ABSTRACT
In the arid and semi-arid zones, where about eighty of the area of Algeria is covered, the difficulties linked to the supply of water for watering these workings make it necessary to examine the solution of compaction with low water content. The proposed communication will be an experimental contribution on low water compaction of fill soils, in order to optimize the reuse of excavated soils and to minimize the amount of water needed to achieve optimum compaction. Its main objective is to better appreciate the role of water in compaction when the water content varies from the dry state to water content close to the Proctor optimum water content. In a first phase, three Algerian soils with different granular classes are investigated in laboratory to analyse the impact of soil nature and compaction energy on the soil’s California Bearing Ratio value. The results show that a soil compacted at 56 blows at a water content of 2% had a higher bearing capacity than a soil compacted at the same speed under optimal water content. It concluded that compaction with low water content is possible on soils with well-graded grain size and high compaction energies. In the second phase, two section tests are performed on a local material enabled us to release that it is possible to compact materials with low water content if the aim is to obtain adequate properties for the construction embankments and subgrades. The compactness obtained varies between 86 and 93%.This experimental study on site lead to the conclusion that dry compaction does not make it possible to obtain the expected compactness for the upper layer of the earthworks and the foundation layer. Compaction to fifty percent of the optimum water content of the upper layer of the earthworks is achievable.
