How to make a manual sand rammer. Soil Compaction Basics

Vibrating plate - enough useful look construction equipment. Of course, for a one-time compaction of soil under a canopy at the dacha, there is no point in buying such a tool. If there is construction going on, then the vibrating plate is simply irreplaceable. Soil compaction with a vibrating plate occurs due to impact force, which is formed in the engine, is transmitted to the paw (working surface) and compacts the soil very efficiently.

Seal Features

Basically, the plates differ in the weight of the unit, the sealing force of vibration, the area of ​​​​the working paw and the engines. The quality of work depends on the weight of the vibrating plate. different surfaces. For example, a light one will not go over large crushed stone, but a heavy one will break paving slabs.

By weight, vibrating plates are light, universal, medium-heavy and heavy. The first ones weigh about 75 kg. They are suitable for pavement, thin layers of sand. Typically used in agriculture and at dachas, as well as for landscape design, when arranging paths and flower beds. Universal ones weigh up to 200 kg. They take thin layers of soil and asphalt.

Medium-heavy ones weigh about 400 kg. Such devices take fairly large layers, crushed stone, and rock. But heavy units are already small rollers. The weight (more than half a ton) makes it possible to achieve incredible success in laying highways.

Another difference between vibrating plates is the type of motor. It can be powered from the mains, be gasoline or diesel. Each has its own disadvantages and advantages.

Vibrating plates can be controlled manually or remotely. When done manually, the speed is usually low. For the safety of the person driving the stove, remember: you must always be behind while working.

The electric type of rammer is best suited for simple and light household work. First, it requires a power source that will be difficult to carry around. Secondly, it is usually small and used on thin layers or soft ground.

The distance from the energy source makes the gasoline unit very convenient and virtually universal. Its cost is slightly higher than the price of an electric one. Thanks to the weight and power of a gasoline engine, work gets done in half the time.

Diesel is cheaper than gasoline, so a diesel vibratory rammer has its advantages. Its engine has greater performance potential due to its long service life. In addition, they are quite reliable.

Reversible vibrating plates have good feature: They know how to turn and will go where no other vehicle can go. However, devices with a progressive direction and one unbalance last longer.

A vibrating plate consists of a motor, electric, internal combustion or diesel, an eccentric unbalance - a device that vibrates the working surface and tamps the earth.

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Scheme of soil compaction when backfilling trenches: 1 - area above the pipeline where soil compaction is prohibited, 2, 3 - thickness of the soil layer compacted by manual mechanisms, 4.5 - soil layer.

When choosing a stove, you need to take into account the characteristics specified in the documentation supplied with the unit. How smaller sizes base plate, so more power vibrations. And we must take into account that if there is a wide plate on a powerful unit, then the equipment will fly quickly, because the force generated will be very large. And if you put a smaller work surface, you will get a powerful and durable unit.

The quality of the result depends on the frequency of vibration. The depth of execution when soil compaction is in progress is the thickness of the layer that the vibrating plate is capable of compacting. The amplitude of vibration is the force of impact on the surface. The higher the amplitude, the stronger the unit. Naturally, its efficiency and payback depend on fuel or energy consumption. Documents often specify performance. These figures are approximate for the unit purchased. It is quite possible that he will far exceed these figures.

Those devices that are able to compact asphalt and provide high-quality soil compaction most often come with an irrigation system. It does not allow viscous asphalt to stick to the vibrating plate paw. You also need to remember about the working surface. If it is embossed and heavy, it is preferable to work on the ground. If the weight is small, the paw surface is smooth and the vibration amplitude is low, then asphalt is needed.

When compacting the soil (crushed stone), you need to remove all debris from the site. Sand, gravel and small crushed stone are left. The clay also needs to be removed by about half a meter. Compacted sand and crushed stone hold heavy loads well. Therefore, it is an ideal cushion for foundations, under floors in warehouses and other large structures.

