Need help on how to compact dirt

[jam022316]

Hey all. Just had to have my main water line replaced. There's about a 2ft to 3ft tall by about 6 ft wide pile of dirt where they entered the ground for the pipe. What's the easiest/best way to get this settled back in the ground.

Is there any reason (other than freezing my **** off) to not do this during winter? Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Merkava_4]

Rent this from your local construction rental yard:

 

[nate379]

Why did they not finish the job? Seems to me living the yard more or less how it was before would be part of the deal??

Best way to compact something is in 4-6" fills and compacting between. The tamper in this thread will work just fine for small jobs.

 

[jam022316]

Well that's part of the agreement on their quote. They fill in what they can but they don't compact, etc. Do I really need to get one of those compactors? Is there a way to get the ground to settle without having to rent one? It seems that would just pack down and make a mound. Is there a cheaper way?

 

[longroof63]

Not to disrespect Merk, but that compactor is only good for sand and loose dirt. You actually need a Wacker Packer or Compacter Rammer or Jumping Jack. Those are made to compact dirt. I spent 10 years in the construction business and that plate compactor is useless on actually compacting soil. Here's a link to a good unit and yes it can be rented.

http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/rscre...4ec7765e05&uniqueid=13778592&circularid=12727

If it is a lot of dirt, these are really cool also and are even remote control.

http://catalogs.shoplocal.com/rscre...4ec7765e05&uniqueid=13778456&circularid=12727

Hope this helps.

 

[DHCrocks]

Since it's such a small area use a hand tamper. it looks like a 10"X10" square piece of cast iron on a wooden handle. costs maybe 20-30 bucks. it comes in handy too, you'll use it in the future and it's a great excuse to get a new tool.

You'll get a good workout too.

 

[mdoolittle]

Let it sit through the spring rains. After it dries and naturally settles use a sledge hammer as you would a sod tamper.

 

[X1 Mike]

Well that's part of the agreement on their quote. They fill in what they can but they don't compact, etc. Do I really need to get one of those compactors? Is there a way to get the ground to settle without having to rent one? It seems that would just pack down and make a mound. Is there a cheaper way?

Yes you can get the ground to settle without renting a compactor. Leave it alone. If you mound dirt on top of a freshly dug hole it will settle on its own.

 

[nate379]

No kidding! I filled in a 3ft deep trench that was roughly 90ft long and at some points 2ft wide. Tamped it all by hand with one of those. I went to do my pushups the next morning and

Since it's such a small area use a hand tamper. it looks like a 10"X10" square piece of cast iron on a wooden handle. costs maybe 20-30 bucks. it comes in handy too, you'll use it in the future and it's a great excuse to get a new tool.

You'll get a good workout too.

 

[Scout Driver]

I'd use a heavy rod for a tamper and pack in a few inches at a time. (that sounded bad!). Anyhow, I'd get some dirt back in the trench to insulate the pipe either way. Don't know how cold it gets where you are though.

 

[Stephenw]

Use a hand tamper. I have an 8x8 and a 10x10.

 

[bushhawg73]

Use a hand tamper. I have an 8x8 and a 10x10.

I would use the hand tamp posted above and then let the rain do the rest. If you are in a hurry put a sprinkler on it.

 

[Merkava_4]

 

[Snap50]

Please, it's called soil.
You need to work at the proper moisture content to get good compaction, and you'd do best with a sandy gravel. Small grains like silt or clay are too sensitive to be properly worked.

 

[rsanter]

if you do not need it flat nown then go out and stop on it a bit, spray some water on it so it settles and let it sit through the winter rains to compact

bob

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Wacker Packer

thats funny

 

[TheGrooveking]

I think one of my ex-girlfriends left me for one of those....

TheGrooveking

 

[Snap50]

Please don't depend on ponding, rain or weather. None of those compacts adequately. We've seen soil tested that had sat there since creation and can still be loose.
The only solution is to apply energy either in the form of work or weight. There is no easy way out.

 

[MrMark]

You need a whacker. Home Depot rents them cheap.

 

[Joe69]

I was left with a similar situation after I had my well dug up. I let the rain settle it back in. It worked really well, just took some time.

Joe

 

[ihredo4]

Time and Nature are the only sure way to get it back to what we consider normal. You can go out and compact it with any and all that is mentioned above and in three or four years you will have a deviation there. Not saying it is no use to try just be realistic here.

 

[Skyline]

Please don't depend on ponding, rain or weather. None of those compacts adequately. We've seen soil tested that had sat there since creation and can still be loose.
The only solution is to apply energy either in the form of work or weight. There is no easy way out.

I think alot depends on the desired usage. Is it just for a level lawn, or is it going to be built on? I think for a level lawn, time and rain will do it. You may still be leveling the soil out later, add more soil or shaving down humps, but you will get there. A compacter will just do it much quicker.

 

[bgott]

Get the hand tamper and do it in lifts. What a lift is is when you shovel in a set amount of dirt, say 4 inches, then you compact. Shovel in another 4", compact. If the dirt is really dry, wet it down a little while you are compacting. Filling the trench and then compacting the whole mess just compacts the top, you'll still end up with a gully through your yard once it settles. You also want to use 4" to 6" of sand under and over your pipe, that way you don't pound rocks through your new pipe while you are compacting.

 

[jam022316]

This is just to level it out. They filled in the hole but left the mound of dirt on top. I don't know that the wife is gonna want it there for months on end. Just trying to figure out how to get it to compact back down into the hole. Just wanting it back to a normal yard. Won't be building on it or anything.