When a soil becomes too firm and hard to allow good plant root
growth The decrease in volume and porosity of a sediment caused
by burial beneath other sediments. Compaction of soil is a lack
of air or oxygen. Particles of soil are pressed together so
tightly that there is insufficient air space. The obvious way
this may occur is when a great weight is present, i.e., during
construction when large trucks are daily rolled over the land.
However, chemical overuse and poor irrigation are more common
causes. In healthy soil, natural processes provide aeration,
notably the presence of earthworms burrowing their way through
the soil. The use of weights or water to firmly pack fill, such
as dirt. The constant mixing, turning or vibrating of a mixture
of cement or mortar which is done to eliminate the spaces
between the solid fragments during the mixing process which
results in a smoother consistent mixture which is stronger and
more easily troweled. A compression process that reorients and
reshapes the grains of a se