UNIVERSITY OF CEBU (UC)

CIVIL ENGINEERING
CE ENCHANCEMENT COURSE 2
MODULE SET

SOIL COMPACTION

COMPACTION OF SOILS

Loose soils must be compacted to increase their unit weights, its strength which increases the bearing capacity of
foundations constructed over them. Also, it increases the stability of slopes of embankment. As the compaction
effort is increased, the optimum moisture content is decreased to some extent.

FORMULAS FOR SOIL COMPACTION

Ɣ d field
a. Relative compaction =
Ɣ d max
c. Min. Void ratio e min

G Ɣmax G Ɣ min
s− s−
Ɣw Ɣw
b. Relative compaction
e min = Ɣ e max = Ɣ
max min
−1 −1
Ɣw Ɣw
R0
R=
1−Dr ¿ ¿ d. Relative Density of Density Index
e max−e
Where R = relative compaction in the field Dr =
e max−emin
Ɣ d min
R=
Ɣ d max
PROBLEM 1:

A proposed road requires a soil from a borrow pit to be excavated and transported to the construction site for use
in a compacted fill. The in-situ moist unit weight of the soil from a borrow pit is 16.1 kN/m 3 and the moisture
content is 15%. The specifications requires for the soil to be compacted to a dry unit weight of 18 kN/ m 3 at the
same moisture content 15%. How many cu.m. of soil from the excavation site are needed to produce 5000 m 3 of
compacted fill?

SOLUTION:

Ɣ dry unit weight of soil from a borrow pit.

Ɣ moist 16.1
Ɣ dry = = = 14 kN/m 3
1+ɷ 1+ 0.65

Specified dried unit weight = 18 kN/m 3

V 50000
=
18 14

V = 6428.6 m 3

PROBLEM 2:

An excavator having a capacity of 2.30 cu.m operates 8 hrs in a working day. A single cycle of operation consists
of excavation travel (two way) and transfer of excavated material. Cycle time for the excavator is 10 min.
Efficiency factor at the site is 0.85 and for equipment and operator is 0.78. Compute the daily production in

3
m /day.

SOLUTION:

8(60)
No. of cycles in 8 hrs =
10

Daily production = 48(2.3) = 110.4 cu.m.

Actual daily production = 0.85(0.78)(110.4) = 73.20 cu.m.

PROBLEM 3:

Specification for a proposed earth fill requires that the soil be compacted to 95% of Standard Proctor dry density.
Tests on the fill material indicates Ɣ max = 19.51 KN/m 3 at an optimum water content of 12%. The borrow material
in its natural condition has a void ratio of 0.60.Sp.gr. soil is 2.65. Compute the maximum volume of the borrow
required to make one cu.m. of acceptable compacted fill.

SOLUTION:

Gs Ɣ w
Ɣ dry =
1+e

Ɣ dry = 0.95(19.51) = 18.53 kN/m 3

2.65(9.81)
18.53 kN/m 3 =
1+e

e = 0.403

Vol. of solids V s :

Vv
e=
Vs

V v = eV s

V = V v −V s

V = eV s +V s

V = V s (1+e)

1= V s (1+0.403)

V s = 0.713 m 3

Volume of borrow:

V b = V s (1+e) = 0.713(1+0.60)

V b = 1.14 m 3
PROBLEM 4:

The max. and min. dry unit weight of a sand were determined in the laboratory to be 18.31 kN/m 3 and 15.25 kN/
3
m . What is the relative compaction in the field if the relative density is 64%?

SOLUTION:

Ɣ d min 15.25
Ro = = = 0.8329
Ɣ d max 18.31

Relative compaction in the field:

Ro
R=
1−Dr ¿ ¿ ¿

0.8329
R=
1−0.64 (1−0.8329)

R = 0.933 = 93.3%

PROBLEM 5:

A measure of density of compacted fills as part of the specification requirement was performed by
digging a hole in the soil, weighing the extracted soil and measuring the volume of the hole. The moist soil
weighs 8.83 N and the volume of the hole was 0.00042 m 3. After drying the sample weighed 7.56 N, of the dried
soil 4.02 N was poured into a vessel in a very loose state. Its volume was subsequently determined to be 0.00028
3 3
m . The same 4.02 N of dried soi was the vibrated and tamped to a volume of 0.00022 m . If the sp.gr. of the soil
sample is 2.70, compute the void ratio in the densest state after tamping.

SOLUTION:

e min = void ratio in the densest state (after tampering)

V= 0.00022 m 3
W s = V s (sp.gr.)(Ɣ w )

4.02 = V s (2.7)(9810)

V s = 0.000152 m 3

V = V v +V s

0.00022 = V v + 0.000152

V v = 0.000068 m3

V v 0.0000068
e min = = = 0.45
V s 0.000152

PROBLEM 6:

The moist unit weight of a soil having a volume of 0.00283 m 3. of soil 54.4 N. has a moisture content of 12% and
a specific gravity of 2.72. Determine the volume occupied by water.

SOLUTION:

Ɣ moist 54.4
Ɣ dry = = = 48.57 N/m 3
1+ɷ 1+ 0.12

Weight of water = 54.4-48.57 = 5.83 N/m 3

5.83
Volume occupied by water = = 0.00059 m 3
9810

PROBLEM 7:

From a compaction test of a sand in the field, the following were observed from both field and laboratory:

Relative compaction of sand in the field = 93.6%

Max. dry unit weight of the sand = 16.18 kN/m 3.

Min. dry unit weight of the sand = 14.89 kN/m 3.

Determine the relative density of compaction.

SOLUTION:
 Ɣ d (field )
Relative compaction =
Ɣ d(max )

Ɣ d (field )
0.936 =
16.18

Ɣ d (field ) = 15.14 kN/m3

Ɣ d ( field )−Ɣ Ɣ d (max )

Dr = ( d (min)
)(
Ɣ d (max )−Ɣ d (min)
Ɣ d (field )

15.14−14.89 16.18
Dr = ( )( ) = 0.207 = 20.7%
16.18−14.89 15.14