Compaction 101 with an excavator wheel.

I talk about my method of compacting trench lines with an excavator compaction wheel. And about mixing water into your fill material to get the right water percentage. Don't be afraid to rewatch sections of the video.
This video is for those Lever Monkeys that are learning.

[@neilcase6562]

I'm a soils inspector and I wish my operators would watch this video. Good job bro

[@TheLeverMonkey]

You could suggest to them to watch the channel. hint hint. 😜

[@thomleinheiser4222]

Gosh, 70 years old and still finding stuff I had no idea about. Awesome !

[@Traumafan8]

I loved hearing "now that you've skipped over my intro" after I skipped over the intro

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Worked perfectly ✌

[@curtisyoung5537]

Me too 😂😂

[@jordanbeloadin8635]

The drawn out presentation was great. Another awesome video, thanks for the tips!

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@ghosthandhotshot7280]

Thank you, never used a roller wheel before but I have to for work after my lunch break right now... 🤞🤞

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Good tip on seeing the dirt fall to the ground and not float away - for superintendents and inspectors, it's something you can see if you've got proper moisture 100' away (especially if too dry, which is often the case in the west). A good rule of thumb is pick up a fistful of dirt and if will form a nice clump and hold together, you've got near-optimum moisture. If it's too dry, the clump will simply crumble, and if too wet, will squish between your fingers. It's a good idea to understand compaction curves. The higher the required compaction, the more critical it is to be near optimum moisture and the more effort is required to get compaction. 90% RC maybe a 3-4 out of 10 and 95% RC might be 8-9 out of 10 in terms of time/effort. And that presumes you've got correct moisture - if it's too dry, or too wet, no amount of effort will ever achieve compaction.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Very good points and right on the nose.

[@jimlondon1]

I like those compaction wheels. I used them a good few times when I worked in Australia. I've never seen one here in England, probably because compaction isn't really important here, they just backfill and track over it a few times. Correct compaction is a big thing in Australia and from what I can make out, same in the US.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Yup compaction is a very big thing here.

[@davidcolesr.8628]

The Backfill Is What Slows Our Production Way Down. Most Utilities in The Subdivisions Are In The Right of Way & Typically In The Proposed Road, Therefore 95% Compaction is Required. Working on The Coastal Area As I Do, In Many Situations We Are Exporting Unsuitable Spoils And Importing Suitable Material To Backfill. Change Orders = More Damned Paperwork. Keep It Safe Out There

[@TheLeverMonkey]

@@davidcolesr.8628 we run into the same thing at times. In the valley we have much better soil to use.

[@WildRebel69]

Great tutorial my dude. Been a while since I've used a sheepsfoot. Not many operators show their style or tricks. Thank you

[@TheLeverMonkey]

No problem hope it helps.

[@hesstonfarmer5014]

Thanks for the tips! Another awesome video!

[@TheLeverMonkey]

You bet!

[@emmanuelreyes498]

Great content best on the tube!! Thanks for your time

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@rickfutrell4145]

Good stuff, keep the videos coming.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thanks, will do!

[@liftedburblife]

Great video and explanation

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Thank you!

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Sneak peek pics are at the end of the video go check them out.

[@travisstonehouse4932]

We must have went to the same compaction school 💪 LoL. I think I saw one of your old videos in the back round it had a Rex compactor in the back round ? I don't miss those days running them.

[@TheLeverMonkey]

I love the Rex more than the CAT 815 compactor. The rex is much better at trench compaction.

[@user-hs6ux4ug3t]

Please do more 101 videos watching from NYC

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Yes sir, I plan on a whole series of them.

[@davidcolesr.8628]

I’ve Got The Same Open Frame Wheel For The 350 I Operate. Do You Have A Preference Of These Open Frame Wheels vs. A Closed Frame Wheel ?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

If you are referring to a sheep’s foot or a banded/solid wheel.. I would take the solid wheel every time. I have much more time with a solid wheel than the sheep’s foot wheel. But the solid are more prone to get jammed up with wet dirt.

[@The690ELC]

I miss using the compaction wheel when I moved up to the PNW they like to use hoe packs in your next Q and A could you address the reasons why you would use a wheel over a hoe pack more specifically the differences in soil you would use one or the other?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

Done added it to the list.

[@prjndigo]

"Knuckleman" Jessie.

[@fgllc]

A long time ago an oldtimer mentioned something to me and I'm wondering if there is any truth to his tale. He told me wheels compact from the bottom up; meaning the wheel works it's way to the bottom of the lift and the loose fill falls on top allowing you to compact your way upward. Flat compactors e.g. plate compactors, wackers, etc compact from the top down. Is he full of balloon juice?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

He is correct. I will add this to the next Q&A to explain in better.

[@aaronb9058]

Any videos coming on achieving compaction with road base ?

[@TheLeverMonkey]

it would not be a big video but we do use AB around manholes. Woud you be intrested in that?

[@aaronb9058]

@@TheLeverMonkey you bet, really wanting to see some compaction on road base engineered fill, seems a little harder to get good numbers on base as opposed to compaction with clay/loam

[@TheLeverMonkey]

@@aaronb9058 I will see what I can scrape together for you.

[@sprucesoldier]

Don’t see many of these now up here in Northern Alberta

[@TheLeverMonkey]

That's too bad.

[@sprucesoldier]

@@TheLeverMonkey up here’s it’s actually good. We have a whole crew that does all the backfilling. So they can keep me digging. Keeps our production wide open. But is cool to see that stuff still being used

[@TheLeverMonkey]

@@sprucesoldier We have that as well on the larger jobs.

[@c.williams7042]

why not use a hydraulic plate compactor?

[@ForTeensFitness]

Get better compaction with the wheel

[@TheLeverMonkey]

The problem with the plate is you have to hock up the hydraulics to use it. Also you have to do smaller lifts with it.