A sheepsfoot drum is used for compacting heavy lifts of what thickness range?

A sheepsfoot drum is a specialized compaction tool primarily used in the construction and earthwork sectors. Its design, featuring protruding "feet," is specifically intended to provide deep, effective compaction of soils, particularly for granular materials such as clay, silt, and sand.

When it comes to the thickness of material that a sheepsfoot drum can effectively compact, the range of 6 to 12 inches is optimal. This depth allows the feet to penetrate sufficiently and compact the material beneath, creating a denser and more stable surface. Compaction in this thickness range is critical in applications such as road construction, foundation preparation, and embankment stabilization, where ensuring the strength and stability of the underlayer is essential.

Thinner layers, such as those under 6 inches, do not require the extensive compressive forces that the sheepsfoot drum is designed to deliver, and consequently, other lighter compaction methods would be more suitable for these situations. Likewise, while the sheepsfoot can handle thicker lifts, the physics of compaction makes it less effective beyond the 12-inch mark, as achieving uniform density becomes increasingly challenging with greater thicknesses. Thus, the range of 6 to 12 inches represents the ideal application for