The section is passed three times. If the desired result was not achieved during these passes, then the layer needs to be reduced. The total thickness of the compacted surface, sand and crushed stone is no more than half a meter. After the desired soil compaction has been achieved, a new layer is laid and again passed through with a vibratory rammer. You also need to consider: sand and any soil should be slightly moistened.

A large amount of water will lead to poor compaction, as liquid will accumulate in the voids. And dry material will not stick together. IN in this case water flows as a cementing agent. The main thing is to know when to stop.

In order to compact the soil under the slab and the paving slabs themselves, a damping plate is placed on the working surface of the vibrating plate. For such work you need a weak, lightweight unit, possibly electric. The power source of such a stove has a sufficient voltage of 220 - 380 V, depending on the power of the engine. The weight of the vibrating plate in this case is 50-100 kg.

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Features of device care

Compacting soil with a vibrating rammer is very convenient in cramped places: near foundations, pipes, wells, trenches. In general, it is usually used where a roller will not fit. If high-quality soil compaction is not done during construction, through certain time drawdowns may begin.

Before building a road surface, the earth needs to be compacted. The top needs to be cushioned before paving. If the compaction of the soil is uneven or poorly done, then during self-shrinkage, holes and voids will appear inside the canvas. This is quite dangerous for pedestrians and motorists.

It is also convenient when laying a foundation.

A sand bed is always required before pouring concrete.

The bottom of the ditch is carefully compacted. It is advisable that the nozzle on the rammer is already at the bottom of the ditch, that is, in size. After compacting the soil, pour a thin layer of sand, moisten it a little with water, and compact it again. You need to go over the entire pillow again with a vibrating rammer. The high-quality cushion is ready, you can install reinforcement and pour concrete. A device weighing from 100 to 200 kg is suitable for this work.

The vibrating plate is self-moving: a - with a reversing mechanism, b - with a tilting vibration exciter.

It must be remembered that for quality work any device or mechanism needed proper care. Dirt not changed on time small parts reduce the life of any equipment. The vibratory rammer needs timely maintenance. First of all, it is important to monitor the condition of the filter. Since it comes in only two types (paper and foam), it is easy to care for.

The paper filter just needs to be shaken off, but the foam filter needs to be washed in warm soapy water, dried and put back. The more often you wash and clean the filter, the longer the equipment will last. Don't forget about the oil in the gearbox and engine. It must be changed regularly for high-quality operation of the vibratory rammer.

Before starting work, be sure to warm up the engine. You need to do this for about 5-7 minutes, after which you can safely get to work. For proper operation of the vibrating plate, it is desirable to have an anti-vibration handle.

When building foundations for houses, garages, country paths and much more, great attention is paid to the substrate, consisting of gravel and sand. To ensure that the concrete monolith is laid evenly and does not begin to move over time, it is important to carefully level the underlying layer. For these purposes, you can use specialized vibratory tamping machines or rolling equipment, but manual tamping will be much cheaper.

The principle of do-it-yourself processing is that with the help of a homemade tool, blows are applied to the surface, due to which the sand and crushed stone are compacted. In this case, compaction is performed after laying each of these layers.

Features of crushed stone compaction

Any novice builder is sincerely perplexed as to why compact an already strong stone. However, there are several important nuances to consider:

1. Since crushed stone is obtained by crushing, its particles are obtained different sizes with free-form edges. Because of this, when laying the underlying layer, the particles of the material do not completely adhere to each other, forming a large number of air voids, the appearance of which ultimately leads to a decrease in the level of load resistance. If fragments of crushed stone fit tightly together, the volume of material will be reduced, but a stronger base will be formed.
2. If crushed stone is laid on rocky soil, then compaction can be dispensed with. In this case, you only need to level the gravel.
3. After compacting the gravel, the thickness of the layer can be from 50 to 250 mm, depending on the loads that will be exerted on the base.

In addition, when processing crushed stone, it is recommended to declinch the base. To do this, you need to divide the gravel into fractions. The larger material is laid first and compacted by hand. Then smaller material is backfilled, which is also compacted. The final top layer should consist of the finest material, which must be carefully leveled and re-compacted.

