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Assignment Top Sheet Department of Civil

Engineering & Technology
Student Registration Number Class Section Semester
BSETC-021R18-08 Bs.Civil A 5th

Student Full Name

SHER ALI

Assign Date : Submission Deadline:

08.05.2020 15.05.2020

Assignment No: Assignment Name/Details:

02 Soil compaction test

Submitted To:
Engr. Mahvish Saleem

Foundation practical ISP Sher Ali

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Compaction

In geotechnical engineering, soil compaction is the process in which stress is applied to a soil
causes densification as air is displaced from the pores between the soil grains. When stress is
applied that causes densification due to water (or other liquid) being displaced from between the
soil grains, then consolidation, not compaction, has occurred. Normally, compaction is the result
of heavy machinery compressing the soil, but it can also occur due to the passage of, for
example, animal feet.

In construction, Soil compaction is a vital part of the construction process. It is used for support
of structural entities such as building foundations, roadways, walkways, and earth retaining
structures to name a few. For a given soil type certain properties may deem it more or less
desirable to perform adequately for a particular circumstance. In general, the preselected soil
should have adequate strength, be relatively incompressible so that future settlement is not
significant, be stable against volume change as water content or other factors vary, be durable
and safe against deterioration, and possess proper permeability.

Which test is used for compaction?

1) Standard Proctor’s Test for Compaction of Soil:

To assess the amount of compaction of soil and water content required in the field, compaction
tests are done on the same soil in the laboratory. The test provides a relationship between the
water content and the dry density.

Application:

 The proctor compaction test has hitherto been reserved for earthwork engineering.
 It is advisable to limit soil working below the optimum moisture content in order
not to cause maximum soil compaction.

2) Modified Proctor Test for Compaction of Soil:

The modified Proctor test was developed to represent heavier compaction than that in the
standard Proctor test. The test is used to simulate field conditions where heavy rollers are used.

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The test was standardized by American association of State Highway Officials and is, therefore
also known as modified AASHO test.

Application:

 The aim is to establish the optimum moisture content (OMC) at which a soil
becomes densest, known as its maximum dry density (MDD).

Methods of Compaction of Soil used in Field

Several methods are used in the field for compaction of soils. The choice of method will depend
upon the soil type, the maximum dry density required and economic consideration. The
commonly used methods are

1. Tampers

2. Rollers

3. Vibratory compactors

The compaction depends upon the following factors:

 Contact pressure
 Number of passes
 Layer thickness
 Speed of roller

Factors Affecting Compaction of Soil

Water Content:
At low water content, the soil is stiff and offers more resistance to compaction. As the water
content is increased, the soil particles get lubricated. The soil mass becomes more workable and
the particles have closer packing.

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The dry density of the soil increases with an increase in the water content till the optimum water
content in reached. At that stage, the air voids attain approximately a constant volume. With
further increase in water content, the air voids do not decrease, but the total voids (air plus water)
increase and the dry density decreases.

Thus the higher dry density is achieved upto the optimum water content due to forcing air voids
out from the soil voids. After the optimum water content is reached, it becomes more difficult to
force air out and to further reduce the air voids.

The effect of water content on the compaction of soil can also be explained with the help of
electrical double layer theory. At low water content, the forces of attraction in the adsorbed water
layer are large, and there is more resistance to movement of the particles.

As the water content is increased, the electrical double layer expands and the inter-particle
repulsive forces increase. The particles easily slide over one another and are closely packed. This
results in higher dry density.

Amount of compaction:
The compaction of soil increases with the increase in amount of compactive effort. With increase
in compactive effort, the optimum water content required for compaction also decreases. At
water content less than the optimum, the effect of increased compaction is more predominant.
At water content more than the optimum, the volume of air voids become almost constant and
the effect of increased compaction on soil is not significant.

It may be mentioned that the maximum dry density does not go on increasing with an increase in
the compactive effort. For a certain increase in the compactive effort, the increase in the dry
density becomes smaller and smaller. Finally a stage is reached beyond which there is no further
increase in the dry density with an increase in the compactive effort.

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The line of optimums which join the peaks of the compaction curves of different compactive
efforts follows the general trend of the zero-air void. This line corresponds to air voids of about
5%.

Type of soil:
The compaction of soil depends upon the type of soil. The maximum dry density and the
optimum water content for different soils are shown in figure. In general, coarse grained soils
can be compacted to higher dry density than fine-grained soils.

With the addition of even a small quantity of fines to a coarse-grained soil, the soils attain a
much higher dry density for the same compactive effort.

However, if the quantity of the fines in increased to a value more than that required to fill the
voids of the coarse-grained soils, the maximum dry density decreases. A well graded sand attains
a much higher dry density than a poorly graded soil.

Cohesive soils have high air voids. These soils attain a relatively lower maximum dry density as
compared with the cohesionless soils. Such soils require more water than cohesionless soils and
therefore the optimum water content is high. Heavy clays of very high plasticity have very low
dry density and very high optimum water content.

Method of compaction:
The dry density achieved depends not only upon the amount of compactive effort but also on the
method of compaction. For the same amount of compactive effort, the dry density will depend
upon whether the method of compaction utilizes kneading action, dynamic action or static action.

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For example, in Harvard Miniature compaction test, the soil is compacted by the kneading
action, and therefore, the compaction curve obtained is different from that obtained from the
other conventional tests in which an equal compactive effort is applied.

Different methods of compaction curve give their own compaction curves. Consequently, the
lines of optimums are also different.

Effect of Compaction on Properties of Soil

1. Effect of Compaction on Soil Structure
Soils compacted at water content less than the optimum generally has a flocculated structure.
Soils compacted at water content more than the optimums usually have a dispersed structure.

2. Effect of Compaction of Soil on Permeability

The permeability of a soil depends upon the size of voids. The permeability of a soil decreases
with an increase in water content on the dry side of optimum water content.

3. Swelling

4. Pore water pressure

5. Shrinkage

6. Compressibility

7. Stress-strain relationship

8. Shear strength

Foundation practical ISP Sher Ali