Definition and context of granulometers

Granulometers are instruments used to determine the size and distribution of particles in a granular material, such as soils, sands, cements or industrial powders. Granulometry is essential in construction and civil engineering to characterize materials and predict their behavior in different applications.

These devices allow the uniformity and quality of the material to be evaluated, which influences fundamental properties such as strength, permeability and structural stability. Correct granulometric measurement is a basic requirement in laboratories and quality control processes in the construction sector.

Basic measurement principles

The fundamental principle of a granulometer consists of the quantification of particle size using physical or mechanical techniques that separate or identify particles according to their diameter or volume. These principles vary depending on the type of granulometer, but the common objective is to obtain a representative granulometric curve of the material analyzed.

In general, the measurement can be based on mechanical sieving, optical analysis, sedimentation in fluids or light scattering, each with its technical particularities and ranges of application. Selecting the appropriate method depends on the type of material and the range of sizes to be measured.

Granulometry by sieving

The most traditional and widespread method for measuring granulometry is sieving, which consists of passing the material through a series of sieves with meshes of decreasing openings. Sieve-based granulometers allow the separation and quantification of the percentage of particles within different size ranges.