Smooth Roller vs. Padfoot Roller

Smooth Roller vs. Padfoot Roller

Smooth drum rollers and padfoot rollers deliver the impact and pressure necessary to compact surface materials and prepare areas for construction projects. These powerful machines differ in design, impact, and capabilities.

Renting the right compacting roller for each job enables you to expand your services and work with various materials. Whether you lay an asphalt parking lot or prepare land for development, the right roller can help you complete your project safely and efficiently.

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What Is a Compaction Roller?

Compaction rollers are essential for creating strong, smooth bases for your construction projects. They use impact, static pressure, and sometimes vibration to compact materials such as:

  • Soil
  • Sand
  • Gravel
  • Ballast
  • Rock
  • Asphalt

You can use compaction rollers for various purposes like:

  • Building and paving roads
  • Sealing surfaces
  • Performing small patchwork
  • Preparing land for commercial or residential development
  • Building foundations for public utilities

Primary Types of Compaction Rollers

Different roller styles enable you to complete different types of compaction. Consider how the following types of rollers can benefit your future projects:

Smooth Drum Roller

A smooth drum roller features one or two steel drums with smooth surfaces. Smooth drum rollers come in two versions.


Smooth Drum Roller

  • Single drum: With one drum and two wheels, a single drum smooth roller provides good maneuverability and traction but delivers less force than double drum rollers.
  • Double drum: A double drum roller – with one in front and one in the back – can cover a lot of ground. While it offers less traction than a single drum due to its lack of tires, a double drum roller can compact twice the surface area in the same time frame.

When it comes to smooth drum rollers, you can also choose a vibratory roller or look into a tandem vibratory roller for extra compaction power. These rollers vibrate while rolling over material for enhanced compaction.

Padfoot Roller


The difference between these two compaction machines is that a padfoot roller's drum features serrated protrusions, or "feet," rather than a smooth surface.

A padfoot roller, also called a sheepsfoot roller, operates similarly to a smooth drum compactor. The difference between these two compaction machines is that a padfoot roller's drum features serrated protrusions, or "feet," rather than a smooth surface.

The protrusions provide a kneading or manipulative force to compact materials more intensely and at more extensive depths. A padfoot roller may also contain a leveling blade, allowing it to push excess material out of the compaction path for a more level surface.

You can increase a padfoot roller's drum weight by filling it with sand or water. This strategy enables you to compact materials more efficiently if you work on heavy-duty applications.

Comparing Ride-On and Walk-Behind Compaction Rollers

Most smooth drum and padfoot rollers are ride-on machines. A ride-on machine features a seat, steering wheel, and controls so you can sit down while operating the equipment. Some rollers are walk-behind models, featuring a handle and controls so you can walk and push them while they operate.


A walk-behind model is ideal when you need to work in narrow areas because it's smaller than a ride-on roller. Similarly, a ride-on roller works better for larger, more demanding projects because of its size and power.

A walk-behind model is ideal when you need to work in narrow areas because it's smaller than a ride-on roller. Similarly, a ride-on roller works better for larger, more demanding projects because of its size and power.

Additional Types of Compaction Rollers and Equipment

Some compaction jobs may require special compaction rollers or additional equipment. For example, you may need a smooth drum roller to compact wide, open areas on a jobsite and a small plate compactor to reach narrow spaces.

Consider the following types of equipment you may need for your projects:


Pneumatic Rollers

Pneumatic Rollers

A pneumatic roller is a ride-on roller featuring several rows of large tires in the front and back of the machine. The rubber tires are wide enough to apply uniform pressure, and the back tires are offset to cover the gaps between the front tires. This setup allows the roller to compact the entire area it covers.

Construction teams typically use pneumatic rollers to compact soft, coarse materials such as fine-grain cohesive soils, closely graded sands, loose soil layers, and cold bituminous mixes.

Plate Compactors

A plate compactor features a heavy steel plate that compacts materials and eliminates air pockets using vibration. This equipment is smaller than a smooth drum or padfoot roller, and it works well for small projects.

While individuals typically use plate compactors for soft soil such as sand and clay, you can also use one for harder materials such as gravel and asphalt. A plate compactor is an excellent alternative if a ride-on or walk-behind roller is too large for the area you need to compact.

Rammers

A rammer features a smaller steel plate than a plate compactor, and it uses intense force rather than vibration. It delivers powerful blows to the ground directly in front of you while you hold and control the machine; you must remain vigilant and hold it steady during operation. Due to its smaller plate size and stronger force, a rammer is a great choice when you need to compact smaller surface areas at greater depths.