Thanks to this, the finished base will have increased strength. If you produce a similar manual tamper sand, the effect will be even better.

Features of sand compaction

Tamping sand with your own hands has some nuances that should be taken into account when creating solid foundation under a concrete slab.

First of all, you should decide on the type of sand that is best suited for these purposes. It is better to use gravelly material, but it is not recommended to use fine sand for compaction. The larger the grains, the greater the compression resistance of the base, which will help avoid shrinkage of the future house or parking area.

If you are planning to build monolithic structure, then it is best to give preference to river or quarry sand of the middle fraction. However, even in this case, the underlying layer will be influenced by groundwater. Therefore, in order to prevent the process of erosion of the base, it is necessary to lay geotextiles at the bottom of the trench, and only after that add sand.

In addition, before adding sand, it must be sifted, since the presence of foreign impurities (especially clay) can affect its properties. Monitor the moisture level of the material; the ideal consistency will be if you can roll the sand into a small ball that will not crumble immediately. Accordingly, the sand moisture level should be in the range of 8-14%.

Accordingly, 50% of the successful laying of a gravel-sand cushion depends on the material itself, the remaining 50% comes from the equipment. As mentioned earlier, specialized machines can be used for these purposes, but it is much cheaper to make a manual rammer yourself.

Making a manual tamper

There are many options for making a rammer with your own hands. Someone is making massive structures, consisting entirely of iron, but in this case welding will be required. Others prefer to make do with improvised materials. Let's consider best option production of manual rammers for compacting soil, sand and gravel.

To do this, you will need a standard square beam of 100 - 150 mm. It should not be rotten or flaking.

Healthy! Some use round logs, but with the help of such compactors it is impossible to fully compact the base in the corners.

You will also need to prepare:

• A steel plate with a thickness of at least 2 mm.
• A round stick about 450 mm long (it will serve as the handle of the future tamper). To do this, you can use an unnecessary shovel handle.
• Screws and wood glue.

Making blanks

We will prepare the structure according to the drawing shown below.

After preparing everything you need, saw off the ends of the timber at a right, even angle, according to the dimensions. After this, it is necessary to use a plane to level the plane of the lower end of the block and remove chamfers of about 5 mm from the edges of the workpiece.

To avoid getting numerous splinters during the work, it is recommended to sand and polish the surface of the block.

Making a “shoe”

The next stage of creating a tamping tool with your own hands is making a metal “shoe” from a sheet of steel. To cut the plate we use the following template.

Or, you can simply install the beam with its lower end on a sheet of metal and trace it with a pencil.

After this you need:

1. Cut the workpiece, as in the picture, using special metal scissors or using a grinder.
2. Remove metal burrs from the shoe. To do this, it is most convenient to clamp the workpiece in a vice and remove the excess with a file.
3. Without removing the “shoe” from the vice, drill holes for the screws at the previously marked points.
4. Clean the surface with sandpaper.
5. Bend the “wings” of the workpiece and install the beam into the “shoe”. If the workpiece is a little wider, you need to knock out the “wings” with a hammer.
6. Place the drill bit into the screw holes and drill through the wood at a slight angle.
7. Secure the screws on all sides.

Installing the handle

Having retreated 100 mm from the upper edge of the block, it is necessary to mark the center of the future handle. To do this, you must first measure the diameter of the shovel handle. Let's say it is 36 mm. To prevent the handle from dangling, you need to use a drill whose diameter will be several mm smaller than the diameter of the handle. It should be taken into account that the outer part of the hole in the block will be slightly larger internal diameter, therefore, during the work process, it is necessary to periodically insert the handle into the beam and check how tightly it fits.

If the handle does not fit into the hole, you should never try to hammer it in with a hammer. Otherwise, the timber may crack and making a rammer for earth, sand and gravel with your own hands will have to start all over again. It is much easier to slightly plan the cutting to the required diameter.

