How To Gauge Compaction in a Roller

On today's Down & Dirty, we're talking about how do you know when you're getting close to compaction on a roller? How do you figure out when you've achieved density? How do you establish a rolling pattern?

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[soldierofdirt]

One way I was always taught, is when the pad feet indentations are 1 inch or less... that is usually called "walking out of the lift" and you're definitely right on each material being different.

[littlefinkle]

I haven't used a sheep foot much. Most of the time when I roll I like to make the 2nd pass perpendicular to the first pass, if on a larger pad. We always lift higher than final grade and cut back down as well. Definitely welcome others opinions, of course the professional engineer has the final thumbs up 👍 This was a great topic!

[ffrob]

Thank you for the video. Im going to be using a sheeps foot roller next week to prep the ground for my large shed concrete pad. 40X60. Glad you showed the ground at the end and how you roll and look for density and your rolling patterns. I have a lot of ground to build up. Probably close to 3 feet on the far side.

[brentoberholzer]

I have also found that you can somewhat go by feel... more so on a smooth drum roller. That was a good point to make about watching the haul truck. Not very many people know that trick.

[dignation]

Great video brother, good stuff to learn right there

[kevinjustice]

I have one sheep foot roller where I live they aren’t used much everyone wants smooth drum finished so lifts of 1 foot we use it. I try and teach guys to vib forward and back and then static roll for second pass of lift then finish with a vib backing on third pass we have to have around 95% compaction rate where we live roads they want 98 % on sub bases. We deal in clay/sand fill and stone that’s pretty much it.

[anthonyhernandez]

Any advice on how to compact granlour fine materias

[brandonculpepper]

Yeah boy. Get up close. I want those money shots

[jakethegreeneyedsnake]

You can over pack clay. Forces the water up

[bcmineresearch]

There are several brands in my area. (OK valley, BC, Canada)
Hamm, Cat, Case, Bomag, etc.
No particular prevalent brand.

[jaykgatlin]

Out of curiosity is rolling in a circle instead of straight line as affective or less?

[McSledger]

Are CASE rollers common where you’re from? I worked for a case dealer in Los Angeles and never even saw one

[dozerboy]

Compaction is as much an art as it is a science, but you must be familiar with the soil’s types and the soils report for the project. You do not want clay or any kind of expansive soil underneath your building footprint or your parking lot. And processing the soil to achieve the correct amount of moisture is critical, you can beat on it all day and never walk up out of it if you don’t have the right amount of moisture. Read the soil’s reports summary and talk to the soil engineers on-site, also talk to the old operators, especially blade operators, they know what fuken time it is 🤨💪👊🤙

[kabambamulenga]

So apart from shiny surfaces how do you tell

[ral]

What I was taught is that when the pad foot roller “ stands up “ on the compact area then it’s good . You can actually see it walking on the pads. Ounce you see it you will know what I am talking about.

[ronniejones]

That was a cool video bro. You ever thought about doing a video using a spider.