Placement and compaction of fill

This chapter deals with the placement and compaction of fill material to construct earthworks. Before starting on site the earthworks should have been designed and a Specification prepared to suit the particular project requirements and the site conditions (see Chapter 8). Once on site the skill and experience of the earthworks foreman will be fundamental in ensuring that that operations progress efficiently and the design is delivered. As with excavation (see Section 9.2.1), weather has a major influence on placement and compaction. In some wetter parts of Britain, earthwork sites can close down over the winter period whatever the fill employed. Note should be taken of the two SHW (HA, 1998, 2013) clauses on handling water at earthworks sites, mentioned in Section 9.2.1.