Soil Compaction

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Principles of Compaction
Laboratory Tests
Field Compaction
Field Checks
Specification Compliance
Earthworks Calculations

General Principle
of Compaction

Standard Proctor

Compaction Curve

Compaction Curves

Compaction Curves

Compactive Effort

Modified Proctor
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Increased compactive
effort to better represent
the effect of heavy rollers

5 compaction layers

10 lb hammer weight
18 in drop height

4.6 times compaction

energy

Compacted Soil
Structure - Clays

Sheepsfoot Roller

Pneumatic Roller

Smooth Steel-Wheel
Roller

Growth Curve

Target Moisture

Field Check:
Sand Cone Method

Field Check:
Rubber Balloon

Field Check:
Nuclear Gauge

Earthworks
Calculations
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Calculation of Borrow
Needs
n Soil

Shrinkage
Contents

n Moisture

Calculation of Haul Trips

n Soil

Swell
Restriction
n Volume Restriction
n Weight

Borrow Calculations
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Usually based on
volumetric bank measure,
i.e., How many cubic
yards of borrow is
required?

Direct analysis - Consider

soil solids required for
construction.

Direct Analysis
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Determine total
compacted volume
required for construction.

Determine quantity of soil

solids needed for
construction

Determine quantity of
borrow to produce desired
quantity of soil solids

Example
Calculations
Proposed
Embankment

15 ft

40 ft
1,000 ft
100 ft

Volume = (.5)(40+100)(1000) ft 3
= 35,000 ft 3
= 1,293.3 CY
For Compacted D = 115 lb/ft 3
Reqd Soil Solids = (35,000ft 3)(115lb/ft 3)
= 4,025,000 lb
= 2012.5 tons

Bank Conditions
In situ WET = 120 lb/ft 3
w = 16 %
D = 120 / 1.16 = 103.45 lb/ft 3
Reqd Borrow Volume
4,025,000 lb / 103.45 lb/ft 3
= 38,908.3 ft 3
= 1,441 CY
Borrow Excavation will include
4,668,996 lb = 2334.5 tons soil
644,000 lb = 322 tons water

Soil Swell
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Increase in volume during

excavation and loading

%Swell = ( B/ L- 1)x100%
n B
n L

= Bank Unit Weight

= Loose Unit Weight

Haul Trips Example

Assume the following:

20 ton truck capacity

10 Yd capacity

7% Soil Swell

Haul Trips Example

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Direct calculation based on

weight capacity

2334.5 tons soil

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20 ton capacity
2334.5/20 = 116.7

= 117 trips

Haul Trips Example

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Check volume capacity of

trucks
10 YD Max Volume
B=120 lb/ft3
7% Swell
%Swell = (B/L-1)x100%
L=B/(1+%Swell/100)
L=120/1.07 = 112.5 lb/ft3
L=3028.04 lb/CY
L=1.51 ton/CY
= 15.1 tons/truck OK

In Situ Densification
Vibro-Floatation

In Situ Densification
Vibro-Floatation

In Situ Densification
Vibro-Floatation

In Situ Densification
Vibro-Floatation

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Dynamic
Compaction

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