G MS THESIS_final version_Maxim Prokudin.pdf - Digital Repository ...

46compaction back in place. However, knowing the collapsible nature of loess material, it wasalso important not to oversaturate the soil, which could have caused the collapse of cavitywalls and restrict the ability to successfully construct the piers.While keeping moisture content at a target level, the other control factor was unit weight(density) or level of soil compaction. To produce a desirable soil density two maincompaction approaches were taken: vibratory plate compactor and hand tamper. Also,process of consolidation of soil under its own weight had a small contributor to theconsolidation process.As the matrix soil was excavated, moisturized and put back in even size lifts across the testbed area, the electrically powered vibratory plate compactor was used (See Figure 21a).Heavy 300 mm by 300 mm plate was vibrated in a simultaneous horizontal and verticalmotion and provided a good compaction effort for the soil within the central area of the testbed.(a)(b)Figure 21: Compaction tools (a) vibratory plate compactor, (b) hand tamper