After the hole is ready, you need to apply glue to its walls and install the handle. Surplus adhesive composition can be removed with a cloth. In order for the handle to hold tightly, you need to fix it with a long screw, which must be screwed into one of the sides of the beam.

When the glue gains strength, you can begin to use the tamper. Keep homemade instrument It’s best to do it in a dry place, or you can pre-paint the workpiece to make it last longer. If necessary, the steel nozzle can be easily replaced with a new one.

In custody

With help hand tools You can compact sand, gravel or soil. However, it is worth considering that in this case human muscle strength is used, so use a similar tool for compaction large areas it will be expensive. Such rammers are recommended for use when constructing foundations for small buildings or when arranging garden areas.

Seal building materials(soils) is produced to increase them strength characteristics and avoiding precipitation during operation. Compaction occurs through the application of static or vibration force to the material being compacted. Compaction is most widespread in road construction, the construction of embankments and dams, foundation and landscape work.

The quality of compaction of stone fill, soil and asphalt concrete is directly related to the bearing capacity of the material and its water resistance. Moreover, an increase in the degree of compaction by 1% leads to an increase in the strength of the material by 10-20%.

Poor compaction leads to subsequent shrinkage of soil, which significantly increases the cost of maintenance or leads to expensive repairs.

Here is a list of areas where sealing is used most often:

• Road construction
• Railways
• Building foundations
• Airports and ports

Car roads

The variety of modern highways is very large: from dirt country roads to multi-lane highways with asphalt concrete pavement.

Regardless of the type of road, to increase the load-bearing capacity of the road surface and increase its service life, it is necessary to use compaction of all layers of the road, including the embankment.

The road is built in two ways - on an embankment or in a excavation. The pavement consists of a base layer, a base layer and final surface layers. Its main task is to evenly distribute pressure from surface loads throughout the entire subgrade.

The maximum pressure occurs on the surface, therefore the requirements for the quality of the material and its compaction are maximum for coating layers - asphalt or asphalt concrete.

The base layer provides rigidity to the coating layers, so the requirements for its compaction are also high. Typically, crushed stone or stone fill is used for these layers.

Railways

All over the world, railways provide most freight traffic. A significant part of such transportation is the transportation of extremely heavy materials such as ore and coal. Therefore, the ability to withstand loads is critical for railway. And this cannot be achieved without high-quality compaction of the railway embankment.

Building foundations

The stability and service life of any type of building directly depend on the quality of the foundation. This is especially important in places where there are no strong soils.

It is problematic to construct a high-quality drainage cushion under the foundation of buildings without the use of compaction equipment.

Large infrastructure projects: ports and airports

IN modern world The cargo turnover of airports and seaports has increased manifold. To cope with this flow of cargo, the intensity of ship and aircraft traffic has increased significantly, and consequently the load on runways and berths has increased. At these sites, the requirements for the quality of work and materials used are maximum. The standards for compaction of all sub-base and coating layers are significantly higher than at other facilities.

Compaction methods

There are two ways to compact soils and asphalt pavements: static and vibration.

Static seal

Static compaction equipment uses only its own weight to act on the material being compacted. To change the force on a surface it is necessary to either change the mass or the contact area.

This type of equipment does not ensure compaction of the material to a sufficient depth, because with it, a “thrust” effect occurs between the particles of the upper layer of material, which prevents the compaction of the underlying particles.

This type of equipment includes static rollers with smooth drums and rollers with pneumatic tires.

Vibration seal

Vibratory compaction equipment uses a combination of static and dynamic forces. Vibration is created by the rotation of an eccentric weight. Vibration shocks are transmitted between particles of material, which leads to a decrease in friction between them and mutual movement. Which in turn allows the particles to repack into the most dense state possible. Compared to static compaction, vibration compaction affects the material to a much greater depth. Initially, this compaction method was used only for non-cohesive soils (sand, crushed stone, etc.), but over time, vibration equipment appeared for compacting clay soils and asphalt.

