Method of estimating the effective zone induced by rapid impact compaction

Abstract

This paper proposes a method for estimating the effective zone, including effective depth and effective range of compaction degree, from rapid impact compaction (RIC) on sand layer whose fines content is less than 10%. The proposed method utilizes a string of microelectromechanical system accelerometers to monitor the acceleration at various depths and propagation distances during compaction. To interpret and extract useful information from monitored data, peak-over-threshold (POT) processing and normal distribution function were used to analyze the recorded acceleration. The mean and standard deviation of the threshold peak acceleration were used to evaluate the effective depth and the effective range of compaction degree during RIC compaction. Moreover, spatial contours were used to determine the correlation of the threshold peak acceleration against depth and propagation distance from the RIC impact point. These contours help indicating the distribution of the effect zone after compaction. Lastly, a proposed method is suggested for frequent use in trial tests to quickly determine RIC’s required depth and impact spacing.

Heavy vibratory plate compaction of silty sand: A field study

“…Previously published studies have reached the same conclusion for more coarse-grained soils. Although the compaction depth is assumed to depend slightly on both soil conditions (as discussed by Cheng et al, 2021) and compactor characteristics (e.g., dynamic reaction force), the results, together with previous studies, indicate that the plate size (side length) of the plate is a suitable parameter for estimating the compaction depth.…”

Predicting Rapid Impact Compaction Outcomes with Transformer-Based Deep Learning Models

“…The literature reported that the hammer weight ranged from 50 to 120 kN and the drop height was about 1.2-1.5 m [1,5,6,8]. A higher drop height increased the compaction energy but also the compaction time.…”

“…The existing ground level was lower than the expected apron level, so a fill embankment with a maximum height of 5 m from the surface was planned. The Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC) method was used to compact the fill embankment, as it can achieve an effective compaction depth of 3 to 5 m depending on the fine content of the soil [1,4,22]. To reduce the cost of fill material, two scenarios were tested: one using soil cut from the construction site with high fine content (SC), and the other using soil imported from outside with fine content lower than 20% (SM).…”

“…Rapid impact compaction (RIC) is a method that uses medium-energy mechanical impacts to increase the soil engineering properties by compacting it. It is often used in large infrastructure projects such as airports and highways, where the soil needs to support the weight of the structure and pavement [1][2][3][4][4][5][6]. The effectiveness of RIC depends on various factors, such as the fine content of the soil, the compaction sequence, the energy applied, the stiffness of existing ground, the ground water characteristics and the soil drainage.…”