Voters in Ho Chi Minh City said that in the world, many countries have used sea sand in construction and landfill for a long time.
Some of the leading countries in exploiting and using sea sand as construction aggregate are the Netherlands, Denmark, England, and the United States with technology for exploiting (dredging), processing, and using sea sand.
Therefore, voters recommend research to promptly overcome the shortage of sand in construction.
Responding to this issue, the Ministry of Transport said that the source of sand for embankment in the Mekong Delta is increasingly scarce. Therefore, it is necessary to study the use of sea sand to replace river sand as road embankment material for transport projects in the region as suggested by voters. This issue has been directed by the Prime Minister to be studied and implemented by relevant ministries and branches.
Pursuant to the Prime Minister's direction, ministries and branches have completed research and are qualified to implement as follows:
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has completed the project "Mineral resources assessment, serving the exploitation of sea sand, meeting the needs of filling highway projects and urban and traffic infrastructure in the Mekong Delta region".
In which, evaluate the sea sand resources in the coastal area of Soc Trang province with a reserve of 145 million m3 with physical and mechanical indicators meeting the requirements for highway embankment materials according to the regulations of TCVN 9436:2012, feasible exploitation conditions, and at the same time transfer the Project results to the People's Committee of Soc Trang province.
Currently, Soc Trang Provincial People's Committee has granted sand mines to serve the construction of a number of projects.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reviewed and issued guidelines on salinity standards for aquaculture water and salinity tolerance thresholds for some plant species as a basis for using sea sand for transportation projects.
The Ministry of Transport has organized a pilot project to use sea sand as roadbed material on the DT.978 restoration section of the Hau Giang - Ca Mau section project.
The Ministry of Transport has also established a ministerial-level Council to evaluate and agree on the use of sea sand as roadbed material in the subsurface area, K95 embankment, and roadbed areas located below the area affected by live loads.
Currently, My Thuan Project Management Board (project investor) continues to use it to construct the main route of the Hau Giang - Ca Mau component project from Km81-Km126+223 and the connecting route from Km6+522-Km16+510.
Based on the results of the sea sand pilot and the Council's assessment, current technical standards and regulations, the Ministry of Transport has issued a document guiding qualified localities to organize implementation and Soc Trang province is granting mines for exploitation to serve the construction of Component Project 4 of the Chau Doc - Can Tho - Soc Trang Expressway Project.
According to the provisions of the Construction Law and relevant legal provisions, the use of materials for construction works is under the decision-making authority of localities.
To overcome the shortage of sand resources, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha also directed localities and investors to consider and decide on the use of imported sand sources according to their authority, ensuring compliance with legal regulations.
