Rapid Impact Compaction – Depth of Influence

The RIC sits readily in the zone between conventional rolling techniques and traditional Dynamic Compaction. This is only a guide. The depth of influence is affected by site conditions – soil type, moisture content, and the target improvements required, therefore each job has to be taken on it’s own merits.

Depth of Influence Calculation

Dynamic Compaction is traditionally specified in terms of drop weight mass and the height of a drop (Z=n√MH).

RIC uses many more blows in a tighter pattern than DC. Each blow is smaller in magnitude, but the depth of influence is affected by the momentum effect of the drop weight and the accumulation of energy into the ground.

The depth and radius of the compacted zone are in proportion to the logarithm of the cumulative ram momentum. The compacted zone can be estimated by the desired cumulative ram momentum, as shown in Soil Mechanics by TW Lambe and RV Whitman (1969)

For detailed information about the RIC Depth of Influence, click here.