Compacting Clay Fill Dirt on low slopes

[HawkinsHollow]

I got a line on some nice clean fill dirt, delivered for FREE! I can't pass it up. Mostly clay with some small rocks. I plan on using it to flatten some areas on my property. I have a hilltop that will be a future building site. The problem is there are few flat spots. So I would like to create more. I plan on using this fill to flatten some areas that are a not quite flat making them a bit difficult to use. I do not plan on building on this area just using it for storage and work areas. My plan is to use my 4000+ pound tractor to compact the soil. I did that a couple years ago on a mostly flat area and it worked great. Any advice for doing it on a bit steeper slopes 5-10%. The fill will only be 3 to 4 feet deep in the deepest spots. I plan on doing it in 1' lifts and running the tractor on it as much as possible. One piece of advice I saw was to scar the virgin soil to keep from creating a shear plane, but I don't think mine is steep enough to worry about that.

 

[Egon]

Vibrating sheep foot packer. Tire compaction may look good but the compaction is not there.

 

[old and tired]

Is your top soil worth keeping? I would take the time to cut the top soil out and put it aside. I've cut side slopes for flat camper sites a few times. The filled in area was 4 feet tall in the back corner. Also try running your tires up the side of the fill if you can.

Takes a bit longer removing the top soil but if you have fill dirt to add that should speed things up. I'm assuming you are using a Box Blade with scarifiers? Rip the top layer several times. A tooth bar would really help you dig into the ground here...

When you "compact" the soil make sure you have a good bucket fill of dirt to add weight to the front tires, dump that dirt after you run over the dirt a few times... get another bucket full and run over the last pile, repeat!!!

 

[dodge man]

Generally tractors, tracked machines etc aren’t that great at compaction. That said for what you are doing it will work fine. Weight will help, something heavy on the back and a full bucket.

When I worked full time I did density testing on occasion and we did something called a proctor curve. It gives you a theoretical density and the optimum moisture. If it’s really dry or really wet it won’t compact. If you get it close to the moisture that is best it packs in easier. It’s also possible to over roll it but that takes a lot of passes to happen. Clay needs some moisture to compact well.

 

[Streetcar]

Remove topsoil prior to placing fill
Fill should be placed in 6” or less lifts

 

[Frankenkubota]

I've had lots of trenching done here in the last year. 100% orange clay/mud/slurry/hardened steel......it changes.

All the trenches slumped ........ which i expected.

The elec co came and moved the meter from temp const to the house. 30-40 ft. He took the time to use his bucket to compact the back fill in his trench. It took him a while but it's the only trench that has not slumped.

He was a hard worker and a real good guy but..he's also on salary.