*WINNER* Development of a soil compaction method for non-standardized energy levels

Abstract

Since its creation in 1933, the Proctor compaction test has been a prominent means to analyze the relationship between a soil’s water content and dry unit weight when compacted with a particular compaction energy. The test is typically conducted at the two energy levels, Standard and Modified, specified by ASTM. When compaction to a particular dry unit weight and water content is necessary, no method currently exists to estimate the corresponding compaction energy. This project aims to identify trends in soil properties that can be used to predict compaction behavior at other energy levels. Original data was gathered by performing the Proctor test on two materials, a clay-based soil and a limestone sand. Compaction results from other sources were also gathered to test the method on additional types of soils. From the data, the relative compaction and relative energy were calculated based on the peak of the standard Proctor curve. A linear trend is observed in the data when plotted on logarithmic axes. This approach will lead to a method to predict compaction behavior and dry unit weight for conditions outside of energy levels specified by ASTM.