The effectiveness of vibration equipment is recognized throughout the world, and this compaction method is currently the dominant one on the market.

The influence of soil moisture on its compaction

Any soil consists of three elements: solid particles, air and water. During compaction, almost all soils reach their maximum density at a certain optimal water content.

Thus, dry soil is difficult to compact, while wet soil becomes soft and easier to compact.

However, the higher the water content in the soil, the lower its density. Maximum density is achieved at optimal soil moisture content, which is usually an intermediate state between completely dry and completely wet.

To determine the optimal moisture content for soil, laboratory analysis is used according to GOST 22733-2002 (Soils. Method of laboratory determination of maximum density).

The degree of compaction of pure sand and crushed stone (without impurities) is almost independent of the moisture content in them, and can be compacted to the maximum in both dry and water-saturated states.

Compaction of various types of soils

Depending on the material being compacted, appropriate methods and equipment for compaction are selected.

Sand and crushed stone

As mentioned earlier, sand and crushed stone reach their maximum density when completely dry or completely saturated with water. But since these materials have excellent drainage properties, sufficient density is achievable at any moisture content in the material.

But when using crushed stone and sand containing impurities, the drainage properties noticeably deteriorate and the material becomes plastic, which makes it difficult to compact. In such cases, compaction must be carried out at an optimal moisture content.

When compacting sand and crushed stone with a low content of impurities, a small problem may arise - the material tries to bulge behind the roller drum or vibrating plate, thereby reducing the density of the top layer. But with layer-by-layer compaction this nuance does not play a role. of great importance, because the underlying layer is compacted when the upper layer is processed.

Any vibrating equipment is suitable for compacting sand and crushed stone: vibrating rammers, vibrating plates and vibrating rollers. The weight of the equipment affects the height of the compacted layer.

Rock

Rock fill is used as embankments in road construction, in the construction of dams and dams, as well as in the construction of runways and seaports. Rock boulders can reach sizes of up to 1.5 meters and have significant strength.

The primary placement of rocks is carried out by bulldozers; they form a fairly flat surface. For further compaction, heavy and medium class vibratory rollers are used.

Dusty soils

The quality of compaction of silty soils is greatly influenced by the degree of moisture content in them. For high-quality compaction of such soil, the moisture level should not differ greatly from the optimal one. With a high moisture content in silty soil and when exposed to vibration, such soil becomes fluid, which greatly reduces the possibility of its high-quality compaction.

Silty soils with optimal moisture have low viscosity, so they can be compacted in thicker layers than sand. Medium and heavy-duty vibratory rollers or heavy vibrating plates are ideal for compacting them.

Clay and loams

Clay and soils containing large amounts of clay are often used in road construction for the construction of embankments. The compaction quality of clay varies depending on its water content. When the moisture content is low, it becomes hard, and when high content very plastic. Therefore, when compacting such soils optimal humidity material is a significant factor.

To compact clay, vibratory rollers with smooth or padded rollers are used. Cam rollers - when humidity is below optimal, and smooth rollers - when high humidity. The depth of the layer is selected from 20 to 40 cm. The thickness of the compacted layer of wet clay can be greater than dry.

If the humidity level deviates significantly from the optimal level, harrows and cutters can be used to moisten or aerate the soil.

Do-it-yourself manual rammer for soil compaction

On the farm there is often a need to compact soil or crushed stone small area. For example, you need to repair a path, raise the floor in a barn, or straighten fence posts. A hastily put together hand tamper does not last long and is usually sent along with the rest of the construction waste.

Don’t waste time and effort every time, take two hours and make a good tool for compacting the soil with your own hands.

Materials used

A suitable material for homemade manual tamping is a square beam with a side of 100 or 150 mm. It will be difficult to work with a round log in the corners and will have to be compacted with a significant overlap of the previous impact point.

You don't have to take it at all new lumber, a used block will do.

The main thing is that the wood is free from rot and splits. Choose a piece of timber that you can lift.

How to compact cushion sand under the foundation?

