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Toward reliable vibratory compaction control: Integrating full-scale testing and advanced finite element analysis
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Civil and Architectural Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1927-6034
2026 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Vibratory compaction is widely used for improving the bearing capacity and stiffness of earthworks. The quality of a compacted layer is traditionally verified by spot tests, such as the plate load test (PLT), which provide limited spatial coverage. Continuous compaction control (CCC) addresses this limitation by deriving intelligent compaction measurement values (ICMVs) from the roller response. However, the use of CCC for quality assurance is still limited by uncertain correlations between ICMVs and PLT moduli, by incomplete physical interpretation of the roller response, and by the small number of measurements normally available for calibration.

This thesis investigates the reliability of CCC-based quality assurance for vibratory compaction by combining full-scale testing, finite element analysis, and machine learning. Five full-scale trials were conducted at the Dynapac compaction laboratory in Karlskrona on a 1 m thick layer of well-graded gravel. Two single-drum rollers, two PLT plate diameters, and different compaction states were included, and sixteen ICMVs were compared with the deformation modulus from PLTs. A two-dimensional plane-strain finite element model of the roller–soil system was implemented with four constitutive descriptions, ranging from linear elasticity to hypoplasticity with intergranular strain. Finally, six regression algorithms were evaluated on 60 samples in a multioutput framework for estimating 𝐸𝑣1 and 𝐸𝑣2 simultaneously.

The full-scale trials show that mechanics-based ICMVs, in particular the loading-phase vibration modulus, provide the strongest correlation with 𝐸𝑣2. The 600 mm PLT plate gives stronger and less scattered correlations than the 300 mm plate, and the lighter roller gives stronger correlations than the heavier roller. The numerical study shows that hypoplasticity with intergranular strain gives the most consistent description of cyclic densification, stiffness evolution, and loading–unloading response. It also shows that the influence depth depends on the selected response quantity, with density-related criteria giving larger depths than settlement-based criteria. In the simulations, the vibration modulus is more closely related to the final density state than CMV or OMEGA, while normalized void-ratio reduction helps describe the consumed part of the available compaction potential. The machine-learning study shows that curated response characteristics improve the prediction of 𝐸𝑣2 compared with predefined ICMVs. Among the tested algorithms, TabPFN gives the best overall estimates of 𝐸𝑣2, while the multi-output framework also enables the 𝐸𝑣2/𝐸𝑣1 ratio to be estimated. The results demonstrate both the potential and the remaining limitations of CCC-based quality assurance for vibratory compaction.

Abstract [sv]

Vibrationspackning används i stor omfattning för att förbättra bärförmågan och styvheten hos jordkonstruktioner. Kvaliteten hos ett packat lager kontrolleras traditionellt med punktvisa försök, till exempel statiska plattbelastningsförsök (PLT), som ger begränsad yttäckning. Yttäckande packningskontroll (eng. continuous compaction control, CCC) hanterar denna begränsning genom att härleda intelligenta packningsmätvärden (eng. intelligent compaction measurement values, ICMV) från responsen hos en instrumenterad vält. Den praktiska användningen av CCC för kvalitetssäkring begränsas dock fortfarande av osäkra samband mellan ICMV och deformationsmoduler från PLT, av en ofullständig fysikalisk tolkning av vältresponsen och av det begränsade antal mätningar som normalt finns tillgängliga för kalibrering.

I denna avhandling undersöks tillförlitligheten hos CCC-baserad kvalitetssäkring av vibrationspackning genom en kombination av fullskaleförsök, finita elementanalys och maskininlärning. Fem fullskaleförsök utfördes i Dynapacs packningslaboratorium i Karlskrona på ett 1 m tjockt lager av välgraderat grus. Två enkelvalsvältar, två plattdiametrar för PLT och olika packningstillstånd undersöktes, och sexton ICMV jämfördes med deformationsmodulen från PLT. En tvådimensionell finita elementmodell av systemet vält–jord under plant töjningstillstånd implementerades med fyra konstitutiva modeller, från linjär elasticitet till hypoplasticitet med intergranulär töjning. Slutligen utvärderades sex regressionsalgoritmer på 60 prover i en flermålsformulering för samtidig skattning av 𝐸𝑣1 och 𝐸𝑣2.

