Hand Compaction:

Hand compaction method is adopted for pavements, narrow and deep members. Compaction must be uniform and concrete must reach to the corners of the formwork. Excessive compaction is not good since it will try to push the aggregates at the bottom thus bringing the mortar at the surface. Iron rods and rammers are used for the hand compaction. Mass concrete is compacted in successive layers of thickness not exceeding 30 cm by tamping with light rammers or templates. Iron rods are used for compacting reinforced concrete work in layers not exceeding 15 cm in thickness.

Hand compaction is further categorized as follows:

Rodding

Rodding is adopted in case of unimportant concrete work of small magnitude. When rodding is used, the consistency of concrete is maintained at a higher level. The thickness of the layer is limited about 15 to 20 cm. A Rodding is nothing but poking the concrete with about 2 m long, 16mm diameter rod to pack the concrete among the reinforcement and sharp corners and edges. Rodding is completed continuously over the complete area to effectively pack the concrete and drive away the entrapped air.

In other words of iron rod, bamboos or cane may also be used for rodding purpose.

Ramming

Ramming should be done with care as it may disturb the position of reinforcement or the formwork may fail if steel rammer is used. Light ramming can be permitted in un-reinforced foundation concrete or in ground floor construction. It should not be permitted within case of reinforced concrete or in the upper floor construction, while concrete is placed in the formwork supported on struts.

Tamping

Tamping is one of the common methods adopted in compacting roof or floor slab or road pavements where the thickness of concrete is comparatively less and the surface to be finished level and smooth. Tamping consists of beating a top surface through wooden crossbeam of section about 10 × 10 cm.