Objective Question & Answer

Compaction is the mechanical densification of soil (using rollers, rammers, etc.) that expels air from soil voids — a fast,

artificial process.

Consolidation —it's a slow, natural process where water (not air) is squeezed out of saturated clay under load.

Compression — too general a term, not specific to machine-based densification.

Soil stabilisation — involves chemical additives (cement, lime), not mechanical compaction.