Fullskaleförsöken visar att mekanikbaserade ICMV, särskilt vibrationsmodulen under lastfasen, ger starkast korrelation med 𝐸𝑣2. PLT-plattan med 600 mm diameter ger starkare och mindre spridda korrelationer än 300 mm-plattan, och den lättare välten ger starkare korrelationer än den tyngre. Den numeriska studien visar att hypoplasticitet med intergranulär töjning ger den mest konsekventa beskrivningen av cyklisk förtätning, styvhetsutveckling och lastnings–avlastningsrespons. Den visar också att influensdjupet beror på vilken responsstorhet som används, där densitetsrelaterade kriterier ger större djup än kriterier baserade på sättning. I simuleringarna har vibrationsmodulen ett tydligare samband med det slutliga densitetstillståndet än CMV eller OMEGA, medan den normaliserade reduktionen av portalet bidrar till att beskriva den utnyttjade delen av den tillgängliga packningspotentialen. Maskininlärningsstudien visar att utvalda responsegenskaper ger bättre prediktion av 𝐸𝑣2 än fördefinierade ICMV. Bland de testade algoritmerna ger TabPFN de bästa övergripande skattningarna av 𝐸𝑣2, medan multi-output-ramverket också gör det möjligt att uppskatta kvoten 𝐸𝑣2/𝐸𝑣1. Resultaten visar både möjligheten och de kvarstående begränsningarna med CCC-baserad kvalitetssäkring av vibrationspackning.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm, Sweden: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2026. , p. 46
Series
TRITA-ABE-DLT ; 2620
Keywords [en]
Vibratory compaction, intelligent compaction, continuous compaction control, plate load test, vibration modulus, hypoplasticity, machine learning, quality assurance
Keywords [sv]
Vibrationspackning, intelligent packningskontroll, yttäckande packningskontroll, plattbelastningsförsök, vibrationsmodul, hypoplasticitet, maskininlärning, kvalitetssäkring
National Category
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Research subject
Civil and Architectural Engineering, Soil and Rock Mechanics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-382940ISBN: 978-91-8106-647-0 (print)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-382940DiVA, id: diva2:2065743
Presentation
2026-08-19, M24, Brinellvägen 64A, KTH Campus, Public video conference link: https://kth-se.zoom.us/j/62254984784, Stockholm, 10:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

QC 260812

Available from: 2026-08-12 Created: 2026-06-04 Last updated: 2026-09-07Bibliographically approved
List of papers
1. Correlating continuous compaction measurement to plate load tests for quality assurance
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Correlating continuous compaction measurement to plate load tests for quality assurance
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2026 (English)In: Transportation Geotechnics, ISSN 2214-3912, Vol. 62, article id 102157Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Continuous compaction control (CCC) offers a promising alternative to conventional spot tests for earthwork quality assurance. However, establishing reliable correlations between intelligent compaction measurement values (ICMVs) and traditional stiffness metrics, such as the deformation modulus (Ev2) from static plate load tests (PLT), remains a challenge. This study investigated the influence of PLT plate size and vibratory roller type on these correlations through a series of full-scale compaction tests conducted on a granular soil bed. Two plate diameters (300 and 600 mm) and two rollers with different static linear loads (36 and 65 kg/cm) were employed. Sixteen ICMVs spanning acceleration-, mechanics-, and energy-based categories were computed and correlated with Ev2. The results showed that the 600-mm plate, despite producing lower Ev2 values, consistently yielded stronger correlations with the representative ICMVs. The lighter roller produced stronger correlations than the heavier roller, likely due to reduced contact loss and better alignment of measurement depths. Mechanics-based ICMVs performed best, with the vibration modulus (Evib) during the loading phase showing the strongest correlation (R up to 0.8). These findings confirm that Evib is a suitable indicator for compaction quality control, suggest that the larger plate is preferable for calibration purposes, and underscore the need for machine-specific calibration.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV, 2026
Keywords
Vibratory compaction, Plate load test, Intelligent compaction measurement values, Deformation modulus, Continuous compaction control
National Category
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-381410 (URN)10.1016/j.trgeo.2026.102157 (DOI)001791299800001 ()2-s2.0-105041079136 (Scopus ID)
Projects
BIG – Branschsamverkan I Grunden
Note

