Everything you need to know about vibratory plates

Before starting to carry out construction work, it is required to carry out the preparation of the soil-base, which consists in thoroughly compacting the soil, sand or crushed stone. Tamping is necessary in order to remove moisture and air from the soil, as well as to evenly fill all spaces and eliminate voids. In this way, the bearing capacity of the soil is improved - it will be able to resist destruction.

One of the tools that is used for ramming is a vibratory plate, the use of which significantly speeds up and simplifies the preparatory work not only in construction, but also for the organization of road surfaces from asphalt or paving slabs.

The vibratory rammer is a hand-held type of tool, the design of which has a flat cast iron plate mounted on a special frame. This device works with the help of various types of motor, from which an eccentric vibration type shaft goes to the cast iron plate. A handle with a control unit is fixed to the base of the frame, the principle of operation of the vibrating plate is quite simple and any person can handle it.

The vibration frequency depends on the eccentric, which is driven by a belt link directed to the vibration shaft. To compact the soil, a wide plate is used, which, with its entire surface, acts on the surface to be treated.

The purpose of the vibrating plate is as follows:

• tamping and reliable compaction of sites consisting of sand, soil, loamy soil;
• it is used to change the landscape surface in the adjoining plots;
• compacts the soil surface for laying asphalt paths or paving stones;
• prepares the foundation for small buildings;
• used when performing repair work on asphalt roadways, railway embankments.

As a rule, high demands are placed on the tools used for construction work. The vibrating plate is an easy-to-use and maintain mechanism that allows you to work in a confined space, where there is not enough free space for large vehicles.

A manual vibrator is a convenient and productive tool, its choice depends on the volume and characteristics of the work to be done. There are 2 types of such devices.

The non-reversible type of rammer machine can only move in the forward direction. Their speed and, as a consequence, the productivity of the work are regulated by the operator, which makes it possible to achieve the greatest depth of compaction of the treated surface. In order to move the vibratory plate in the opposite direction, the operator will have to turn it around on his own.

The type of rammer that can move forward or backward is called reversible.These are the most convenient devices that are used for uniform compaction of soil, even in confined spaces. The reversible movement of these machines is extremely accurate, so that the operator does not need to correct the direction of movement of the vibratory rammer manually. The only drawback of such equipment is its heavy weight and rather high price.

All vibratory rammers are equipped with an engine and, depending on its type, are divided into the following types.

• Gasoline powered. A gasoline engine is the most economical option in terms of fuel consumption, and a gasoline unit is cheaper than other analogues. Gasoline vibrating plates are not tied to a power point, therefore, they can work in autonomous mode and move freely at any distance. In addition, gasoline-type units have proven themselves well when operating in a wide range of plus and minus temperatures. The disadvantage of gasoline units is their heaviness and creating noise during operation.

• Diesel-fueled. Diesel-powered vibratory rammers are not tied to a power source - they are mobile and autonomous. Their fuel consumption is slightly higher than that of a gasoline counterpart. But the design of the units is reliable and durable. The disadvantage is the large weight of the vibrating plate, as well as noise during operation. In addition, diesel-fueled units did not perform well in cold weather.

• Powered by a mains supply. Such tools are used indoors. They are compact, much lighter in weight than gasoline or diesel counterparts. During operation, the unit does not emit exhaust products of fuel decomposition that are harmful to human health, and is also characterized by a low noise level. The disadvantage of the tool is that it only works with a power source and can be moved as far as the length of its electrical cable allows.

Among users, the most popular are gasoline-type units, since today they are the most economical equipment that works in all-weather conditions.

Depending on the type of engine, vibratory plates are light and heavy. In addition to their weight, the size of the tool is of no small importance. When choosing a model, you should know that vibrating plates are produced in the following ranges of overall parameters:

• tool width - minimum 0.32 m, maximum 0.5 m;
• equipment length - minimum 0.78 m, maximum 1.1 m;
• vibrating plate height - minimum 0.78 m, maximum 1.08 m;
• the length of the ramming surface - from 0.45 m to 0.62 m;
• the width of the ramming surface is from 0.32 m to 0.48 m.

