Sand art and play

A sand castle is a small replica of a castle of sand. Often a small sandpit children already animated to build a sand mountain and to transform into a "castle".

General

In many German summer baths is by the beach guests often a castle built around their beach chair to demarcate their territory. This is usually only an excavated wall of sand, however, often decorated with all sorts of flotsam and jetsam. The custom goes back to the second half of the 19th century, after traveling along the North and Baltic Sea was no longer the prerogative of the upper classes. In 1885 there were on Sylt postcards showed the Westerland beach with numerous Burgenbauten. The cultural historian Harald Kimpel refers to the purpose of the construction to eliminate " disreputable idleness " and counteract the impression of laziness. Since the 1990s, this custom has fallen sharply.

The children built sand castles are often referred to as Kleckerburg. This very moist sand is dropped on the floor, so that multiple towers arise, which are combined into a "castle". Due to the required amounts of moist sand they are typically built close to the water. Characteristic of spills castles is their short life span. They are often destroyed by their builders or other persons shortly after their establishment again. Otherwise, they are a victim of the waves or the wind due to their low strength. Typical of spills castles is the irregular shape with many bulges that arise prior to its solidification by the flow of sand.

Crucial for the strength of a sand castle is the moisture of the sand in the construction and the " granularity " of the material, as this can take as granular matter only by accompanying liquid reasonably solid forms.

Sand Art

Sand Art referred elaborate sand castles and large sculptures, as they are usually created by adults so-called Sand Art Festival.

While sand castles are usually built by children playing on the sandy beach, the sand art works are often much larger. Most detailed pictures of real buildings or monuments or works of modern art are displayed.

Building sandcastles is considered by some adults as form of relaxation. Lately, it is also increasingly operated as a leisure activity on the beach.

Exhibitions and competitions

From 2002 to 2007, the Sand World took place in Lübeck- Travemünde held an exhibition of sand castles, were recreated in the famous buildings from specially a prepared sand.

There are also numerous competitions in which sand sculptures will be built.

Controversy in Isle of Palms

After a police officer had sprained his ankle in a kick in a sand hole, planned the community Isle of Palms in the U.S. state of South Carolina in 2008 by law to undertake to guard the builders of sandcastles their sand castles and to level before leaving the place. Otherwise there may be penalties 128-500 U.S. dollars at risk. However, it came here to controversial clashes with the tourism industry and the parties to the annual sand castle competition whereby a post-processing of the Act has been obtained.

Physics of Strength

According to calculations by the University of Amsterdam a sand castle with wet sand and base radius of 20 cm can be up to 2.50 m high.

Considerations kittenden effect of the surface tension of the water see angle of repose.