How to Fill Dirt Packing for Slab Preparation

Fill dirt must be properly packed before pouring a concrete slab.

A home is only as strong as its foundation. People have understood that concept for thousands of years. Occasionally, when building a house, it is necessary to add fill dirt to the property to raise the level to achieve proper contour and drainage. Obtaining a solid surface from the loose fill dirt requires the proper knowledge and equipment.

Things You'll Need

• Fill dirt
• Skid loader
• Walk behind vibrating roller
• Tamper

Instructions

1. Spread each load of fill dirt with the skid loader. Place loader buckets of dirt into place and tilt your bucket forward so that the blade is pointing down. Lower the bucket blade to the desired level and drag it backward to smooth the surface and obtain the desired contour.

2. Drive the loader wheels (or tracks) over the contoured dirt to begin compaction. Drive over the entire lot from front to back then again from side to side.

3. Start your roller, engage the throttle and move the machine onto your fill dirt. Engage the vibrator only when the roller is on new dirt. Do not engage the vibrator of the roller when it is touching concrete or asphalt.

4. Drive the vibrating roller over the site. Overlap your last pass by one-third to assist in compaction and eliminate seams. Roll from front to back then side to side over the entire site leaving a border of 2 feet untouched.

5. Place your tamper onto the fill dirt. Never start a tamper on concrete or asphalt. Start the tamper and tamp around the untouched border left by the roller. Tamp the dirt next to the roller area all of the way around the border. Make your next pass overlap the previous one by one-third. Continue making circuits until you reach the outer edge.

Tips & Warnings

• Never start a vibrating roller or tamper on a concrete or asphalt surface as this may damage the surface or your machine. The machine may vibrate erratically causing injury.

References

• Concrete Network: How to Compact.