How to Determine the 

Number of Passes and Lift

Thickness for The Compaction of Soil?
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compaction/45782/#:~:text=Most%20of%20the%20compaction%20(high,sometimes
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The calculation of the number of passes for compactors and lift (soil layer) thickness for
soil is critical to attain the required degree of compaction. Generally, the lift thickness
varies between 15-30cm based on soil type, and the majority of compaction is achieved
through the first five passes.

One can also use field tests and expertise to determine lift thickness and the number of
passes for a specific soil type and condition.

Strip test is one such test that enables engineers to specify the number of passes and
machinery type. Additionally, various lift-thickness versus achieved soil density graphs
can be used to find the optimum lift thickness and number of passes.

The safety and reliability of buildings and roads are heavily dependent upon the strength
of compacted soil below. Improper compaction (non-uniform compaction) may cause
building settlements and lead to potholes in roadways.
How to Determine the Number of Passes and Lift
Thickness for The Compaction of Soil?
 The thickness of lifts is an important factor in soil compaction because no matter how
advanced a compactor is, thick lifts cannot be adequately compacted.
 Suitable lift thickness decreases the number of passes and hence improves production rates.
 One can plot a graph between lift thickness and density to determine lift thickness. Begin
with a lift of 15cm and add 7.5 cm until you find the optimum lift thickness and number of
passes for the given condition.
  One can use strip test to determine the number of passes and equipment types to achieve the
required degree of compaction for the given soil type and condition. Fig.1 shows the
performance of different compactors at a certain number of passes.
 By and large, lift thickness varies between 15cm and 30cm based on soil conditions.
 As a rule of thumb, lift thickness equals the maximum aggregate size of soil times four.
 Sometimes, compactor manufacturers provide ideal maximum lift thickness for the machine.
However, you should consider 75% of the ideal lift depth in the field.
 In the case of large lift thickness, bridging may occur at the bottom of lifts; hence the project
may suffer problems in the future.
 The number of passes required to obtain the required compaction depends on the lift
thickness, contact pressure, and soil moisture content. However, tables in the literature
provide the number of passes of a specific compaction machine for a certain type of soil.
 Table-1, based on field experience, presents a number of passes of various compactors for
each soil type.
 Most of the compaction (high density) is achieved within five passes based on soil
conditions. Additional passes would slightly increase soil density and sometimes can produce
adverse effects.
 Determination of lift thickness and number of passes may not be enough to get desirable
compaction because soil properties and moisture content may vary. Therefore, supervise the
compaction process and make suitable changes to achieve uniform compaction throughout
the entire project.
 Carelessness during pass counts and coverage can lead to non-uniform compaction.
 Energy returns to the compactor driver as the soil gets compacted. The energy returned gets
more prominent as the compaction degree increases, which may be used as a sign for
reaching required compaction.
 When the soil starts to crack, it means the number of passes has exceeded the required limit,
and the soil is over-compacted.
 Use the same soil material for each lift; otherwise, you cannot obtain uniform compaction.
Non-uniform compaction can be problematic for roads and structures.
 Placement of uniform lift yields uniform compaction if materials are the same with optimum
moisture content.
Lift
Type of Number
Types of soil thickness,
compactor of passes
cm

Sheepsfoot roller Fine-grained soil 15  4-6

Dirty coarse-grained soil with more

Sheepsfoot roller 15 6-8
than 20% passing sieve No. 200

Rubber tire roller Clean coarse-grained soil with 4-8% 25 3-5

 passing sieve No. 200

Fine-grained soil or well-graded dirty

Rubber tire roller coarse-grained soil with more than 15-20 4-6
8% passing sieve No. 200

Smooth wheel
Well-graded sand-gravel mixtures 20-30 4
roller

Smooth wheel Fine-grained soils except in earth

15-20 6
roller dams

Vibrating
baseplate
compactor
coarse-grained soil with less than 12%
passing sieve No. 200, Material with
20-25 3
4-8% passing sieve No. 200 placed
thoroughly wet

Coarse-grained soils with less than 4-

Crawler tractor
8% passing sieve No. 200 placed 25-30 3-4
thoroughly wet

Power tamper or
Silt or clay 10-15 2
rammer

Power tamper or
Coarse-grained soils 15 2
rammer
Table-1: Lift Thickness and Number of Passes of Different Compactors for Various Types
of Soil
Fig. 1: Use Strip Test to Determine Equipment Type and Number of Passes
Sheepsfoot roller
Sheepsfoot rollers, otherwise known as padfoot or tamping rollers, are rollers with
many rectangular-shaped lugs, or “feet.” They're great for compacting soil and silty clay
in road construction work. ... Likewise, any projects with wet clay or other fine-grained
soils at great depths should use this type of roller.

While most contractors may use a steel drum roller to complete their paving jobs, a time can
come when rubber-tired rollers might be a consideration. Rubber-tired, or pneumatic, rollers
used with steel drum rollers in certain applications provide contractors with a better base before
paving, achieve a better density or compaction and improve the look of the finished product.
Smooth-wheel rollers, as the name implies, uses one large, smooth steel drum in the front and
either one or two wheels on the rear end for compaction. These are either tandem (two-wheel)
or three-wheel rollers. Smooth wheel rollers are ideal for gravel, sand, ballast, and surface
dressings. They are not effective in compacting embankments and softer turf, but they are the
most effective in compacting silty or sandy soils with the fewest passes.

FAQs on number of passes and lift thickness for soil

compaction
How to calculate the number of passes for soil compaction?
The number of passes can be found by strip test and field experience.
What is lifts in soil compaction?
The soil layer that is being compacted is termed as lift.
What is lift thickness?
It is a soil layer thickness that can be properly compacted by compaction machinery. The
lift thickness ranges from 15-30cm based on soil type and compaction equipment.
Can you over-compact soil?
No, over compaction creates cracks in soil and decrease its density.