QC 20260608

Available from: 2026-05-15 Created: 2026-05-15 Last updated: 2026-07-03Bibliographically approved
2. Nonlinear vibration response of a roller-soil interaction system using finite element analysis with hypoplasticity
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Nonlinear vibration response of a roller-soil interaction system using finite element analysis with hypoplasticity
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

The nonlinear vibration response of the coupled roller-soil system remains difficult to interpret because it is governed by soil state, roller properties, operating parameters, and evolving drum-soil contact. This study develops a two-dimensional dynamic finite element model of vibratory compaction to examine the nonlinear vibration response and roller-integrated compaction measurement values (RICMVs). Four constitutive descriptions are compared under identical operating conditions: linear elasticity, Mohr-Coulomb (MC) plasticity, modified Drucker-Prager/Cap (DPC) plasticity, and hypoplasticity with intergranular strain (Hypo+IGS). The results show that the soil model strongly affects predicted settlement and stress-strain histories. The MC model captures yielding but produces only shear dilation, and the DPC model provides limited volumetric contraction. Hypo+IGS gives the most consistent response across initially loose to dense soil states because it captures void-ratio reduction, density-dependent stiffness, and distinct loading-unloading behavior. The depth of influence depends on the chosen response quantity, ranging from 1.0 to 1.3 m based on settlement and from 1.5 to 2.4 m based on density-related criteria. The vibration moduli, Evib1 and Evib2, are more closely related to final-state density measures than CMV and OMEGA. The normalized void-ratio reduction, (e0e)/(e0ed), yields the most consistent relation across the evaluated ICMVs. These findings clarify the mechanisms controlling nonlinear roller response and support FEM-based interpretation of continuous compaction measurements.

Keywords
Vibratory compaction, Finite element analysis, Roller-soil dynamic interaction, Hypoplasticity with intergranular strain, Roller-integrated compaction measurement values, Influence depth
National Category
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-381411 (URN)
Projects
BIG – Branschsamverkan I Grunden
Note

QC 20260604

Manuscript to be submitted

Available from: 2026-05-15 Created: 2026-05-15 Last updated: 2026-06-04Bibliographically approved
3. Compaction quality assessment based on machine learning with small datasets
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Compaction quality assessment based on machine learning with small datasets
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Current practices in compaction quality assessment rely heavily on traditional spot tests, such as the static plate load test (PLT), which are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and limited in spatial coverage. This study develops a machine-learning framework to estimate deformation moduli from continuous compaction measurements. A small dataset of 60 samples from full-scale trials was used to train multi-output regression models, with deformation moduli from the first and second loading cycles (Ev1 and Ev2) as the targets. Two feature representations were compared: a five-feature set of selected intelligent compaction measurement values (ICMVs) and an eight-feature set of curated vibration response characteristics extracted from acceleration signals and contact force–displacement curves. Six algorithms were evaluated, including multiple linear regression, random forest, XGBoost, support vector regression, k-nearest neighbors, and the tabular foundation model TabPFN. The results show that curated response characteristics improved Ev2 prediction relative to the selected ICMV feature set. For Feature Set 1, SVR achieved the best Ev2 prediction with R2 = 0.34 and RMSE = 7.1 MPa. For Feature Set 2, TabPFN achieved the best Ev2 prediction with R2 = 0.45 and RMSE = 6.5 MPa, despite requiring no hyperparameter tuning. The simultaneous prediction of Ev1 and Ev2 enabled estimation of the Ev2/Ev1 ratio, with the lowest RMSE = 0.34 achieved by SVR on Feature Set 2. SHAP analysis indicated that second-harmonic acceleration amplitude, loading and unloading stiffness, and displacement amplitude were key features, providing physical interpretability for the data-driven assessment.

Keywords
Vibratory compaction, Intelligent compaction measurement value, Plate load test, Deformation modulus, TabPFN, SHAP analysis
National Category
Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-381412 (URN)
Projects
BIG – Branschsamverkan I Grunden
Note

QC 20260604

Revised manuscript submitted to the 6th International Conference on Geotechnics for Sustainable Infrastructure Development

Available from: 2026-05-15 Created: 2026-05-15 Last updated: 2026-06-04Bibliographically approved

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Hua, Wenjun

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