Hey everyone, I've been running a mid-sized dozer on a job site that's been prepped for some light grading and clean-up. Most of the ground feels stable, but there's one section where I get a noticeable vibration or bounce especially when I pass over it more than once. It's not extreme, but definitely enough to catch my attention. I had a quick chat with a concrete contractor working nearby, and he mentioned sometimes compacted surfaces can hide soft spots or minor settling underneath, which can show up more clearly when heavy equipment like a dozer goes over it. Thanks for any suggestions!
I went back over the same area today and felt that same slight bounce, so now I’m starting to think it might be worth checking the soil compaction or even cutting it open a bit to see what’s underneath.
Maybe have someone stand on the ground and observe what happens when the dozer travels over that particular area.?
Time heals all things. Material will become plastic with repeated inputs like dozer roller the dreaded forklift trucks even foot traffic. The small particles and moisture are mixed enough for the effect. Try this before doing anything. Go test the spot with your feet. If it is truly pumping you will know. Rock from one foot to the other. Now go away for the weekend. Don't run any equipment over it. Do the same test and my guess is you will be suitably pleased. The moisture moves down, the little bits and pieces from a proper matrix, all due to time. There is likely nothing wrong with the compaction itself.
I’ll give the foot test a try and see if the area feels different after letting it sit for a couple of days. It makes sense that the moisture and compacted particles could shift around and smooth things out. I’ll check back in after the weekend and see if there's any improvement.