COMPACTION OF SOILS

Introduction
• Compaction is the process of pressing the soil particles close to each other by mechanical methods

• Air is expelled from void spaces and mass density is increased

• It increases the shear strength, stability and bearing capacity of soil

• Reduces permeability and compressibility

• Essential for construction of earth dams, embankments, highways, runways etc.

• Smooth wheel rollers, pneumatic tyred rollers, sheepsfoot rollers and vibratory rollers are used in the field for
compaction
Compaction vs. consolidation
Consolidation Compaction

• Gradual process of volume reduction • Rapid process of volume reduction by

under sustained static loading rolling, tamping and vibration

• Reduction in volume is due to squeezing • Reduction in volume of a partially saturated

out of water soil due to expulsion of air from voids at

• Occurs naturally when soil deposits are unaltered water content

subject to buildings/structural loads • Artificial process done to improve soil

properties
Standard Proctor test [IS 2720(VII):1974]
• Also called light compaction test

• Performed to assess the amount of compaction and water content

required in the field

• Test provides a relation between water content and dry density

• It gives the water content (OMC) at which maximum dry density
(MDD) is achieved

• Standard mould -100 mm diameter, 127.3 mm height, 1000 ml

volume

• If more than 50% of soil is retained on 4.75 mm sieve, larger mould

of 150 mm dia. (volume=2250 ml ) is taken for the test

• Detachable collar – 60 mm height, 100 mm dia.

• Rammer - 2.6 kg, 310 mm free drop

Test procedure
• 3 kg oven dry soil passing through 4.75 mm sieve is taken

• About 5-10% water is added to soil and mixed

• Mould is cleaned and empty weight of mould and base plate is determined

• Collar is attached to the mould and soil is filled upto about 1/3rd height

• Soil is filled in three layers, each layer being given 25 blows

• Collar is detached and excess soil is trimmed off

• Soil in the mould is weighed

• About 50g of soil from the mould is kept in oven for water content determination

• Bulk density,
!
!=
"
• Dry density,
!
!! =
!+ "
where M is the mass of soil in mould, V=volume of mould (1000ml), w=water content

• Soil is removed from mould and an additional 2-3% water is added, same procedure is repeated
Compaction curve
• Compaction curve is plotted between dry density
and water content ! ! !"#$%& "#$
• For any water content, theoretical maximum dry
density is obtained corresponding to a condition
where there are no air voids (S=100%)

'!!
$ ! " %#$%& !"# = Zero air void density (ZAVD)
& + !'

• Compaction can never remove all the air voids and

soil never becomes fully saturated
• Zero air voids = 100% saturation

• Is 10% air voids=90% saturation?

#!! #!! !" " $! #% ! "

!" = = !# =
! + $ ! + !# " % " + "% $ &
Diffuse double layer
• The force of attraction between the face of clay minerals
and water molecules decrease exponentially with distance
(from the clay surface)

• Layer extending from clay particle surface upto limit of

attraction is called diffuse double layer

• Immediately surrounding clay particle, there exists a very

thin, tightly held water layer (10Ao thick)

• Beyond this, there is a second layer, more mobile which

extends upto limit of attraction - diffuse double layer (about
400 Ao thick)

• Water held in diffuse double layer - adsorbed/oriented water

• Outside this layer, water is normal, non-oriented

Mechanism of compaction [Lambe(1958)]
• In cohesive soils- two forces exist-attractive (Van der Waals force/Hydrogen bond / Cation bonding between
clay particles) and repulsive (diffuse double layer)

• Attractive force remains same in magnitude, repulsive force is directly related to size of double layer

• If net force is attractive - flocculated structure; repulsive - dispersed structure

• At low water contents, double layer is not fully developed-net attractive force between particles-flocculated
structure

• As water content is increased, double layer expands, inter-particle repulsive force increases

• Particles slide over one another - closer packing - higher dry density

• Double layer expansion is complete at OMC, resulting in MDD

• Beyond OMC, addition of water doesn’t add to expansion of double layer

• Water tends to occupy space that otherwise would have been occupied by soil grains-decrease in dry density
!! ! << ! " "
Modified proctor compaction test [IS 2720 (VIII):1983]