The height of the manual tamper can be waist-high or chest-high, depending on ease of use. If you have no experience working with this tool, take a longer block, try it out and shorten it if necessary.

Drawing of a manual tamper for soil compaction.

You will also need:

1. A piece of 2mm steel plate.
2. Round birch stick 450 mm long ( old one will do shovel handle).
3. Wood screws.
4. Carpenter's glue.

Materials for the manufacture of manual soil compaction.

Prepare the timber

Saw off the ends of the workpiece according to the dimensions exactly at right angles.

Using a plane, adjust the plane of the lower end of the beam to a square. Remove 5 mm wide chamfers from sharp edges.

Preparing timber for tamping.

Decide how high-quality a finish you want. Before painting, the block will have to be sharpened and sanded. When beautiful view not needed, just clean the surface a little to avoid splinters.

Make a shoe

Transfer the dimensions of the workpiece from the drawing to the steel sheet.

Cut out the plates for the shoe.

You can simply align the timber vertically installed on the metal and trace the outline with a pencil.

We make a soil compactor shoe.

Depending on the thickness of the plate, cut the workpiece with metal scissors or cut out the excess with a grinder.

Remove burrs with a file, holding the part in a vice.

Mark and drill holes for the screws, make recesses for the caps with a countersink or a drill of a larger diameter.

Sand the surfaces with sandpaper.

Tamping shoe.

Bend the wings of the workpiece in a vice, which will be easy to do with the first two opposite sides.

When bending the two remaining sides, the vise jaws may turn out to be wider than the shoe, then use a timber prepared for tamping.

Secure the shoe

Check the fit of the steel plate on the beam, if necessary, tap the metal or sharpen the wood.

The shoe should fit snugly against the end on all planes.
Drill holes for screws in one wing, pointing the drill at a slight angle into the wood, and tighten the screws.

We attach the shoe to the prepared beam.

Turn over the beam opposite side and secure the other wing in the same way. Make sure that the shoe does not move away from the end.

When drilling subsequent holes, guide them past the already screwed in screws.

A shoe attached to a manual tamper.

Set the handle

Mark the drilling center at a distance of 100 mm from the top end.

Select a drill bit with a diameter 2 mm smaller than the cross-section of the handle. Make a through hole perpendicular to the surface of the beam.

We make a hole for the handle of the tamper.

Even with careful drilling, the outer parts of the hole will be slightly larger than the inner diameter.

Sharpen the wood with a file, periodically trying to insert the handle into place.

At the same time, correct any possible misalignment of the hole relative to the plane of the beam.

Achieve a tight (but without significant force) fit of the handle, and if necessary, lightly trim the stick. Do not try to hammer into the handle - the wood may split. Place the stick in the beam and make marks.

Installing the handle on the soil tamper.

Apply glue to the sides of the hole.

Place a pen on the marks and wipe off any excess glue.

Drill a pilot hole and secure the handle with a long screw.

Fixing the handle on the tamper.

Photo of a homemade manual soil tamper.

After use, clean the device from dust and store it in a place protected from rain and snow.

Over time, the bottom of the tamper wears out; monitor the condition of the metal lining and change it in a timely manner.

HOW TO WORK A VIBRATING PLATE

Basic rules and techniques for working on a vibrating plate

Working on a vibrating plate It’s quite simple and doesn’t have any special tricks, but there are only a few rules and techniques that we want to tell you about.

1. Observe general rules security, i.e.

position yourself behind vibrating plates and if possible, do not lean over the stove.

2. If you need to quickly deploy vibrating plate, do this with one hand, and immediately move behind the vibrating plate to get behind the vibrating plate as quickly as possible.

3. Work continuously for no more than 40 minutes, then take a break for yourself and vibrating plates for 10-15 minutes.

This will prevent your premature fatigue.

Some important rules and techniques when working with a vibrating plate:

Compacting sand with a vibrating plate. Before work, moisten the sand with water. Moistened sand compacts better, and most importantly, dust will not rise, which covers the area and quickly clogs the air filter.

