The Carbon Footprint of Vibratory and Impact Rolling: A Sustainable Option for Bulk Earthworks on Infrastructure Projects

Vibratory and impact rollers achieve deeper lift compaction than static rollers. Ground improvement with impact rollers occurs through rolling dynamic compaction, enabling compaction to significant depths, generally more than 1m. This provides the opportunity to place thick layers, potentially with a larger maximum particle size than conventional smooth drum rollers, while achieving engineering standards of density and stiffness. The overall consequence of this is that the earthworks exercise becomes a far more sustainable activity. Deeper lift compaction beyond traditional thin compacted layers using conventional heavy vibratory rollers has been achievable for some time, but to lesser depths than is possible with impact rollers. The compaction of deeper lifts at faster operating speeds, albeit, typically with a greater number of passes, requires a fresh look at specifications for infrastructure earthworks. The paper explores the green credentials of deep lift compaction, by comparing earthworks plant, productivity and fuel usage for compaction using conventional circular drum rollers with thin layers, and deeper lift compaction using vibratory and polygonal impact rollers. Quality control to greater depths can be a limiting factor. Testing protocols often require modification to accommodate the changes in layer thicknesses and material specifications.