11‐09‐2022

Principles of Compaction
• Compaction of soils is achieved by reducing the
CE 30203 volume of voids (air). It is assumed that the
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING compaction process does not decrease the
volume of the solids or soil grains.
Instructor:
Dr. Paramita Bhattacharya
(SR Sengupta Foundation Lab)
Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kharagpur
Email: paramita@civil.iitkgp.ac.in uncompacted compacted
uncompacted compacted

Definition:
Class Outlines
Soil compaction is defined as the method of densification of soil by
• Soil compaction introduction application of mechanical energy.

• Standard Proctor Compaction Test

• Effect of Compaction Energy soil (2) > soil (1)
Load
• Modified Proctor Compaction Test

Air
Air

Water Compressed Water

Soil soil
Matrix
VT1 VT2
W T1 Solids
Solids

W T1
soil (1) = VT1 soil (2) =
W T1
VT2

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Why Soil Compaction? R R Proctor (1894-1962)

1. Increase Soil Strength
2. Decreasing the undesirable settlement of structures
3. Control undesirable volume changes
4. Reduce Soil Permeability
5. Reduce Frost Damage
6. Reduce Erosion Damage

Principle of compaction
Proctor Developed Principles
• Compaction is one kind of densification that is
• Three variables determine the density of a
realized by rearrangement of soil particles
compacted soil
without outflow of water. It is realized by
The energy used in compaction
application of mechanical energy. It does not
The water content of the soil
involve fluid flow, but with moisture changing
The properties of the soil
altering.
• Theory developed by R.R. Proctor in 1933’s in
California
• Three Factors determine the density that
results from soil compaction

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Soil Compaction in the Lab: Standard Proctor Compaction Test

1- Standard Proctor Test
2- Modified Proctor Test 5.5 lb
hammer
• Uses 5.5 pound (2.5 kg)
hammer
Standard Proctor Test Modified Proctor Test • dropped 12 inches (30.48 cm)
• mold filled in 3 lifts
12”drop
• 25 blows of hammer per lift
• Total energy  56,000 ft-lbs/ft3

3 lifts

Proctor’s Principle of Compaction The Standard Proctor Test Equipment

• Using a standard energy, if a series of specimens of a soil are
compacted at increasing water contents, the resultant dry
density of the specimens will vary. The density will increase to
a peak value, then decrease.
• A plot of the dry density versus the water content from a
compaction test will be parabolic in shape.
• The peak of the curve is termed the maximum dry density, and Hammer
the water content at which the peak occurs is the optimum Weight
5.5 lb
water content. 2.0

Drop Height
Dry density (g/cc)

1.9
h=12”
1.8

1.7

1.6 Volume 1/30 ft3 or 944 cm3

soil
1.5 Diameter 4 in or 10.16 cm
0 10 20 30
Height 4.584 in or 11.643 cm
Water content (%)

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Proctor Compaction Test Standard Proctor Test

o The soil is mixed with varying amounts of water
to achieve different water contents.
• Prepare 4 to 5 specimens
at increasing water o For each water content, the soil is compacted by
contents about 2 % apart. dropping a hammer 25 times onto the confined soil
Example - prepared
o The soil is in mold will be divided into three lifts
samples at 14, 16, 18, and
20 percent. Use range of
o Each Lift is compacted 25 times
moistures based on feel
and experience.

Layer or lift # 3
soil Layer or lift # 2
Layer or lift # 1
25 Blows/Layer

Proctor Compaction Test

Proctor Compaction Test Summary
Hammer

• Then, compact each • Then, strike off the

excess soil so that
sample into a steel
the mould has a
mold with standard known volume of
procedures soil
Cured soil

Compaction mould

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Calculations Zero Air Voids Curve

• Calculate Moist density, dry density
• After you plot a compaction test, plotting a zero air
voids curve is very important. This curve is also called
the 100 % saturation curve
Weight Moist compacted soil • This curve shows for a range of dry density values
t  what the saturated water content is for any given value
Volume of Mold

t
d 
1 w

w is the water content

Typical Plot Compaction Problem

2.2 Zero air void equation
2.1
i.e. S = 100% = 1 in the following Eq.
S = 100 %
2.0
Dry density (g/cc)

S = 80 %
G s w G s w
1.9
d,max
1.8 d  
1 e wG
1.7
1 s
1.6 S
1.5
0 5 10
OMC 15 20 25

water content (%)

