Ground Conditions and Soil Handling
Ground conditions and soil handling tests whether you can judge bearing capacity, moisture and contamination, then choose a machine configuration that avoids bogging, rutting and mixing.
Assess before tracking
- Walk the route and use probe or trial pit to find soft spots, voids, made ground and buried services.
- Check moisture and soil type: wet clay loses strength, sand runs, peat compresses and made ground can hide voids.
- Plan drainage and working platforms; use bog mats, geogrid or low-ground-pressure tracks where needed.
Handle soils by type
- Keep topsoil, subsoil, granular fill and contaminated material separate.
- Do not track over stockpiles unnecessarily; compaction and contamination reduce re-use value.
- In wet conditions, work from firm ground and avoid rutting that creates water paths.
Worked example: A wheeled tractor starts to sink on a haul route after rain. Reasoning: stop, assess depth and bearing; do not spin wheels. Bring in a tracked low-ground-pressure machine or mats, strip the rutted material, improve drainage and re-grade. Continuing would deepen ruts and increase runoff and spill risk.
Traps: assuming dry-weather performance, using a dozer to push through soft ground, and mixing contaminated spoil with clean fill.
Key points
- Assess bearing capacity before tracking.
- Match track type and mats to ground strength.
- Keep soil types segregated.
- Avoid rutting that channels water.
- Stop and reassess when the machine sinks.