Earthmoving Equipment

COMPACTION
Quantification Methods
& Equipment Used

Densification is accomplished by:

¾ Static weight (pressure)
¾ Kneading (manipulation)
¾ Impact (sharp blow)
¾ Vibration (shaking)
 Types of Compactors

1. Sheepsfoot
2. Tamping
3. Smooth-drum vibratory
4. Pad-drum vibratory
5. Pneumatic-tired
SHEEPS
FOOT
ROLLER
 SHEEPS FOOT COMPACTOR
¾ Normally towed (preferably not with a dozer!)
¾ Suitable for all fine-grained soils
¾ Operates at 4-6 mph
¾ Requires 6-10 passes for an 8” clay lift
¾ Follow by a steel or pneumatic roller
¾ Tends to aerate the soil => good for drying wet
mat’l
 TAMPING FOOT COMPACTOR

Leveling blade

Working in tandem
PAD CONFIGURATION
Tamping foot Pad foot
 TAMPING FOOT COMPACTOR
¾ Suitable for all soils except pure sand
¾ Self propelled, high production (8-12 mph)
¾ Compacts from bottom of the lift to the top until it
“walks out” of the fill
¾ Effective for 8-12” lifts
¾ Follow with smooth drum or pneumatic to compact
upper layer
 SMOOTH DRUM VIBRATORY SOIL
COMPACTOR
Uses vibratory
action in
conjunction with
ballast weight of the
drum to compact.

Very effective means

of attaining density for
cohesionless materials.
 PADDED-DRUM VIBRATORY SOIL
COMPACTORS

¾ Effective on cohesive soils

¾ “Walks out” of the fill
 PNEUMATIC-TIRED ROLLERS

5
4
Front and
rear tire
paths
overlap.
 All-wheel oscillation. PNEUMATIC

¾ Compact by static-load and kneading action.

¾ Towed or self-propelled
¾ Granular base mat’ls (primarily)
¾ Asphalt, chip seals, recycled pavement, base and
subbase mat’ls
50 Ton pneumatic roller PNEUMATIC

¾ Capable of compacting soils to greater depths

¾ 15-200 t gross weight
¾ Tire pressure alters compaction force
COMPACTION
Roller capabilities

Weather Sensitivity
 TOWED IMPACT COMPACTOR

¾ Useful on a wide range of materials

¾ Lifts up to 3 ft
TRENCH ROLLER

WHEEL
ATTACHMENT
COMPACTORS
VIBRATORY
PLATE
COMPACTOR
For granular
soils, sand and
asphalt.

RAMMER
(Jumping Jack)

Self-contained hand operated

for use in confined spaces:
- Structural backfill, trenches
 DYNAMIC
COMPACTION
Can achieve densification to a
depths of about 30 ft using 30 ton
weights and 100 ft drop heights.

This is a
20 ton weight

from 42 feet
Usually only make contact with
about 50% of the actual ground
surface being compacted.
 Other Compaction Methods

• Loaded Trucks (same as a pneumatic roller)

• Blast Densification
• Vibro Densification
• Water
COMPACTOR PRODUCTION
Speed (MPH)
-Sheepsfoot 4-6
-Tamping Rollers
First 3 passes 3-5
Walking out 8-12
Smooth-drum vibratory 2-4
Padded-drum vibratory 2-4
Multitired pneumatic 5-15
 COMPACTION PE
• Scrapers will deliver to the project 600 LCY per
hr of fill material (dry clay).
• A self-propelled tamping foot roller will be used
to compact the fill. (Rolling width is 84 in.)
•Test strip compaction information indicates that
9 passes at 3 MPH are required to obtain the
required density.
• The fill material will be placed in 8 inch
compacted lifts.
•Based on this information determine the number
of rollers required to support the scraper
operation.
 COMPACTION PE
STEP 1: COMPACTION REQUIREMENTS
Width of roller = 84 inches
Speed = 3 MPH
Compacted lift thickness = 8 in
Number of passes required = 9
STEP 2: PRODUCTION CALCULATION

Compacted cubic yards/hr =

16.3 × W × S × L × eff
No. Passes
Where:
W is compacted width in feet
S is average roller speed in MPH
L is compacted lift thickness in inches
 COMPACTION PE
STEP 2: PRODUCTION CALCULATION
84 × 3 × 8 × 16.3 7 × 3 × 8 × 16.3
12 = = 304 CCY/hr
9 9
STEP 3: EFFICIENCY FACTOR
A 50 min working hour: Efficiency Factor of 0.83
304 X 0.83 = 253 CCY/hr
STEP 4: COMPACTORS REQUIRED
Vol. delivered LCY × conversion Roundup to 2
compactors
Roller production CCY
600 LCY × 0.74 444 CCY
= 1.8
= 1.8
253 CCY 253 CCY
 EXERCISE
Trucks will deliver 450 LCY per hr of fill material
(dry sand) for a road project.
A self-propelled CAT CS-583C roller will be used
to compact the fill.
Using the maximum recommended compaction speed
for this roller it will require 5 passes to compact a 6
inch (compacted depth) lift.
Assume a 50 min-hr efficiency.
 EXERCISE
STEP 1: COMPACTION REQUIREMENTS
Width of CAT CS-583 roller
= 7 feet (CAT handbook)
What type of compactor is this?

CAT CS-583 roller is a smooth-drum vibratory.

(CAT handbook)
Compacting Speed = 3.5 MPH

Compacted lift thickness = 6 in

Number of passes required = 5
 EXERCISE
STEP 2: PRODUCTION CALCULATION
7 × 3.5 × 6 × 16.3
= 479 CCY
5
STEP 3: EFFICIENCY FACTOR
479 X 0.83 = 398 CCY/hr
STEP 4: COMPACTORS REQUIRED
dry sand 0.87

450 LCY × 0.87

= 0.98
398 CCY
Therefore need 1 compactor