Soil compaction testing equipment and its application

Soil Compaction Testing Equipment and Its Application Soil compaction testing is one of the most crucial tests in geotechnical engineering, and it is done using special types of equipment designed for in-situ or laboratory testing. Soil testing lets construction companies and engineers obtain the information they will need to predict the soil’s mechanical behaviour. That way, they have a reliable and accurate basis when building and designing foundations and support for other infrastructure, like roads. Soil compaction testing equipment must be able to characterise soil samples and support sample collection, mechanical property evaluation, soil classification, and the testing of completed sub bases and road bases on site.

Some of the most commonly used soil compaction testing equipment help determine the California Bearing Ratio (CBR), plastic and liquid limit, shrinkage, and Atterberg limits. All types of equipment for soil compaction testing in Australia must comply with Australian standards. The use of a specific type of equipment and the testing process are conducted following certain standards, too. For example, CBR testing procedures are described in AS 1289.6 for lab-prepared samples.

California bearing ratio test machines measure the load-bearing capacity of the soil used for roads.

They are used to identify the load bearing capacity of soils under a paved airstrip or unimproved airstrip. When conducting a CBR test, higher numbers depict a harder surface. For instance, a tilled farmland can have a CBR of 3, and moist clay can have a CBR of 4.75.

Compaction hammers and proctor or compaction moulds are essential tools for soil compaction testing equipment. Rammers and moulds are utilised to determine the link between the moisture content and density of compacted soil. Ideally, the mould is constructed of plated steel, with a base plate, mould body, and collar. Rammers are built from plated steel and utilised for compacting soil samples in a compaction mould. Proctor penetrometers determine fine grained soil’s moisturepenetration resistance.