Soil Compaction

SOIL
COMPACTIO
N
COMPACTION
Is a process by which soil particles are rearranged and packed
together into a closed state of contact by mechanical means in
order to decrease the porosity of the soil and thus increasing its
dry density.
The objectives of compaction are:

 To increase soil shear strength and therefore its bearing
capacity.
 To reduce subsequent settlement under working loads.
 To reduce soil permeability making it more difficult for water
to flow through.
 To increase the stability of slopes of embankments.
The moisture content at which the maximum dry unit
weight is attained and generally referred to as the
Optimum Moisture Content.
 The laboratory test generally used to obtain the
maximum dry unit weight of compaction and the
optimum moisture content is called the Proctor
Compaction Test (Standard Proctor Test)
𝑊
𝛾=
𝑉(𝑚)
where:
𝛾= moist unit weight
W= weight of compacted soil in the mold
𝑉(𝑚) = volume of the mold (301
𝑓𝑡 3 )
Dry Density- Water Content
Relationship
To assess the degree of compaction, it is necessary to use
the dry unit weight, which is an indicator of compactness of solid
soil particles in a given volume. The laboratory testing is meant to
establish the maximum dry density that can be attained for a given
soil with a standard amount of compactive effort.
In the test, the dry density cannot be determined directly,
and as such the bulk density and the moisture content are obtained
first to calculate the dry density as , where = bulk density, and w
= water content.
A series of samples of the soil are compacted at different
water contents, and a curve is drawn with axes of dry density and
water content. The resulting plot usually has a distinct peak as
shown. Such inverted “V” curves are obtained for cohesive soils (or
soils with fines), and are known as compaction curves.
Dry density can be related to water content and degree of saturation (S)
as
Thus, it can be visualized that an increase of dry density means a

decrease of voids ratio and a more compact soil.
Similarly, dry density can be related to percentage air voids (na) as
The relation between moisture content and dry unit weight for a
saturated soil is the zero air-voids line. It is not feasible to expel air
completely by compaction, no matter how much compactive effort is
used and in whatever manner.
Dry unit weight Zero Air Void Unit Weight
𝜸
𝜸𝒅 = 𝝎(%)
𝑮𝒔 𝜸𝒘
𝟏+ 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝜸𝒛𝒂𝒗 =
𝟏 + 𝝎𝑮𝒔
Where: where:
𝛾= moist unit weight 𝛾𝑧𝑎𝑣 =zero air void unit
𝛾𝑑 = dry unit weight weight
𝜔= moisture content in 𝐺𝑠 = specific gavity of soil
percent soilds
𝛾𝑤= unit weight of water
By specifications:
𝜔= moisture content
𝜸𝒅𝒓𝒚 = 𝝎𝜸𝒅𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒙
Effect of Increasing Water Content
As water is added to a soil at low moisture contents, it becomes
easier for the particles to move past one another during the
application of compacting force. The particles come closer, the
voids are reduced and this causes the dry density to increase. As
the water content increases, the soil particles develop larger
water films around them.
This increase in dry density continues till a stage is reached
where water starts occupying the space that could have been
occupied by the soil grains. Thus the water at this stage hinders
the closer packing of grains and reduces the dry unit weight.
The maximum dry density (MDD) occurs at an optimum
water content (OMC), and their values can be obtained from
the plot.
Effect of Increasing Compactive
Effort
An increase in compactive effort produces a very large increase in dry
density for soil when it is compacted at water contents drier than the
optimum moisture content. It should be noted that for moisture contents
greater than the optimum, the use of heavier compaction effort will have
only a small effect on increasing dry unit weights.
The factors that influence the achieved degree of compaction in the

laboratory are:
 Plasticity of the soil
 Water content
 Compactive effort
For cohesionless soils (or soils without any fines), the standard
compaction tests are difficult to perform. For compaction,
application of vibrations is the most effective method. Watering is
another method. The seepage force of water percolating through a
cohesionless soil makes the soil grains occupy a more stable
position. However a large quantity of water is required in this
method. To achieve maximum dry density, they can be compacted
either in a dry state or in a saturated state.
For these soil types, it is usual to specify a magnitude of relative
density (ID) that must be achieved. If e is the current void ratio
or gd is the current dry density, the relative density is usually
defined in percentage as
where emax and emin are the maximum and minimum void ratios
that can be determined from standard tests in the laboratory,
and gdmin and gdmax are the respective minimum and maximum
dry densities
Relative density (%) Classification
< 15 Very loose
15-35 Loose
35-65 Medium
65-85 Dense
> 85 Very dense
It is not possible to determine the dry density from the value of

