1.

Compaction

The essential points on compaction are : a. Compaction is the densification of a soil by the expulsion of air and the rearrangement of soil particles. b. The Proctor test is used to determine the maximum dry unit weight and the optimum water content and serves as the reference for field specifications of compaction. c. Higher compactive effort increases the maximum dry unit weight and reduces the optimum water content. d. Compaction increases strength lowers compressibility and reduces the permeability of soils. e. ! variety of field e"uipment is used to chec# the dry unit weights achieved in the field. Popular field e"uipment includes the sand cone apparatus and the nuclear density meter. f. Compaction is "uantified in terms of dry unit weight d; wet unit weight, and moisture content,w as :
d = $ 1+ w

and a curve of d versus w can be plotted. g. %or a given compactive effort : there exist a particular moisture content where the soil reach its optimum moisture content, w with maximum dry unit weight d&max'. h. The line of dry unit weight when saturation ( ) 1**+ named , -ero air voids. can be located theoretically on the upper limit of d versus w curve. The line follow the equation of :
ZAV
G s w = wG s 1 + S

/xample :

0iven : The results of a standard compaction test are shown in the table below. 1etermine the maximum dry unit weight and optimum water content.
2ater content w &+' 9ul# unit weight &#:;m8' 3.4 13.6 5.1 15.7 6.5 16.7 11.7 4*.7 14.8 4*.< 18.4 4*.1

%ind : &a' 1ry unit weight and water content at 67+ compaction. &b' The degree of saturation at the maximum dry density. &c' Plot the =ero air voids line. (olution : (tep 1: >se /xcel program to tabulate d .

(tep 4 : Plot graph as in %igure shown (tep 8 : /xtract the desired values : d(max ! 1".#$%&m'; wopt ! 11.()

*t +() compaction, d ! 1".# , -.+( ! 1..( $%&m' and w!+./) (from the graph

0tep # : 1alculate the degree of saturation at maximum dr2 unit weight. %inding ( :
S= G s ( d ) max & w wG s ( d ) max & w = -.11( /.. (1".# & +.") = -..1 = .1) /.. 1".# & +."