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Heavy Compaction vs Light Compaction Test

Calculation of Compaction Energy (As per IS Code)
. /
• 𝐸
Test Details Light Heavy
= 592.71 kJ/m3 (for standard proctor test) Volume of mould (cc) 1000 1000

= 2696.31 kJ/m3 (for modified proctor test) Approx. int. diameter of mould (mm) 100 100

Height of mould (mm) 127.3 127.3

No. of layers 3 5

No. of blows 25 25

Weight of hammer (kg) 2.6 4.9

Height of drop (mm) 310 450

Compactive effort (kJ/m3) 592.4 2701.1

Compacting
Modified vs Standard Proctor Test The percentage of water, which corresponds to the maximum
Test Details Standard Modified dry density is known as the optimum water content. It is the
Int. diameter of mold (mm) 102 102 amount of water required for a given soil to reach maximum
Height of sample (mm) 127 cut to 117 127 cut to 117 density.
No. of layers 3 5

No. of blows 25 25

Weight of hammer (kg) 2.495 4.54

Diameter of hammer (mm) 51 51

Height of drop (mm) 304.8 457.2

Compactive effort (kJ/m3) How much? How much?

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Compacting Water Content

(Factors affecting compaction)

Dry unit weight (g/cc)

Modified Proctor Test
results for various soils

1.25
Sample 1 compacted at 12 %
water – Dry Density is 1.25 g/cc

12 % Water content, %

Factors Affecting Soil Compaction Water Content

(Factors affecting compaction)

• Compaction is a faction of the following factors:

Dry unit weight (g/cc)

1. Water content
2. Compactive effort Sample 2 compacted at
14 % water – Dry Density
3. Type of soil is 1.4 g/cc
4. Method of compaction 1.4

14 % Water content, %

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Water Content Water Content

(Factors affecting compaction)
(Factors affecting compaction)
Dry unit weight (g/cc)

• Lubrication Theory
• Electrical Double Layer Theory (Lambe, 1958)
1.62
Sample 3
compacted at
16 % water –
Dry Density
is 1.62 g/cc

Water content, % 16 %

Water Content
(Factors affecting compaction) Effect of Water Content @ constant energy
Dry unit weight (g/cc)

Dry unit weight (g/cc)

Sample 4
compacted at
18 % water – Maximum
Dry Density dry unit
is 1.15 g/cc weight

1.15
Optimum water
content, %
Water content, % 18 % Water content, %

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Compactive Effort Type of Soil

(Factors affecting compaction) (Factors affecting compaction)

Modified Proctor Test

Dry unit weight (g/cc)

Dry unit weight (g/cc)

Sandy Soils have a Steep Curve
Now, perform the same test at a different (Higher energy) on the soil
– Short distance from plastic to
liquid states of consistency

Standard Proctor Test

Water content, % Water content, %

Compactive Effort Summary

Lower PI – Sand
(Factors affecting compaction) typr Soils in this
2 - 2.4 Region
• At same water content and same soil type, maximum dry
Dry unit weight (g/cc)

unit weight increases with the compactive effort.

• As moulding water increases, the influence of compactive
effort on dry unit weight tends to diminish. Intermediate PI
1.6 – 1.99 Soils in this
Region
Higher PI – Clay
type Soils in this
Region

1.2 – 1.55

Water content, %

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Lower PI – Sand
Summary type Soils in this
Region
39
Example: Interpreting Compaction Data
The results of a standard compaction test are shown in the table below.
Intermediate PI
Soils in this Water content 6.2 8.1 9.8 11.5 12.3 13.2
Higher PI – Clay (%)
Region
Dry density, pcf

type Soils in this Bulk unit 16.9 18.7 19.5 20.5 20.4 20.1
weight (kN/m3)
Region
(a) Determine the maximum dry unit weight and optimum water
content.
(b) What is the dry unit weight and water content at 95% standard
compaction, dry of optimum?
(c) Determine the degree of saturation at the maximum dry density.
(d) Plot the zero air voids line.
8-14
12-20
Water content, % 20-40

