. A brown heap that smells of soil has picked up earth; a rotten smell means organic matter, which upsets setting.
3. Wet-palm rub for sand
Rub a wet handful of M-Sand or P-Sand between your palms. Good washed sand leaves the palm gritty and nearly clean; a greasy, staining film means clay or poor washing.
4. Shape and dust on jalli
Take a handful of 20mm from the middle of the load. Good stone is roughly cubical with sharp edges; if more than a third of the pieces look like coins or pencils, ask for the flakiness certificate. A light powder on dry palms is normal; a thick, talc-like coat is excess dust.
Checks 5–8: on a sample, after unloading
5. Jar silt test
- Fill a clear jar one-third with sand taken from inside the heap.
- Add water to three-quarters, with a pinch of salt to help the fines settle.
- Shake for a minute and leave it for an hour.
- Measure the soft layer that settles on top of the sand.
A thin grey layer is stone powder and is normal in crushed sand. A thick brown or sticky layer is clay. For river sand, common site practice rejects more than about 6–8% by height.
6. Is it what you ordered?
P-Sand should feel evenly fine, with nothing coarse enough to scratch a trowel. If a P-Sand load feels like crusher dust, compare it with dust you know.
7. Sieve check against the certificate
Dry about 5 kg, sieve it and compare the percentage passing with the certificate. For Zone II M-Sand the deciding sieve is 600 microns: 35–59% passing. For 20mm graded jalli, 25–55% should pass 10 mm.
8. The lab report
Site checks catch bad loads; strength needs a lab. Ask for the tests below on the lot you are buying, with a sample date and lot reference.
From our team
Notes, photos and examples added by the M&B Chetty team, with the author and the date.
Lab tests to ask for
| Test | Method | IS 383:2016 limit |
|---|---|---|
| Sieve analysis | IS 2386 Part 1 | Coarse: Table 7 band; sand: Table 9 zone |
| Fines finer than 75 µm | IS 2386 Part 1 (wet sieve) | Crushed sand ≤ 15%; natural sand ≤ 3% |
| Flakiness + elongation (combined) | IS 2386 Part 1 | ≤ 40% |
| Aggregate crushing value | IS 2386 Part 4 | ≤ 30% for wearing surfaces; ≤ 45% for other concrete |
| Aggregate impact value | IS 2386 Part 4 | ≤ 30% for wearing surfaces; ≤ 45% for other concrete |
| Los Angeles abrasion | IS 2386 Part 4 | ≤ 30% for wearing surfaces; ≤ 50% for other concrete |
| Water absorption, specific gravity | IS 2386 Part 3 | Needed for the mix design |
Road layers follow MoRTH Section 400 limits instead. We test gradation, silt, crushing value and flakiness through accredited third-party laboratories, and certificates accompany every bulk contract.
If a load fails a check
- Keep a sealed sample and photograph the heap and the weighbridge slip.
- Call or WhatsApp the sales desk the same day on +91 90039 03003.
- Keep the doubtful material out of any pour until it is settled.
It is easier to settle on the heap than in the slab.