Have You Thought about Soil Compaction Yet?
Posted on: 9 December 2020
When you think about building work your mind probably concentrates on the building erection stage. Being able to see the building rise skywards as the workers complete the structure stage by stage is certainly the most obvious sign on ongoing building work, but that isn't the only part of the building process. Long before work can begin on erecting the building, there is a lot of preparation work. First, there will the planning stage with the surveying being carried out and the architectural plans being drawn up and submitted for approval, but then there will be all of the preparation work on the building site that must be completed before the building can start going up.
The value of soil compaction
When you build a structure of any type then you must be confident that it is stable and that it will remain stable long into the future. A vital part of that stability is making sure that the ground under the structure isn't going to move, and for that to happen you will need a trench rammer to ensure that the soil is properly compacted. While reducing the severity of future settlement by soil compaction is essential, it is important to use the right tool, and that will often depend on the type of soil in which you are building.
Cohesive or granular soil?
There are generally considered to be two main types of soil: granular and cohesive. A cohesive soil will normally have a higher clay content which means that it holds together much better than granular soil types. For cohesive soils to be compacted with a trench rammer they must contain at least some moisture. Granular soils can be compacted whether they are wet or dry. They are often quite crumbly and are usually made up of sand or gravel; in many cases, they are better compacted using a compactor rather than with the smaller plate of a trench rammer.
What depth is required?
In addition to thinking about soil composition, it is worth considering how much force you will need to apply to reach the required depth. While a soil compactor can cover a greater surface distance, it is the force applied by a trench rammer that allows it to reach deeper below the surface and compact a larger amount of soil every time that it is used, letting you get the job completed faster and to the required standard.
For more information, contact a trench rammer supplier.
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