Compaction equipment
16 February 2012 | user_admin
It is crucial to have a solid foundation before any construction endeavour should take place. If this is not the case, you leave room for movement under the construction you have made which in turn could lead to cracking and breaking of the base you have worked hard to create. The process of preparing the base and making it as solid as possible is called compaction.
Compaction equipment refers to a range of tools used to prepare a base, such as rollers, vibrator plates, pokers and rammers.
- Rollers consist of numerous oversized steel wheels that compress the desired materials due to the immense weight of the roller. This method needs a number of passes with the roller to get an even finish.
- Rammers have a flat surface with a steel plate, which pulsates into the ground (or other base materials). This type of compaction equipment is top heavy but easy to operate (the user only has to edge the rammer slightly to make it move to a different position).
- Vibrator plate’s work in the same way rammers do except their centre of gravity is on the ground and the pulses are shorter and quicker.
- Pokers are long rods with metal cylinders on the tip. These cylinders vibrate fiercely as they are pushed into a slab of wet concrete to ensure that all the air is out of the concrete mixture in order to prevent imperfections.
Compaction equipment techniques
It is crucial to understand that merely rolling or ramming a desired piece is not the most appropriate way to approach compaction. It is ideal to work in a predetermined pattern that will create the most even shape for the intended area. Contact Talisman Hire in South Africa for great deals and expert advice pertaining to compaction equipment and techniques!