Earthworks construction and testing at Silvan Dam

This note is a reproduction of selected parts of a lengthy, detailed and absorbing paper describing the construction of Silvan Dam by the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works. The original paper was written by Alexander Edward Kelso, the resident engineer for the work described, and all but some minor editing are his own words. The paper includes a description what many believe to be the first rational development and use of the density – moisture content curve and density testing to monitor compaction during construction. This edited version of Kelso’s paper is presented for historical interest and shows that, although earthmoving plant has developed considerably since 1929, understanding the behaviour of materials and the importance of attention to maintaining workable site conditions is as fundamental as ever to the success of an earthmoving project.

Use of the word “consolidation” for what is termed today “compaction” in earthworks provides a historical clue as to why “consolidation” continues to be used in this context in some parts of the construction industry, and still confuses communication among many engineers.

Imperial units of measurement were used in the original paper and these have been retained. A conversion list is at the end of this note.