Methods of Compaction of Soil

Compaction in the soil can be done in three methods. Corresponding to these, the various compacting equipment’s can be grouped under three categories:

1. Rollers

2. Rammers

3. Vibrators

1. Rollers:

The rolling equipment’s are of 3 types:

Smooth wheeled rollers- 20-180KN-used satisfactorily on moderately cohesive soils.

Pneumatic type rollers: pressure ranging from 400-1050KN/m2- cohesion less sand and gravels and on cohesive soils.

Sheep foot rollers: pressure ranging from 800-3500KN/m2-cohesive. soils but not coarse grained cohesive soils.

2. Rammers:

Ramming equipment consists of 3 types:

Dropping weight type.

Internal combustion type-weighing upto 1 tonne.

Pneumatic type- weighing from 300-1500N.

These are used for compacting soils in confined places.

3. Vibrator:

A vibrator consists of a vibrating unit of either the out of balance weight or a pulsating hydraulic type mounted on a screed, plate or roller. Vibratory rollers are useful for cohesion less soils.

One Comment on “Methods of Compaction of Soil”

  1. I like that you said that pneumatic vibrators are useful for cohesion-less soils. This reminded me of construction projects where excess moisture and pockets of air from freshly poured concrete must be removed. I could imagine how vibrating tables could play a big role in different industries.

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