the relative density. The reason is that the values of the maximum
and minimum dry densities (or void ratios) depend on the
gradation and angularity of the soil grains
Engineering Behaviour of Compacted
Soil
Soil Structure
For a given compactive effort, soils have a flocculated structure on the
dry side (i.e. soil particles are oriented randomly), whereas they have a
dispersed structure on the wet side (i.e. particles are more oriented in a
parallel arrangement perpendicular to the direction of applied stress).
This is due to the well-developed adsorbed water layer (water film)
surrounding each particle on the wet side.
 Swelling
Due to a higher water deficiency and partially developed water films in the dry side,
when given access to water, the soil will soak in much more water and then swell
more.
 Shrinkage
During drying, soils compacted in the wet side tend to show more shrinkage than
those compacted in the dry side. In the wet side, the more orderly orientation of
particles allows them to pack more efficiently.
 Construction Pore Water Pressure
The compaction of man-made deposits proceeds layer by layer, and pore water
pressures are induced in the previous layers. Soils compacted wet of optimum will
have higher pore water pressures compared to soils compacted dry of optimum,
which have initially negative pore water pressure.
 Permeability
The randomly oriented soil in the dry side exhibits the same permeability in all
directions, whereas the dispersed soil in the wet side is more permeable along
particle orientation than across particle orientation.
 Compressibility
At low applied stresses, the dry compacted soil is less compressible on account of
its truss-like arrangement of particles whereas the wet compacted soil is more
compressible.
The stress-strain curve of the dry compacted soil rises to a peak
and drops down when the flocculated structure collapses. At
high applied stresses, the initially flocculated and the initially
dispersed soil samples will have similar structures, and they
exhibit similar compressibility and strength.
Field Compaction and
Specifications
To control soil properties in the field during earthwork
construction, it is usual to specify the degree of
compaction (also known as the relative compaction). This
specification is usually that a certain percentage of the
maximum dry density, as found from a laboratory test (Light
or Heavy Compaction), must be achieved.
In end-product specifications, the required field dry densityis specified as a percentage
of the laboratory maximum dry density, usually 90% to 95%. The target parameters are
specified based on laboratory test results.
𝑅0 𝛾𝑑(min )
Relative compaction= 1−𝐷 where: 𝑅0 = 𝛾𝑑(max )
𝑟 (1−𝑅0 )
𝐷𝑟 = relative density
The field water content working range is usually within ± 2% of the laboratory
optimum moisture content.
It is necessary to control the moisture content so that it is near the chosen value. From
the borrow pit, if the soil is dry, water is sprinkled and mixed thoroughly before
compacting. If the soil is too wet, it is excavated in advance and dried.
 In the field, compaction is done in successive horizontal layers. After each layer has
been compacted, the water content and the in-situ density are determined at several
random locations. These are then compared with the laboratory OMC and MDD
using either of these two methods: the sand replacement method, or the core cutter
method.
FIELD COMPACTION EQUIPMENT
There is a wide range of compaction equipment. The compaction achieved will depend on the thickness of
lift (or layer), the type of roller, the no. of passes of the roller, and the intensity of pressure on the soil. The
selection of equipment depends on the soil type as indicated.
M O S T S U I TA B L E L E A S T S U I TA B L E
EQUIPMENT
SOILS SOILS
Smooth steel drum rollers (static Well-graded sand-gravel, crushed Uniform sands, silty sands, soft
or vibratory) rock, asphalt clays
Pneumatic tyred rollers Most coarse and fine soils Very soft clays
Fine grained soils, sands and Uniform gravels, very coarse

Sheepsfoot rollers
gravels with > 20% fines soils
Weathered rock, well-graded
Grid rollers Uniform materials, silty clays, clays
coarse soils
Vibrating plates Coarse soils with 4 to 8% fines
Tampers and rammers All soil types

Example:
Specifications on a job required a fill using borrow soil to
be compacted at 95% of its standard Proctor maximum dry
density. Tests indicate that this maximum is 19.5KN/m3
with 12% moisture. The borrow material has void ratio of
0.60 and a solid specific gravity of 2.65.
 Compute the dry unit weight of the compacted soil
 Compute the wet unit weight of compacted soil

Soil Compaction

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SOIL

The objectives of compaction are:

Thus, it can be visualized that an increase of dry density means a

The factors that influence the achieved degree of compaction in the

It is not possible to determine the dry density from the value of

Fine grained soils, sands and Uniform gravels, very coarse

Vibrating plates Coarse soils with 4 to 8% fines

Tampers and rammers All soil types

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