Compaction of crushed stone and gravel with a vibrating plate. The recommended thickness of the compacted layer is an approximate specification. Crushed stone comes in different fractions and therefore you need to select the compacted layer, which is called “locally”. In four passes over one area, the vibrating plate achieves 95% of its compacting ability.

How to compact sand? Overview of methods

Those. If you have walked over the same area four times and the rubble is still “loose”, subsequent passes are almost useless. You need to work with smaller layers.

3. Compaction of crushed limestone. When compacting crushed limestone of large fractions, a “clinging” effect often occurs, which consists in the fact that large stones upper layers under the influence of vibration they seem to adhere to each other, forming a hard, non-compactable layer. In this case, the lower layers remain uncompacted.

Blading can be overcome only by using powerful vibrating plates weighing over 150 kg. If you buy vibrating plate 100 kg We do not recommend that you use crushed stone with a fraction larger than 10-20mm.

4. Seal paving slabs. When compacting paving slabs with a vibrating plate, be sure to use a damping plate for the working plate.

Rubber mats for vibrating plates or polyurethane mats for vibrating plates are used as a damping plate. vibrating plates. Rubber mats are cheaper, but have a number of very significant disadvantages. The first is that they are very short-lived, which negates the savings compared to polyurethane.

The second and main thing is that rubber, after passing over the tiles, leaves black marks, which are then washed off only by autumn rains for several months. Polyurethane mats are a traditionally used product for vibrating plates. They are very durable i.e. practically eternal, and of course do not leave any marks on the tiles.

To compact paving slabs, it is advisable to buy a vibrating plate with a weight of 75-90 kg and an impact force of no more than 15 kN. High impact powers can destroy the geometry of paving slabs.

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How to determine the volume of sand to fill the required area

Construction sand, crushed stone, ASG, ShchPS and other bulk building materials are an integral part of any construction. In order to correctly calculate the required volume of material, you must have knowledge in this area.

In this article we will help you answer the following questions:

• How much sand is needed for backfilling...?
• How to calculate the volume...?

Calculation of the volume of sand to fill a certain area

If it is necessary to fill a certain area, then the size of this area must be multiplied by the thickness of the base.

It is necessary to fill (raise) an area of ​​6 acres with sand by 40 cm.

• 6 acres = 600 m.
• 40 cm=0.4 m
• 600*0.4= 240 cubic meters

The required volume of sand is 240 m.

How to properly compact a sand cushion under a shallow foundation manually?

For a more accurate calculation, you need to take into account that the sand will compact and settle during compaction and other work. Therefore, the resulting value must be multiplied by the compaction coefficient. The compaction coefficient is a calculated value and depends on many indicators.

It can vary from 1.05 to 1.3. In any case, the resulting volume of sand must be increased by 10 percent.

In total we get 264 cubic meters.

If you have any questions or difficulties in determining the volume or mass of non-metallic materials, as well as the need to deliver sand to the site, our specialists are ready to help.

At the heart of any building - from a small private house to a large shopping center - is a foundation. The strength of the entire building and its service life depend on its quality. But not only the quality of the concrete used is important, but also the exact adherence to everything technological process. For example, poorly performed compaction of sand for the foundation can lead to the fact that the erected building may shrink, accompanied by the formation of cracks, both in the foundation itself and in the walls of the building. This, in turn, can lead to increased heat loss and, as a result, increased heating and air conditioning costs for the entire building.

Choosing sand for a sand bed

Not every sand is suitable for creating a sand pit. foundation cushions. Its quality should be given Special attention in the event that you use manual tamping with your own hands, for these purposes you need gravelly sand with a sufficiently coarse fraction. By using fine sand, it is impossible to prevent severe shrinkage of the building after construction, and it can be very uneven.

