This summer, do you want to build the perfect sandcastle, the one that will win all the votes in the most beautiful beach sandcastle contest? Science can help you!
Matthew Robert Bennett, a sedimentologist at Bournemouth University in England, addressed this dangerous topic, which can spoil a day of family vacation at sea if the walls recede too quickly … popular beaches come to the following conclusion: In order for the castle to stand taller, the sand must be solid. The strength of sand depends on the properties of its grains and water.
The question of choosing sand
The angled grain fits together better. Smooth sand, whose grains are carried by water and wind, is not ideal for building strength. Sand made of microscopic fragments is a preferred choice for a durable sandcastle.
The question of the amount of water
Water binds sand grains together. But it is necessary to pay attention to the proportion of water: “If the sand has too much water, your castle will fall, and if there is too little, it will collapse.” Explains the scientist who found the magic formula for building the perfect sandcastle. That’s one bucket of water for eight buckets of dry sand, or water = 0.125 x sand.
Prefer simple, round buckets to castle-shaped ones with hanging towers.
bucket question
There are many forms of beach buckets for building sandcastles. Size and shape are all important in the solidity of the building! It is better to use “Simple, round buckets for castle-shaped ones with pointed turrets. A round bucket will allow you to produce an amount of turns and detail to finish off the monument of your dreams, while using your imagination.”