Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions Sheepsfoot roller survey

As soil is compacted or densified, it gains shear strength.

When compacting with a sheepsfoot roller, if the moisture content is fairly close to optimum and the overall soil structure is stable enough to facilitate good compaction, the soil will increase in strength to the point that the sheepsfeet (little knobs on the roller that concentrate the compactive effort) no longer bury into the soil being compacted, and will instead roll on top of the compacted, strengthened soil structure. This is referred to as "walking the sheepsfoot out". When the soil is strong enough to support the load of the sheepsfoot roller without the sheepsfeet burying into the soil, this is usually an indication that adequate compaction has been achieved.

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