• Also called heavy compaction test

• Used to simulate field conditions when heavier rollers are

used (highways, runways)

• Same mould,4.8 kg rammer, with 450 mm free drop

• Soil is filled in 5 layers, each layer given 25 blows

• Compactive effort of 4.56 times (kJ/m3 of soil) compared

to standard proctor test

• Compaction curve is higher and to left of the standard

compaction curve (MDD increases, OMC decreases)
Compaction of sands
• At low water contents, dry density decreases

• Water forms a thin film around sand grains

• Due to capillary tension, soil particles are prevented

form coming close to one another

• Volume increases and is called bulking of sand

• Maximum bulking occurs at 4 - 5% water content

• At higher water contents, meniscus is destroyed and

soil particles are able to shift and occupy a closer
4-5%
packing (dry density increases)

• Compaction of sands is not very significant-max dry

density is obtained either in dry state/completely
saturated state-difference is insignificant
Factors affecting compaction

• Water content – dry/wet of optimum

• Amount of compaction - light and heavy

• Type of soil - clay, sand

• Method of compaction - impact load, rolling, tamping and kneading

• Admixtures - lime, cement, bitumen etc.

 Property Dry of optimum Wet of optimum

Structure after compaction Flocculated Dispersed

Water deficiency More Less

Permeability More, isotropic Less, anisotropic

Compressibility at low stress Low High

Compressibility at high stress High Low

Swelling Low High

Shrinkage Low High

Brittle, higher peak

Ductile, no peak, lower
Stress-strain behaviour stress, higher elastic
elastic modulus
modulus

Construction pore water pressures Low High

Strength High Low

Compaction control
• It is essential to check the dry density and water
content in the field to ensure that OMC and MDD
attained in the lab are realized in the field

" !! ! "#$%! " #

• Relative compaction = $$ ! %% (#$$%
& ! !%&' " '

• 90-95% preferred

• Density can be obtained using core cutter, sand

replacement method, nuclear density method

• Water content determination by oven takes 24 hrs-

not practical
Proctor needle

This method is not suitable for cohesionless soils

Rapid moisture meter
1. A sample of soil was prepared by mixing a quantity of dry soil with 10% by mass of water. Find the mass of this wet
mixture required to produce a cylindrical compacted specimen of 15 cm diameter and 12.5 cm deep and having 6% air
content. Also find the void ratio and dry density of the specimen, if G=2.68
2. A cohesive soil yields a maximum dry density of 1.8 g/cc at an OMC of 16% during a standard proctor test. If
G=2.65, what is the degree of saturation? What is the maximum dry density it can further be compacted to?
2. The following results were obtained from a standard compaction test on a soil sample. The volume of the mould used
was 950 ml. Plot the compaction curve, obtain the OMC and MDD. Also calculate the theoretical maximum dry density

Water
12 14 16 18 20 22
content (%)

Mass of wet
1.68 1.85 1.91 1.87 1.87 1.85
soil (kg)
Water content (w) 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.20 0.22

Mass of wet soil ,

1.68 1.85 1.91 1.87 1.87 1.85
M (kg)

Bulk density,
1.77 1.95 2.01 1.97 1.97 1.95
(g/cc) ρ=M/V

Dry density, (g/cc)

1.58 1.71 1.73
v 1.67 1.64 1.60
ρd=ρ/(1+w)

Void ratio,
0.71 0.58 0.56 0.62 0.65 0.69
e=(Gρw/ρd)-1
Degree of
saturation, 0.46 0.65 0.77 0.78 0.83 0.86
S=wG/e
ρd(theomax)=
2.04 1.96 1.89 1.82 1.75 1.69
Gρw/(1+wG)
 Compaction curve
2.1

1.9
Zero air void line
Dry density, g\cc

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.5
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
Water content, %
OMC = 15.4%, MDD = 1.74 g/cc