What severe structural damage occurs when digging or stepping on saturated clay?
Answer
It creates hardpans just beneath the surface
Working saturated clay squeezes water out of the pore spaces, causing the fine particles to collapse into a much denser arrangement, creating compacted layers known as hardpans.
Related Questions
How is bone-dry clay often described regarding its resistance to penetration?What physical characteristic defines the difficulty when clay is overly wet?What is the narrow window of ideal moisture level for digging clay sometimes called?What severe structural damage occurs when digging or stepping on saturated clay?If squeezing a handful of soil causes water to drip out, what is the implication for digging?Why might a digging fork be preferable to a standard spade when working heavy clay?What immediate benefit is usually a 'trap' when choosing to dig wet clay over waiting for dry clay to soften?If you must water baked hard clay to make it workable, what approach is recommended for achieving uniform softening?What function does a small amount of water provide between clay particles to aid digging?What contrasting frustration is mentioned as potentially less tedious than working through deep, sticky, wet clay?To minimize the material volume managed at one time in heavy soil, what physical technique is suggested?