Dirtwork term
Water Truck
also called: watering truck, water tender
Tank truck used on dirt-moving jobs to add moisture for compaction and to control dust.
A water truck is a tanker that sprays controlled amounts of water onto dirt being compacted, onto haul roads to keep dust down, and onto disturbed slopes for short-term erosion control before vegetation establishes. Capacity varies, residential and small-site work uses 2,000 to 4,000 gallon trucks; large mass-grading operations use 6,000+.
Moisture content matters for compaction. Most soils have a narrow optimum moisture range where they compact best, too dry and the particles slide past each other instead of locking together, too wet and they squelch instead of compacting. A water truck lets the crew add controlled moisture to dry fill.
Dust control is the other big use, especially in dry East Texas summers. A site that's kicking up dust into a neighborhood is both a complaint problem and a regulatory problem under SWPPP rules in some jurisdictions.
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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.
Low-boy Trailer
Heavy-haul trailer with a low deck that hauls dozers, excavators, and other tracked equipment between job sites.
SWPPP
Federal/state-required plan for keeping sediment, debris, and pollutants out of waterways during construction.
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