Depending on the weight, all types of vibrating plates are divided into 3 categories.

• Lightweight models up to 75 kg. These are the smallest versions of the tool that are used for domestic use. Such a plate compactor can cope with a soil layer not exceeding 150 mm. Often, a light type of tool is used in the process of laying sidewalk paths.
• Universal models weighing 75-90 kg. Such units can compact a layer of soil equal to 250 mm. They are used to prepare asphalt-type roadways.
• Medium-weight models weighing 90-140 kg. The devices are professional and are used to perform preparatory road works. The plate compactor is capable of performing large volumes of ramming in a short period of time. The thickness of the processed layer will be 600 mm.
• Heavy models from 140 kg and above. Such professional vibrating machines are used only for construction and road works of narrow specificity.

The modern market offers many options for vibrating plates, the rating of which depends on the manufacturer. The best manufacturers of this equipment are Japan and Germany. The reversible vibrating plate from these manufacturers can be used for industrial or private applications. Units manufactured in Russia, South Korea, Israel, Sweden and Spain have proven themselves quite well, although the resource of such equipment is lower than that of German or Japanese counterparts, but they cost about 40% less.

We will consider several models of vibrating plates for comparison.

• Model Mikasa MVH-R 60E. Japanese machinery with reverse, meets international quality standards. Equipped with a 4.5 liter 4-stroke petrol engine. with. and a water tank, which makes it possible to tamp asphalt and loose soils. The weight of the unit is 70 kg, the size of the vibration sole is 35x48 cm. A reliable tool with a high durability resource.

• Model ZITREK CNP 25-2. Czech unit manufactured in factories located in China. A petrol engine with a capacity of 6.5 liters is used. with. The device is quite heavy and weighs 125 kg. Works with forward and reverse motion. The vibration plate is made of cast iron and has good anti-corrosion protection. The depth of the compacted layer is 300 mm.

• Model DDE VP 80-CK. An American-made product that has the most affordable price on the Russian market. The unit is equipped with a 6.5 liter 4-stroke petrol engine. with. The weight of the device is small, 80 kg, the size of the vibration pad is 42x59 cm, the ramming depth is 300 mm. The device has only a straight stroke, but it has established itself as a reliable and powerful equipment.

• CHAMPION PC-1645 RH. Belongs to products of joint Russian-Chinese production. The unit is equipped with a 9 hp Honda 4-stroke petrol engine. with. The unit works in forward and reverse motion, weighs 160 kg, is capable of ramming the soil depth within 500 mm. The equipment is unpretentious and easy to operate, has anti-corrosion protection.

The vibratory mechanism for soil compaction is used in the mode of intensive performance of a large amount of work. Therefore, this technique requires constant maintenance, and in some cases, repair. Tension belts, clutches, shock absorbers, polyurethane mat, cables are used as consumables. Much less often, water tanks or a vibrator, a vibrator or the entire vibrator assembly are subject to replacement. The engine requires special attention - it is necessary to timely change the oil, air filter, spark plugs.

The most important criteria by which a vibratory platform is selected is its ability to reverse and the weight of the unit. To choose the right tamping tool for a summer residence, for concrete or asphalt, you must be guided by the following principles.

• To carry out landscape works for private use, units are used, the weight of which does not exceed 80 kg, and the depth of soil processing does not exceed 150 mm. If it is required to lay paving slabs, then a polyurethane mat with a damping function must be added to the equipment.
• Vibratory plates weighing 80-120 kg are used to repair the asphalt pavement or to change the landscape, as well as to lay engineering communications, while the soil processing depth will be 250 mm. Paving slabs can also be laid with these units, if a polyurethane mat is included in the package.
• To prepare the roadway for laying asphalt pavement, vibratory machines weighing 120-220 kg or super-heavy units from 250 kg are used.