Method of Compaction 40
Solution
• Field compaction is either kneading type or rolling Step 1: Use a table or a spreadsheet program to tabulate the dry unit
weight and the zero air voids line.
type compaction
• Laboratory compaction is dynamic impact type Water Bulk unit weight Dry unit weight (kN/m3) Zero air voids
content (kN/m3) 
compaction (%) d =
1 w
Water content Dry unit weight
• Some divergence in field compaction and (%)

(kN/m3)  d  
Gs 
 w
S=1  1  wGs / S 
laboratory compaction is expected 6.2 16.9 15.9 6.2 22.67
8.1 18.7 17.3 8.1 21.71
9.8 19.5 17.8 9.8 20.92
11.5 20.5 18.4 11.5 20.19
12.3 20.4 18.2 12.3 19.86
13.2 20.1 17.8 13.2 19.51

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41
Water content to achieve field compaction 43 Comparison of Field Compactors for Various Soil Types
• The specified compaction can be
attained at two water contents—
one before the attainment of the
maximum dry unit weight, or dry of Compaction type
Static Dynamic
optimum, the other after attainment Pressure with Kneading with
of the maximum dry unit weight, or kneading pressure Vibration Impact
wet of optimum Vibrating plate
compactor;
• Normal practice is to compact the Scraper; vibrating
Lift Static sheeps- rubber-tired roller; vibrating Vibrating
soil dry of optimum. thickness foot grid roller; roller; loader; sheepsfoot sheepsfoot
Material (mm) scraper grid roller roller rammer Compactability
• Compact the soil wet of optimum Gravel 300 Not applicable Very good Good Poor Very easy
for swelling (expansive) soils, soil Sand 250 Not applicable Good Excellent Poor Easy
Silt 150 Good Excellent Poor Good Difficult
liners for solid waste landfills, and Clay 150 Very good Good No Excellent Very difficult
projects where soil volume
changes from changes in moisture
conditions are intolerable.

Field Compaction Field Compaction

• Sheepfoot roller • Vibratory roller • Rolling type compaction by smooth wheeled rollers,
pneumatic tyred rollers and sheepfoot rollers.
• Ramming type compaction by equipment of impact type,
internal combustion type and pneumatic type.
• Vibration type compaction by rotating an unbalanced
mass
• Relative compaction can be calculated using following
equation:
𝛾
𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 1
𝛾

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Nuclear Density Meter—ASTM D 2922, ASTM D 5195

45 • The nuclear density meter is a versatile
device to rapidly obtain the unit weight
and water content of the soil
nondestructively.
• Soil particles cause radiation to scatter to
a detector tube, and the amount of
scatter is counted.
• The scatter count rate is inversely
proportional to the unit weight of the soil. Two types of measurements:
If water is present in the soil, the 1.Backscatter: the number of
hydrogen in water scatters the neutrons,
backscattered gamma rays detected
and the amount of scatter is proportional
to the water content. by the counter is related to the soil’s
• The radiation source is either radium or
unit weight. The depth of
radioactive isotopes of cesium and measurement is 50 mm to 75 mm.
americium. 2. Direct transmission: the number of
• The nuclear density apparatus is first rays detected by the counter is
calibrated using the manufacturer’s related to the soil’s unit weight. The
reference blocks. This calibration serves depth of measurement is 50 mm to
as a reference to determine the unit 200 mm.
weight and water content of a soil at a
particular site.

Numerical Problem (Submission needed in next

week)
• An airport runway fill needs 8,00,000 m3 of soil compacted
to water content of 22% with its unit (bulk) weight 20
kN/m3. The required soil is planned to take from a borrow
pit A and to transport to the site. The in-situ void ratio and
water content of the borrow pit A are 0.90, 20%,
respectively.
• Determine how much soil (in volume) will be required to
take from borrow pit A.
• Is any additional amount of water required to add during
preparation of runway fill while collecting from borrow pit
A?
• Assume Gs = 2.68 for all cases

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