Vietnam Running Out of Sand Amid Boom

• Proeksa Meas
• 15 January 2018
• Construction Focus
• 1714 Views

Vietnam is considering using artificial sand after the Institute of Transport Science and Technology warned the government it could run out of naturally occurring sand within five years.

The report presented to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport also noted that artificial sand could be made for up to 15 percent more cheaply than mining the natural variety, and that it makes better quality concrete.

Vietnam uses about 100 million cubic metres of sand every year to keep pace with the booming construction sector. Many large scale projects have been put under pressure from a crackdown on illegal sand dredging which has seen prices rise by up to 200 percent.