Dirtwork term
Lift
also called: fill lift, compaction lift
A single layer of dirt placed and compacted before the next layer is added on top of it.
A lift is one layer of placed fill, typically 6 to 12 inches thick depending on the soil type and the equipment doing the compaction. Earthwork gets built up one lift at a time because that's the only way to get consistent compaction through the depth of the fill, you can't compact dirt you can't reach.
Lift thickness depends on the compactor: a vibratory roller can handle 12 inches; a plate compactor in a trench is usually limited to 6 inches; a jumping jack maxes out around 8 inches. Spec sheets usually call out maximum lift thickness explicitly.
Violating lift discipline is one of the most common compaction failures on rural sites: somebody dumps and pushes 3 feet of fill, rolls the top, and the lower 2 feet eventually consolidates under load. The slab cracks, or the road ruts, or the pad settles unevenly.
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Lift comes up on excavation jobs all over East Texas.
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When you need it
When lift comes up on a job
The term applies whenever fill is placed and packed in measured layers instead of dumped all at once. Two feet of loose dirt will not compact through to the bottom however many passes the roller makes, so it goes in a lift at a time.
Related terms
Other words that come up alongside this one
Compaction
Mechanical pressing of soil to reduce air voids, increase density, and provide a stable surface.
Sub-grade
The natural soil surface that supports everything you build on top of it, pad, road base, slab.
Select Fill
Imported soil chosen for known compaction and stability properties, used where native soil isn't suitable.
Pad
Prepared, compacted area of ground sized and elevated for a structure to be built on top of it.
Scarify
Mechanically loosening the top few inches of compacted or dried soil to break it up before re-working.
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