Dynamic Compaction of Soil

The method can be used to improve all types of non-cohesive soils, mixed soil or those with limited amounts of cohesive material, as well as landfill sites such as waste dumps or spoil tips. There are also many instances of refuse and industrial waste dumps which have been successfully treated by dynamic compaction. The method is, however, less suitable for soils with high silt content and unsuitable for predominantly clayey soils.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The main advantage of dynamic consolidation is the simplicity of the technique which does not need any advanced equipment, or skill on the part of the operators. The very process is a probing and correcting tool; it provides the geotechnical engineer with immediate feedback on ground response. It can be applied over a wide range of deposits covering large boulders, broken concrete blocks, silty and clayey materials, building rubble debris and even decomposed sanitary landfills. Since it produces more uniform compressibility, it minimizes differential settlements. The work can be undertaken during rainy weather. It can be applied to pervious and semi-pervious deposits below water table. On the cost side, it is significantly less expensive than other ground improvement methods.