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LABORATORY ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY-EFFICIENCY IN VIBRATORY COMPACTION OF GRANULAR MATERIALS

Session: Laboratory Testing I / Essais en laboratoire I

Federico Fernandez, Geofed (Canada)
Garrett Osborne, Algonquin College (Canada)

Laboratory testing equipment was customized to assess energy-efficiency in the compaction of granular materials using a vibratory hammer. During the compaction process, the density growth is derived by tracking the downwards displacement of the tamper in contact with the surface of a constant mass of granular material contained in a standard compaction (Proctor) mold. The energy used during the compaction process is estimated as the product of the elapsed compaction time and the impact power rated by the manufacturer of the vibratory hammer.

The graphic representation of density versus the cumulative energy consumed during the compaction test produces a density growth curve. Energy-efficient compaction is achieved when the desired state of compactness is reached at the expense of lesser energy. The paper describes a laboratory test method used to evaluate both the compactibility and the maximum density attainable by the vibratory compaction process. This approach can be used in support of sustainable earthwork construction practices to guide the optimal selection of compaction variables such as vibratory frequency, surcharge or lift characteristics.