River sand is the most suitable for construction, but if it is impossible to use it, clean quarry sand will do. To ensure that the service life of the sand cushion does not decrease as a result of its mixing with soil and exposure to groundwater, it is advisable to lay a layer of geotextile on the bottom of the pit, the strips of which, if possible, should be sewn together. Such a simple and inexpensive technique will significantly increase the service life of the building, as well as prevent its shrinkage even after many years of use.

A simple tool for complex work

Despite the fact that creating a sand cushion requires the involvement of special equipment– an excavator and a dump truck, which are used for digging a pit and delivering sand; otherwise, all other tools for compaction are simple and accessible:

• wooden/metal pegs used for high-quality markings;
• construction level (laser level is quite convenient);
• long tape measure;
• a manual vibrator or vibrating plate, and if they are not available, you can use a round beam of sufficient diameter.

A properly created sand cushion ensures a complete absence of shrinkage (or its minimum values), protects the foundation from the destructive influence of water and the process of natural soil movements. Most often, such a pillow is created under a monolithic or strip foundation.

Sand cushion for the foundation - when it is needed

Before starting construction, it is necessary to assess not only the condition of the soil in the area where the house is being built (bearing capacity, proximity of underwater waters), but also climate conditions, as well as total weight designs. IN mandatory compact heaving soil, which is significantly deformed during the process of freezing and thawing. If you make a mistake with the choice of material for installing a slab under the foundation, most likely the building will shrink greatly, which will lead to the formation of cracks in the walls and the foundation itself. In addition, if the soil in the construction area has a high bearing capacity, and ground water level extremely low, you can do without creating a sand cushion.

Of all the materials that are used to create a pillow, sand is the most acceptable. It not only allows you to save a decent amount compared to a slab of crushed stone or concrete, in addition, compacting sand with your own hands is quite acceptable - for example, working with crushed stone is much more difficult. There is only one limitation on the construction of a sand cushion - heavy buildings cannot be built on it ( apartment buildings, shopping centers), but for private low-rise construction it is an almost ideal material.

A properly created sand cushion has numerous advantages:

1. The foundation created using sand fully complies with all standards used in low-rise construction.
2. Complete protection of the entire building from negative influence groundwater.
3. Creating a perfectly level site for construction without the use of complex and expensive technologies.
4. Possibility of carrying out all work on our own.
5. Quite affordable price for this important stage works

Features of self-installation of a sand cushion

Before starting work, it is necessary to determine several points on which the quality of the resulting base directly depends:

• the thickness of the pillow must be at least 200 mm;
• most a good option is a trapezoidal shape of the pillow;
• The optimal base thickness is considered to be a value that does not exceed foundation width more than 3 times.

All work on installing a sand cushion can be divided into several main stages.

It should be borne in mind that if you provide special drainage in heaving soil, this will eliminate the possibility of the sand cushion being flooded with water in the off-season, which directly affects the durability of the foundation and the entire structure as a whole.

Advantages of buildings on a sand bed

Among the numerous advantages that are worth noting when using sand cushion technology, it is almost impossible to single out the main and minor ones. Each individual characteristic makes its own unique “contribution” to the strength and reliability of the entire structure. First and obvious advantage specifically the sand cushion - its low cost and simplicity of all work on the device, which will require a minimum amount of time.

A house with such a foundation can be built on almost any soil - weak, watery or heaving. At the same time, the service life of the building can be significantly increased if high-quality geotextiles are placed under the pillow, and high-quality materials are provided on the site where construction is taking place. drainage system. As a result of this, such common problems with a new home will be eliminated, such as:

• the formation of cracks in the walls and the foundation itself, caused by uneven shrinkage of the building;
• freezing of the foundation and, as a result, an increase in the cost of heating the house;
• accumulation in basements water, often observed in houses located on areas with high level groundwater, especially in spring;
• constantly high humidity, which is observed throughout the house, and not just in the basement, which leads to the formation of mold, damage to furniture, and the appearance of various allergic reactions in residents;
• the need to install a serious system supply and exhaust ventilation, the costs for the device and operation of which can amount to quite decent amounts.