An equally important parameter of choice is the vibration force of the technique. Models where this figure does not exceed 12 kN are not used for industrial purposes and for paving asphalt. For serious construction work, vibratory plates with a vibration force of at least 16-18 kN are used. If we are talking about laying paving slabs, then the vibrator with such an effort will simply trample it into the underlying ground level or break it.

As for the parameters of the vibration sole, the lower this indicator, the denser the plate will tamp the soil. Choosing the type of engine, preference should be given to the economical gasoline option. In addition, the direction of travel of the unit is also taken into account - the most convenient options have direct and reverse travel, therefore, preference is given to them.

A hand-held vibrating machine is used for various purposes, such as tamping crushed stone, using a technique, sand is compacted, and clay is tamped. You can often see how paving slabs are laid using this technique. In order to use the maximum capabilities of the equipment, the operating instructions are preliminarily studied. Let us consider the use of a vibrating plate on the example of a complex work on laying paving slabs.

• Preparatory stage - determine the contours of the path where the paving slabs will be placed. Place beacons that take into account all the unevenness of the surface relief for laying.
• Planning execution - remove the top layer of soil and sprinkle with fine gravel.
• Drainage - so that moisture does not affect the tiles, the drainage layer is tamped so that it is moisture-proof.
• Curb restriction - for this, a curb is installed along the edges of the path, which will limit the mobility of the tile elements.
• Sand filling - this is necessary to level the working surface. The sand is also subject to compaction, and its layer is 40-50 mm.
• Laying tiles - at this stage, tiles are laid out in even rows on the surface of the sand.
• Tamping tiles in the ground - for this purpose, a damping polyurethane mat is mounted on the sole of the vibrating plate.

After the paving slabs are finally laid and a vibrating plate is passed over it, a new layer of dry sand is poured over it to seal the gaps between the tiles. Carrying out construction or laying work using vibratory ramming manual equipment requires the fulfillment of certain rules, so that the work is done with high quality, and the equipment lasts as long as possible.

• Work must be carried out in a planned manner. It is important to start the vibratory plate and let the engine idle a little, after which you can proceed to compacting the soil surface. In this case, you should always make sure that the belt tension is correct; if the belt traction looses or breaks, the compaction process cannot be performed.
• In the process of work, it happens that it is required to compact several layers of a cushion from the soil. Each layer must be processed separately, and the height of such a layer must correspond to the characteristics of the rammer. If the layer is more than stated in the capabilities of the technique, then its high-quality compaction will not work. You will need to remove the top of the pillow, tamp the first layer, then pour the next layer on top of it and seal again.This is done until the entire thickness of the pillow has been processed.
• The number of passes through each layer to be compacted should be at least 5-6 times.

To keep the vibratory rammer in good working order, it is necessary to carry out its regular maintenance in a timely and correct manner. The main point of care is cleaning or replacing the air filter located in the upper section of the engine. Such maintenance must be carried out after each cycle of work, since timely cleaning of the filter will significantly extend the service life of the carburetor, which means it will also reduce the degree of wear of the piston group, which will allow the engine to work smoothly and smoothly. To clean the foam filter, remove it and rinse thoroughly in warm soapy water, then rinse in clean water and dry. After drying, the filter is immersed in engine oil and squeezed well - in this form it will be ready for use.

If a gasoline engine is used in the vibratory plate device, it will be necessary to regularly check the condition of the spark plugs. They need to be cleaned or completely replaced on time. When replacing spark plugs, it is important to ensure that they are tightly screwed in before starting work. An equally important point is the timely replacement of the engine oil in the engine. The first oil change is done immediately after the vibrating plate has worked its initial 20 hours. In the future, the operation of this type of equipment allows you to change the oil every 100 hours of work.

For information on what you should pay attention to when choosing a vibratory plate, see the next video.