Why is water drawn into overlying soils during compaction??
Why is water drawn into overlying soils during compaction??
(OP)
I'm looking for a good explanation of how; water is drawn up into a silty material as it is compacted??
I envision that it may be as simple as the void spaces being reduced as you compact the material, thus the water moves further up into the soil to find space.
BUT! I can also see the potential of pressure differences resulting from the packer bouncing on the material (contracting and expanding void spaces) drawing water up into the material...
Can anyone lay this process out for me in both a simple and excruciatinly technical manner??
Thanks!!
I envision that it may be as simple as the void spaces being reduced as you compact the material, thus the water moves further up into the soil to find space.
BUT! I can also see the potential of pressure differences resulting from the packer bouncing on the material (contracting and expanding void spaces) drawing water up into the material...
Can anyone lay this process out for me in both a simple and excruciatinly technical manner??
Thanks!!





RE: Why is water drawn into overlying soils during compaction??
RE: Why is water drawn into overlying soils during compaction??
RE: Why is water drawn into overlying soils during compaction??
Now comes the question that you may have. How's come the ground now acts like a mattress? And then, is this condition now worthless for suppport?
When I get that question, I say: "Take your front end loader (or compactors) off the site first. And then wait until tomorrow and see the difference".
Generally it is like night and day.
RE: Why is water drawn into overlying soils during compaction??
sometimes however, i have seen the contractor get on to a residual silty soil subgrade at the bottom of an excavation that happens to be near groundwater...they kept wanting to compact the stuff with a smooth drum roller and i just about pulled my hair out dealing with the guys. i told them to undercut the upper portion of the mucked up areas and to stay the heck off of it. i told them to cover it up with stone (stone was required for what they were doing), backfill the area and don't worry about it. once they put the roller on it and disturbed it enough, it was nothing more than a wet silty fill water bed that you'd get your ankles muddy in.
RE: Why is water drawn into overlying soils during compaction??