What is rapid impact compaction? HENGDA

Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC) is an innovative dynamic compaction device mainly used to compact sandy soils, where silt and clay contents are low. RIC closes the gap between the surface compaction methods (e.g. roller compaction) and the deep compaction methods (e.g. deep dynamic compaction) and permitting a middle-deep improvement of the ground. RIC has been used to treat a range of fills of a generally granular nature and some natural sandy and silty soils.

Advantages of Rapid impact compaction:

The bearing capacity of the soil is increased after it is treated.

Minimizes settlement to a greater extent and provides uniform support for a floor slab or foundation footing, while controlling vibrations to 2 inches per second within 30 feet of the drop point.

Rapid Impact Compaction consolidates the soil immediately instead of using a surcharge to consolidate the soil under a static weight.

Loose fills or soils can be consolidated immediately without the need to replace the soil.

When the soil is treated by Rapid impact compaction, the stiffness of the upper 10 feet of soil affects the lateral load capacity of a pile. By densifying the upper layers, the lateral load capacity is greatly increased.

The way in which RIC improves the ground is a “top-down” process, compared to Dynamic Compaction (DC) which is a “bottom-up” process. The first few blows in rapid impact compaction create a dense plug of soil immediately beneath the compaction foot. Further blows advance this plug deeper, which compacts soil in a deeper layer. This process progresses until little further penetration of the compaction foot can be achieved with increasing blows.

This compaction energy brings the soil particles into a more densely packed structure. The compaction energy is transmitted safely and efficiently as the compaction foot remains in contact with the ground. No flying debris occurs during the compaction process. The hammering of the foot by the impact weight is the reason of the sub-soil compaction. Indeed, the huge amount of energy developed upon the hammering process and transmitted to the ground through the foot, pushes the backfilling material into a denser structure.

The rapid impact compactor as a means of quickly repairing damage runways. It works by imparting dynamic energy through a falling 'drop-weight, which is dropped from a controlled height onto a patented foot. 

With heights of 9 to 12 tones applied to the foot , the 'drop-weights' falls from relatively short height of only 1.2 meters at a rate of 40 to 60 times a minute. 

Effective compaction depths vary with the nature of hte soil compacted, but depth of up to 8m have been reached with a 9t rig.

This results in The Rapid Impact Compactor transferring energy to the ground in a significantly more effective manner as the 'foot' stays in contact with the surface, never actually leaving the ground. It is because of this impacting sequence that we can ensure that the transfer of energy into the ground is carried out in the most efficient way possible.