Km. Rollins et al., OPTIMUM MOISTURE-CONTENT FOR DYNAMIC COMPACTION OF COLLAPSIBLE SOILS, Journal geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, 124(8), 1998, pp. 699-708
The influence of moisture content on dynamic compaction efficiency was
evaluated at six field test cells, each with a progressively higher a
verage moisture content. The soil profile consisted of collapsible san
dy silt, and average test cell moisture contents ranged from 6% to 20%
. At each cell, compaction was performed with a 4.54 t weight dropped
from a height of 24.3 m. Compaction efficiency was evaluated using (1)
crater depth measurements, (2) cone penetration tests before and afte
r compaction, and (3) undisturbed samples before and after compaction.
Crater depth increased by a factor of 4 as moisture content increased
. The degree of improvement increased up to a moisture content of abou
t 17% and then decreased. The optimum moisture content and the maximum
dry unit weight are similar to those predicted by laboratory Proctor
testing using energy levels comparable to those employed in the field.
Maximum dry unit weight decreased with depth, while optimum moisture
content increased before the compactive energy decreased with depth be
low the impact point.