COMPACTION

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this session, the student must be
able to:
1. Familiarize the different compaction
equipment and its usage in the field.
2. Identify the difference between standard
proctor test from modified proctor test.
3. Memorize the different formula used to
determine the percent compaction.
4. Solve any problems that involve relative
density, void ratios, and percent compaction.
O Soil compaction is defined as the method of
mechanically increasing the density of soil.
O it is a physical process to decrease the voids of soil
by static or dynamic loading.
O In construction, this is a significant part of the
building process.
O If performed improperly, settlement of the soil could
occur and result in unnecessary maintenance costs
or structure failure.
O PURPOSE
O Improving the soil quality
by:
- Increasing the shear
strength of soil
- Improving the bearing
capacity of soil
O Reduces the settling of
soil
O Reduces the soil
permeability
O To control the relative
volume change
TYPES OF COMPACTION
4 types of compaction effort on soil:
* Vibration
* Impact
* Kneading
* Pressure
O BASIC THEORY
Developed by R.R. Proctor on 1920 with 4
variables :
# Compaction efforts (Compaction Energy)
# Soil types
# Water content
# Dry Unit Weight
O LABORATORY COMPACTION TEST
* Standard Proctor Test
* Modification Proctor Test
 STANDARD
PROCTOR TEST
 STANDARD PROCTOR TEST
O The soil is compacted at cylindrical tube.
O Specification of test and equipment:
Hammer weight = 2,5 kg (5,5 lb)
Falling height = 1 ft
Amount of layers = 3
No. of blows/layer = 25
Compaction effort = 595 kJ/m³
Soil type = pass sieve no. 4
O The test is carried out several time
with different water content.
O After compaction, the weight,
moisture content and unit weight of
samples are measured.
O Test Standard :
AASHTO T 99
ASTM D698
MODIFIED PROCTOR TEST
O The soil is compacted at cylindrical tube.
O Specification of test and equipment:
Hammer weight = 4.5 kg (10 lb)
Falling height = 1.5 ft
Amount of layers = 5
No. of blows/layer = 25, 56
Compaction effort = 2693 kJ/m³
Soil type = pass sieve no. 4
O The test is carried out several time with
different water content.
O After compaction, the weight, moisture
content and unit weight of samples are
measured.
O Test Standard :
AASHTO T 180
ASTM D1557
 FIELD
COMPACTION
 Type of Compaction
Equipment
O Rubber Tire Roller
O Smooth Wheel Roller
O Sheepsfoot Roller
O Grid Roller
O Baby Roller
O Vibrating Plate
Rubber Tire Roller
O A heavily loaded wagon
with several rows of three
to six closely spaced tires
with tire pressure may be
up to about 700 kPa and
has about 80% coverage
(80% of the total area is
covered by tires).
O This equipment may be
used for both granular
and cohesive highway
fills.
 Smooth Wheel Roller
O Compaction equipment
which supplies 100%
coverage under the
wheel, with ground
contact pressures up to
400 kPa and may be
used on all soil types
except rocky soils.
O Mostly use for
proofrolling subgrades
and compacting asphalt
pavements.
 Sheepsfoot Roller
O This roller has many round or rectangular
shaped protrusions or “feet” attached to a steel
drum.
O The area of these protusions ranges from 30 to
80 cm².
O Area coverage is about 8 – 12% with very high
contact pressures ranging from 1400 to 7000
kPa depending on the drum size and whether
the drum is filled with water.
O The sheepsfoot roller is best suited for cohesive
soils.
Sheepsfoot
 Grid Roller
O This roller has about
50% coverage and
pressures from 1400
to 6200 kPa, ideally
suited for compacting
rocky soils, gravels and
sand.
O With high towing
speed, the material is
vibrated, crushed, and
impacted.
Baby Roller
O Small type of
smooth wheel
roller yang, which
has pressure
ranges from 10 to
30 kPa.
O The performance
base on static
weight and
vibration effect.
Vibrating Plate
O Compaction equipment,
which has plate shape.
In Indonesia this
equipment sometimes
called as “stamper”.
O Usually used for narrow
area and high risk when
use large compaction
equipment like smooth
wheel roller etc.
 Dynamic
Compaction
 Dynamic Compaction
O The dynamic compaction method involves
dropping a heavy weight repeatedly on the
ground at regularly spaced intervals.
O The weight is typically between 80 and 360
kN, and the height changes from 10 to 30m.
O The impact of the free drop of weight creates
stress waves that densify the soil to a
relatively large depth.
O The method is effectively used for sandy soils
but is also applied to silt and clay soils.
O In order to indicate the level of compaction relative
to the densest and the loosest compaction level for
a given specific soil, most for granular soils, relative
density (Dr) is introduced and is defined in the
following equation:

Dr = ( emax – e ) x 100%
emax - emin
O When the in-situ soil’s void ratio is in its loosest (e =
emax) state, then, Dr = 0%. If it is in its densest (e =
emin), Dr = 100%.
O Maximum void ratio:
emax = Gs γw - 1
γmin
O Minimum void ratio:
emin = Gs γw - 1
γmax
 Compaction Curve
O After the experiment, a set of wet unit weight
and water content are measured.
O The compaction effectiveness, however, is
compared in terms of increased dry unit
weight of the specimen instead of total unit
weight.
γt = (1+w) Gs γw = (1+w) γd
1+e
γd = Gs γw = γt
1+e 1+w
Example #1:
O Computation of test data:

A B C
Water Content Total Unit Wt. Dry Unit Wt.
2.3 15.80 15.45
4.5 17.18 16.44
6.7 18.83 17.65
8.5 19.72 18.18
10.8 20.04 18.08
13.1 19.34 17.10
15 18.45 16.04
 Dry Unit Wt.

Compaction Curve

γdmax

wopt
 Specification of Compaction
in the Field
O After the compaction curve for a given soil is
obtained from laboratory tests, the
specification of compaction in the field is
made.
O Relative compaction (R.C.) is defined as

R.C. = γd,field (x 100%)

γd,max
Example #2:
O At a borrow site, sandy soil was excavated.
The soil had total unit weight of 19.3 kN/m³,
water content of 12.3%, and specific gravity
of 2.66. the soil was dried, the maximum
and minimum void ratio tests were
performed, and maximum void ratio is 0.564
and minimum void ratio is 0.497 were
obtained. Determine the relative density of
the soil at the borrow site.
 Example:
O A field compacted of sandy loam was found to
have a wet density of 2181 kg/m³ at a water
content of 10%. The maximum dry density of
the soil obtained in a Standard Proctor test was
2000 kg/m³. Assume sp. gr. to be 2.65.
Compute the ff.:
a. Dry unit wt.
b. Dry unit wt. at zero voids
c. Degree of saturation
d. Porosity
e. Percent compaction of the field sample
 Example:
O A soil sample compacted according to the
Standard Proctor test ha s a unit wt. of 20.63
kN/m³ at 100% compaction and at the
optimum water content of 14%. Assume that
the solid matter has a sp. gr. of 2.67.
a. Determine the dry unit wt. of soil.
b. Determine the volume of air.
c. Determine the dry unit wt. of zero air voids.
 Example:
O A proctor compaction test been performed on a
soil that has Gs = 2.70. The test results were
as follows:
O Mass of the empty mold = 1.970 kg
O Volume of mold = 0.000944 m³
Test Weight of compacted Mass of Mass of can + Mass of can
no. wet soil, N can, g moist soil, g + dry soil, g
1 3.673 22.11 205.74 196.33
2 3.798 23.85 194.20 180.54
3 3.927 19.74 196.24 177.92
4 3.983 20.03 187.43 165.71
5 3.932 21.99 199.59 171.11
 Example:
O Compute the maximum dry unit weight.
O Compute the optimum moisture content.
O Compute the degree of saturation at the
optimum moisture content.