Are there any differences in the methods of compaction betwe

Are there any differences in the methods of compaction between clayey soil material and sandy material?

Solution

Yes. Compaction means reduction of air voids and bringing solid particles in more tightly packed state . Thereby we can reduce the chances of soil failures and differential settlement. For a Sandy soil,vibration technique is used for compaction since there is little or no cohesion. Frictional force is dominant for sandy soils.Vibrative effort can breakdown the forces and rearrange the particles in a more compact form causing further increase in intergranular forces.Vibration rollers,Vibrofloatation, or hammers can be used for compacting Sandy soils. Sandy soil compaction can be wet or dry depending on the moisture content in the field.Adding moisture assists in the compacting effort by creating a sliding effect between grains. In the case of clayey soils for which cohesion is dominant, clay particles show a tendancy to stick together while compaction. So a static pressure or an impact effort will be needed to assist the vibration in order to overcome this and rearrange the particles. Pad foot rollers and simple rammers can be used for this.