Review of soil compaction: History and recent developments

Abstract

Abstract Compaction of soils is a major construction activity in civil engineering, and particularly in the transport industry. This paper presents a brief historical account of soil compaction development with special emphasis on transport geotechnics. Proctor’s curves and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) are reviewed and the associated state-of-the-art field specifications are discussed. The properties of compacted soil and the typical behaviours of compacted fill under in-service conditions are discussed. Intelligent compaction is being increasingly adopted with a view to increased uniformity in compaction, lack of which is a major cause of premature pavement failure. However, it needs further advancement to make it more intelligent. The current state of the ability to predict compacted soil behaviour is reviewed and the limitations are identified. Of more recent developments, interpretation of compacted soil behaviour with a three-dimensional state boundary surface is highlighted, and simplified behaviour can be interpreted and used in routine practice. Areas that need further advancements in theory and practice are highlighted.