What is relative compaction and how is it computed?

What is relative compaction and how is it computed?

• A. Soil moisture content divided by saturation.
• B. Maximum wet density divided by minimum dry density.
• C. Field density times compaction factor.
• D. In-situ dry density divided by maximum dry density from Proctor; used to express percent density achieved.

Answer: (D)

Relative compaction is a measure of how dense the soil is in the field compared with its maximum dry density from a Proctor compaction test. It is computed by dividing the in-situ dry density by the maximum dry density obtained in the Proctor test (Standard or Modified, as specified) and expressing the result as a percent. In-situ dry density comes from field measurements (like a nuclear gauge or core sample). The maximum dry density comes from the lab Proctor test under the chosen effort. For example, if the field dry density is 1.80 Mg/m3 and the Proctor maximum is 2.00 Mg/m3, the relative compaction is (1.80 / 2.00) × 100% = 90%.

Relative compaction is a measure of how dense the soil is in the field compared with its maximum dry density from a Proctor compaction test. It is computed by dividing the in-situ dry density by the maximum dry density obtained in the Proctor test (Standard or Modified, as specified) and expressing the result as a percent. In-situ dry density comes from field measurements (like a nuclear gauge or core sample). The maximum dry density comes from the lab Proctor test under the chosen effort. For example, if the field dry density is 1.80 Mg/m3 and the Proctor maximum is 2.00 Mg/m3, the relative compaction is (1.80 / 2.00) × 100% = 90%.