10.

0 QUESTION
1. What principles and process involved in soil compaction?
The objective of compaction is to achieve maximum possible dry density of the
compacted soil. The degree of compaction of soil is measured by its unit weight and
optimum moisture content.

2. Why does the dry unit weight of the moist soil first increase with an increase in
moisture content and then decrease?
At low water content, the soil is stiffs and particle offer resistance to come closer,
resulting in low dry density. As the water content is increased, water forms a
lubricating film around particles causing them to be compacted to a closer state of
contact resulting in higher dry density. The dry density increases with increase in the
water content until maximum dry density (MDD) is reached. At this stage, the soil
particles come to the closest possible state of contact. On increase of water content
beyond or exceed the optimum moisture content (OMC), the volume of soil does not
decrease further by compaction and water starts to occupy additional space causing an
increase in the volume of voids and the total volume,and resulting in a decrease in dry
density.

3. How compaction process can be accomplished in the field?

Process:
 Selection of Fill material and Borrow area
The local soil sources are survey and samples are collected and tested. The
relative suitability of different soils is determined and suitable borrow area is
selected based on the suitability of soil, availability in required quantity, the
cost of compensation for using the borrow area, and the cost of transportation.
Once the basic properties such as grain size analysis and index properties are
determined, the soil can be classified as per IS – 1498-1970 that also gives the
relative suitability for compaction. Compaction tests are conducted on the
selected soil to determine the OMC (Optimum Moisture Content) and MDD
(Maximum Dry Density). The OMC (Optimum Moisture Content) and MDD
(Maximum Dry Density) serve as a guide for developing compaction
specifications to be achieved in the field.

 Selection of Field Compaction Equipment

There are many types equipment that can be used for compaction depend on
the type or characteristic of soil.

 Smooth wheel roller

Smooth wheel rollers are suitable for proof rolling subgrades and for finishing
operation of fills and provide a contact pressure of 30-40 t/m2 with 100%
coverage under the wheels. They are effective in compacting soils in thickness
of 20-30 cm and are not efficient for thicker layers. They are suitable only for
cohesionless soils.
  Sheep’s Foot Rollers
Sheep’s foot rollers consist of hollow drums with a large number of
projections called shanks or sheep’s foot. These shanks have areas of 25-75
cm2 for each projector. During rolling, these shanks pierce into the soil giving
a high contact pressure of 150-750 t/m2resulting in most effective compaction
of cohesive soils.

 Tampers
Small hand-operated or machine-driven tampers can be used for compacting
small areas of cohesive soils. They are similar in principle to the rammers used
in laboratory compaction test and can be effectively and economically used
compared to other compaction equipment

 Compaction of soil in the field

Compaction equipment can efficiently compact the soil up to a limited depth.
Hence, the fills or embankments are compacted in several layers, called lifts.
If lift thickness is too large, soil at the top of the lift will be well compacted
whereas that at the bottom will not be compacted completely. For most
compaction equipment, lift thickness should be of the order of 15 cm. The soil
from the borrow area is transported and spread in several layers. Each layer is
compacted by passing the roller over the soil required number of times. About
10-15 passes of the roller are the most efficient and economical ways to
achieve MDD during compaction. After this, the next layer of loose soil is
spread and compacted. The procedure is repeated until the required height of
the fill, embankment, or earth dam is reached. Water content should also
closely monitor during compaction.

 Field Compaction Control

Improper compaction of soil in field will lead to the dry density of compacted
soil less than the required maximum achievable dry density, resulting in the
following problems:
 Low shear strength of compacted soil leading to shear failure of the soil and
foundation supported on the compacted soil.
 Excessive volume changes in the compacted fill in terms of excessive swelling
and shrinkage.

Therefore, necessary to adopt proper field compaction control to ensure that

the dry density and the water content of the compacted soil is within specified
limits of MDD and OMC, respectively.

4. In soil compaction test, if a test result exceeds 100%, should engineers accept the
result?
The result is acceptable. But as an engineer, they need to determine the load bearing
requirement of the specific soil and characteristic of the soil. However, over
compaction of soil may lead to reduction in soil strength parameters.