Atomic Sand Builds Family Legacy With Quality Concrete Sand

Producing concrete sand takes more than simply digging material from the ground. At Atomic Sand's 250-acre dredge operation in North Augusta, S.C., the process combines a custom-built dredge, a 500-hp pump, a wash plant and a fleet of Hyundai wheel loaders and artic trucks to produce sand for ready-mix concrete producers throughout the region.

Owner Ryan Williams purchased the operation after establishing another sand mine in nearby Graniteville, expanding what has grown into a family of businesses that includes sand mining, recycling, trucking and construction and demolition waste management.

"I didn't find this sand deposit," Williams said. "Somebody found it 50 or 60 years ago. I'm just the latest mine owner."

Williams said his background in mining made the expansion a natural fit.

"My great-uncle started the mine where I grew up. Then my dad bought him out. I kind of grew up digging holes and playing in a big sandbox."

From Lake Bottom to Concrete Plants

Unlike a traditional surface mine, Atomic Sand recovers material from beneath a large lake using a custom-built dredge equipped with a 25-ft. ladder and rotating cutter head.

The cutter head loosens the sand before a 500-hp electric pump sends the sand-and-water slurry approximately .25 mi. through a pipeline to the processing plant.

"There aren't many breaks for this equipment," Williams said. "The dredge takes an incredible amount of abuse with all the water and sand."

Once at the plant, the material passes over sizing screens that remove oversized debris before entering a large classifying tank.

"It's neat how it works," Williams said. "The larger granules settle first and the finer material goes farther through the tank. That lets us blend the material to produce the gradation we're after."

The sand then receives a final wash to remove dust and fine particles before it is stockpiled for shipment.

"The goal is to leave only the correct gradation of clean, durable concrete sand. We have a good gradation it's very clean and it's strong," Williams said.

The operation's primary customers are regional ready-mix concrete producers, although Atomic Sand also supplies material for golf course top dressing and equestrian arenas.

Another challenge is the occurrence of naturally deposited kaolin in sections of the site. Although this soft clay is prized for its smooth texture and non-swelling properties and is used extensively in ceramics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and manufacturing, it is problematic for sand production because it reduces the strength of the final sand product.

"The kaolin here is purple," Williams said. "If we had more of it, it might be beneficial, but right now it changes the color of our sand, so we stay away from it."

Keeping Production Moving

Because the dredge works in one of the harshest environments found in aggregate production, Williams has developed a backup plan that allows production to continue during maintenance.

When the dredge is offline, excavators and haul trucks move raw material to a 20-cu.-yd. feed hopper. Water is added before the material enters the same processing system, allowing the operation to continue producing specification concrete sand.

"While we're repairing the dredge, we can still make the same product," Williams said. "Our customers still need sand."

Hyundai Loaders Handle Daily Production

Once the processed material reaches the stockpiles, Hyundai wheel loaders keep the operation moving by maintaining stockpiles, loading customer trucks and transporting material around the site.

Williams said the decision to stay with Hyundai was based largely on the performance of the machines already working at the mine when he purchased it.

"When I bought the operation, it had older Hyundai machines with a pile of hours on them," he said. "That showed me they could stand the test of time, especially in a mining application."

He later traded those machines for newer models, including a Hyundai HL960A wheel loader through National Equipment Dealers (NED).

The Hyundai HL960A is well-suited for aggregate applications, offering an operating weight of approximately 43,700 lbs., a 225-hp Cummins B6.7 engine and a 4.3-cu.-yd. bucket. The loader's nearly 36,800-lb. bucket breakout force and load-sensing hydraulic system provide the digging power needed to work efficiently in stockpiles, while its four-speed transmission and ride control system help operators maintain productivity during repetitive truck-loading cycles.

The machine also features a spacious cab with a 7-in. touchscreen monitor, improved visibility and optional technologies such as an onboard weighing system and Advanced Around View Monitoring to enhance productivity and job site awareness.

Williams believes dealer support is just as important as the equipment itself.

"Any machine is going to break down eventually," he said. "If one of ours goes down, one phone call to NED and they're here getting us back up and running. The relationship with the dealer is the most important factor."

Mining Today, Reclaiming Tomorrow

As mining progresses, crews simultaneously reclaim disturbed areas of the property using heavy equipment to reshape slopes and restore the landscape.

"You've got to reclaim the land where you're sourcing natural resources," Williams said. "We're moving massive amounts of material to build 3-to-1 slopes, stay in compliance and make the site look good as we're excavating."

Oversized material removed during processing also is incorporated into the reclamation work.

Building Businesses Around Recycling

Atomic Sand is one of several businesses Williams has developed around his family's construction and demolition landfill.

The Williams C&D Landfill processes approximately 700 tons of construction and demolition debris each day and serves as the foundation for the company's other operations.

GreenGo Recycling converts wood waste into mulch and compost, while Upstream Recycling operates the company's trucking and roll-off container business with approximately 700 to 800 dumpsters serving customers throughout the area. Full Circle Aggregates operates a dry sand mine, complementing Atomic Sand's dredging operation.

Williams said none of the businesses were part of a master plan.

"We really just kept solving problems," he said. "The wood waste was bulky and taking up valuable landfill space, so we started grinding it into mulch. Every challenge seemed to create another business."

Today, approximately 75 employees work across all of the company's operations.

Looking ahead, Williams hopes to continue expanding recycling efforts and recovering more material before it reaches the landfill.

"I want to see more recycling," he said. "Especially in the Southeast, we're still burying too much material. I want to invest in more equipment that helps us separate more material, recycle more and landfill less."

Williams also shares the day-to-day work of his businesses through his YouTube channel, Mr. Digg, which has grown to nearly 75,000 subscribers and averages roughly 300,000 views each month.

For Williams, the goal is simple: show viewers how mining, recycling and waste management work while continuing to build businesses that make better use of natural resources and materials that might otherwise be discarded. CEG