There are many ways to compact the soil, make it suitable for starting construction work. This can be done using the loopback movement of heavy machines such as dump trucks, trucks. The soil is leveled with bulldozers, compacted with dump trucks. However, the most effective means for this are machines specially designed for this purpose. This, of course, rollers for compaction of soils. But which rollers are better suited for a particular task? Which ones are there and which ones are better at their job? Let's try to figure it out.
Compacting soil with rollers
During construction work, especially at the stage of preparing the territory for laying asphalt, it is often necessary to solve the problem of excessive loose soil. The equipment necessary for this can be purchased, leased, or ordered soil compaction with rollers.
The price of such construction services depends on various factors. Among them are the soil area that needs to be compacted, the number of machines needed to carry out this work, the difference in the height of the soil that needs to be leveled. For example, direct compaction of the embankment soil with a roller is more difficult to do than to level it with bulldozers, and only then compact it. There are several varieties of devices, but the principle of operation is the same for all. By the way, they can be rented at a price of 1300 rubles per hour.
Device
The main active part of any roller is a roller. This is a heavy cylinder that acts as a sealing shaft and front wheels of the machine at the same time. As the skating rink moves, it compacts with its mass and levels the soil on which it moves. Soil compactors are equipped with these two parts. One of them, as mentioned above, performs the function of a sealing element, the second, located at the back, is called a “driven” roller. He is needed in order to steer the car in one direction or another. The front shaft on older roller models is mechanically driven. Modern machines use a hydraulic drive. This is due to the design of modern mechanisms. They are almost all vibratory. The vibrator of these mechanisms includes a hydraulic actuator. And since the steering system uses a similar system, the use of a hydraulic actuator to operate the front shaft is the optimal solution.
Varieties
Rollers for compaction of soils can be divided into static and vibration.
The first compact the soil only with its weight. A vibrating device is included in the device of the second type roller.
But this is only a classification according to the type of impact on the soil. In fact, there are many more varieties. The rollers are also distinguished by the appearance of the rollers. So, they can be cam or pneumatic, combined and trellised. Any type of soil is feasible for pneumatic wheels. Cam machines are mainly used for compaction of pliable types of soil. It can be clay, even with an admixture of gravel. Sand and moist soil are not a very suitable field of activity for cam-type rollers.
Vibrating
The design of the vibratory roller is characterized by the presence of a device that generates strong vibration. The principle of operation of the vibrator is simple: a heavy shaft rotates around a downed center of gravity, resulting in high-frequency vibrations that can compact the soil.
The frequency with which the work roll is able to vibrate ranges from 24 to 48 Hz. 1 Hz is equal to one oscillation per second. Also, the amplitude of the vibration of the drum plays a large role in compaction of the soil. This indicator of the vibratory system of the roller can be adjusted by the operator. Most often, two types of modes are used: an amplitude from 0.6 mm to 1 mm and an amplitude from 1.35 mm to 2.2 mm.
The control systems of modern vibratory rollers allow you to configure both parameters: the amplitude and frequency of vibrations of the drum. This feature allows you to adapt the machine to work with a specific soil, adjust it to the characteristics of its density, viscosity, flowability, and so on.
Soil compaction with vibratory rollers can be carried out using different tactics. An effective strategy is to compact the soil in several passes. First, with a maximum amplitude and the lowest vibration frequency of the drum, and then with a gradual increase in the frequency of vibration. Thus, first the deep soil layers are compacted, and then the upper ones.
A design plus can be considered its relative lightness. Such an ice rink copes with the task with much less weight than its static prototype. Minus in the quality of the work done. The static mechanism leaves a more even soil than the vibrational one, after which light waves on the soil surface are noticeable.
Static
Rollers for compaction of soils of static type are used less and less, they have been replaced by new vibratory compaction devices that consume fuel more economically. But static ones will not leave the arsenal of construction companies for a long time.
The reason for such survivability of these machines is that they can be used where vibration of any type is extremely undesirable. For example, when laying asphalt on a bridge or overpass, only such rollers are used, since this meets the safety requirements.
Also, mechanisms of this type leave behind a more even soil. Therefore, they are used in cases where the ideal surface is important.
Of the obvious disadvantages, it is also worth mentioning the high fuel consumption. The weight of the rink is quite large, moreover, more passes are required to achieve a high-quality result.
Trellised
Lattices are called rollers, the surface of the working shaft of which has a lattice structure. This type of compacting machine is used when working on difficult soil. The corrugated surface of the roller crushes large blocks of soil, and the shaft compacts them with its weight. This can be useful if the soil is piles of frozen earth or clay mixed with sandstone. Otherwise, the design of trellised rollers does not differ from the others.
Pneumatic wheel
They differ from others in that they do not have rollers. Instead, front and rear rows of wheels with pneumatic tires are installed on the machines. The wheels, located almost close to each other, still have small gaps between them.
So that this does not affect the quality of the work performed by the machine, the rear row of wheels is installed so that their path does not coincide with the ruts of the front wheels, but overlaps them with an overlap.
Reviews about the mechanisms of different types
Rollers of all the above types are an indispensable tool on any construction site. It is not surprising that they managed to collect a large number of builder reviews. Among them there are both positive and negative. Negative reviews most often arise due to the use of the machine where its use is unacceptable. Often scolded by old equipment, such as static rollers, for the unreliable operation of the vibrator. It should be understood that it is advisable to use such machines only in some situations, and they do not have a worthy replacement.
Manual gear
All of the above devices are indispensable on large construction sites, when laying asphalt pavement and other industrial-scale events. But what if you need an inexpensive maneuvering device for a summer house or a household garden that does not require changing oil, fuel, battery charges and any other maintenance?
In such cases, a manual roller is used to compact the soil. This tool is a heavy shaft with a convenient handle, for which a person can roll it in the right direction. A similar device is used for rolling up the dug up earth, tamping the buta under the foundation, compaction of the soil for the future lawn and many other works of a similar level.
How to make a do-it-yourself hand roller for soil compaction
In construction stores, you can buy ready-made models, but you can easily make a skating rink for soil compaction with your own hands. The main part of such a tool is a heavy shaft. The main thing is to figure out what to make this part of the structure from, and the handle can be built from any pipe by bending it at the right angle and attaching convenient handles to it, for example, removed from the bicycle wheel.
The easiest way to make a heavy shaft is to use a large metal container filled with sand or other heavy matter. That work with a manual skating rink did not turn into torture, its weight should not exceed 120 kg.
Furthermore, optimal width is 1 meter.
A manual soil compactor can also be made from asbestos or ceramic pipes of suitable diameters. A metal tube is inserted into the center of such a pipe. The main thing is to insert it perfectly perfectly, otherwise nothing will work. The space between the inner walls of the asbestos pipe and the outer walls of the metal tube is poured with cement mortar. When the concrete hardens, the handle axis can be inserted into the metal pipe.