Compaction of soil:
The maximum and the minimum unit weight of a sand collected from the field were determined in the laboratory as 18.38kn/m^3, respectively. it is required that the sand in the field be compacted to a relative density of 85%. Determine what would be the relative compaction in the field.
Solution
Compaction of soil
NOTE
What is compaction?
Soil compaction occurs when soil particles are pressed together, reducing pore space between them. Heavily compacted soils contain few large pores, less total pore volume and, consequently, a greater density. A compacted soil has a reduced rate of both water infiltration and drainage.
What are the three main reasons for compaction?
According to Proctor (1933) who developed the procedures for compaction, the degree of compaction a given soil can achieve depends on three factors: (1) water content, (2) compactive effort , and (3) soil type (coarse-grained versus fine-grained; grain size distribution; amount and type of clay minerals)
