COMPACTION OF

SUBGRADE SOILS
 Compaction Process
Compaction is the process of rearranging soils to consolidate the space occupied by the soil
particles while forcing out excess air and water. Compaction is accomplished by applying a
force or vibration to the soil mass. The efficiency and success of any compaction effort will
be dependent on the type of soil being worked, the moisture content present in the soil
mass, and the technique used to compact the soil.

Compaction
improves the
stability of the
subgrade soils and
provides a more
uniform foundation
for the pavement.
Objectives of Compaction

Increase shear strength of the soil

Decrease volume changes (shrinkage and
swelling)
Decrease permeability and water absorption
Decrease settlement of embankments under
repeated loading
Decreases the tendency of differential settlement

Factors Affecting Compaction

Moisture Content
Type of Soil
Compactive Effort
Phase Relationship in Soil
 Typical Moisture-
Density Relationship
Moisture-Density
Relationships for seven soils
Each compacted by the
AASHTO Standard method
Effect of Compaction
Method on moisture-
density relationships
Proctor Test
EXAMPLE DATA
Methods of Compaction
Pressure
Kneading
Vibration

Field Compaction Equipment

Smooth steel rollers (granular materials, bituminous surfaces)
Sheep-foot rollers (clayey and silty soils)
Pneumatic tire rollers (all types of soils)
Vibrated plates and rollers (granular soils, clean sand)
1. Smooth steel rollers
The wheels are in the form of hollow steel cylinders that could be filled
with water or sand to reach the required pressure. They can be used to
compact most types of soils, it is the best to be used is case of
compaction of a granular soil (gravel, sand) that need to be crushed
during compaction.
2. Sheep-foot roller
It consists of a steel cylinder with radial projecting feet. The cylinder is
hollow that could be filled with water or sand. Compaction using the sheep-
foot roller starts from the bottom of the layer upwards. It is the best to be
used for fine-grained soils (silt and clay), but the amount of air voids in this
case is usually greater than in other types of rollers.
3. Pneumatic tyre Rollers
They are provided with boxes to
be filled with stones to give the
required load. The pneumatic
tyres are arranged so as to give
equal distribution of loads on the
soil. It is best used for silty soils;
clayey silts, sands containing a
percentage of fines.
4. Vibratory Compactors
They are the only suitable rollers for
coarse-grained soils with no fines.
They contain a vibrating unit of the
hydraulic type, or out off balance
weight, giving a vibrating movement
up and down with frequency about
20- 30 cycle/second.
Intelligent Compaction
Field Compaction Tests
Sand replacement Method
Core Cutter Method
Nuclear density Method
Plate Loading test Method
Sand Replacement Test
EXAMPLE