How to Choose the Right Roller

The right roller for your next job depends on the size of your project and the type of material you need to compact. Assess these jobsite conditions and project needs to choose the best option.

Large Surface Areas

Smooth drum rollers and padfoot rollers are both ideal for large construction jobs. Their wide drums cover large surface areas in a shorter amount of time, allowing you to work efficiently.

If you want to know when to use a single drum vs. double drum smooth roller, remember that double drum rollers deliver extra power perfect for completing heavy-duty asphalt projects or soil sub-base applications efficiently.

Leveling and Backfill Compaction Applications

Smooth drum rollers are ideal when you need to level a surface area to create flat terrain. You need a smooth drum roller for applications such as:

  • Preparing land to build foundations
  • Backfill compaction
  • Preparing land for pipeline trenches

Dense Clay or Cohesive Soil

Padfoot rollers are the best option if you need to compact softer, more cohesive material. You should use a smooth single or double drum roller to compact dense clay or silty soil.

A padfoot roller's protrusions knead materials to compact them tighter than a smooth drum roller could. Dense, cohesive materials could stick to a smooth drum, so using a padfoot roller for these materials ensures you can compact them evenly.

Sand


While a padfoot roller works great for compacting softer materials, a smooth drum roller is better for compacting sandy materials.

While a padfoot roller works great for compacting softer materials, a smooth drum roller is better for compacting sandy materials. A padfoot's protrusions would till sand, but a drum roller's smooth surface can compact sand without tilling it.

Ballast, Gravel, and Rock

Smooth drum rollers are also ideal if you need to work with ballast, gravel, or rock. Similar to sand, a padfoot roller's protrusions would churn gravel or rock rather than compacting it, so you need a smooth drum roller to press granular materials down effectively.

Asphalt

Since smooth drum rollers offer the best leveling performance, they are the ideal choice for applications involving asphalt. If you are laying an asphalt road or driveway, a smooth single or double drum roller is the perfect machine.

Jobsites Near Water


Since a padfoot roller works well for materials that stick together, such as mud and dense clay, it's an excellent option for a jobsite with a high water table.

Since a padfoot roller works well for materials that stick together, such as mud and dense clay, it's an excellent option for a jobsite with a high water table. If you need to compact an area near a body of water such as a dam or river, a padfoot roller can help you compact damp soil and reach the density you need.

Should You Rent or Purchase a Compaction Roller?

Deciding if you should rent or purchase a compaction roller depends on how often you plan to use the machine. Purchasing equipment is typically the most cost-effective option if you need it on a consistent basis. However, renting is an excellent option if your projects and worksites are more diverse.

Renting allows you to use a machine for the duration you need it, helping you expand your capabilities and services without investing in multiple machines. For example, renting a smooth drum roller allows you to complete a job involving sand when your typical fleet may only be capable of handling asphalt or clay.

Tips for Operating a Compaction Roller

Completing a job safely and efficiently requires proper machine operation. The following tips can help you optimize your roller's capabilities for your next project.

1. Establish a Rolling Pattern


Consistency is important when working with a roller because it helps you distribute uniform pressure and compaction.

Consistency is important when working with a roller because it helps you distribute uniform pressure and compaction. For example, you might vibrate the drum forward and dead-roll (vibratory function turned off) backward before moving it sideways and repeating this pattern for each section of the surface area. The number of times you repeat your pattern depends on the material you compact and the density you need to achieve.

2. Follow a Paving Plan

A paving plan is also important for producing even, uniform results. Balancing your rolling drum's speed with your paver's speed determines how many tons per hour you apply to a surface, and it's crucial to avoid parking your paver on hot material or material that has already reached the desired density.

The best practice is to pave a surface area's shoulder first. This approach provides you with a shoulder to park your roller on after you complete the compaction process. Parking on a compacted shoulder or mat prevents you from over-compacting a section and creating deep marks.

3. Monitor and Test for Desired Density

Monitoring and testing density helps you ensure your surface area is safe and sturdy enough to support your application. Whether you plan to prepare a driveway or build a home, density determines how well your site can support a foundation.


A density tester measures your compacted material's pounds per cubic foot. You should perform a density test reading on three test sites across your total surface area.

A density tester measures your compacted material's pounds per cubic foot. You should perform a density test reading on three test sites across your total surface area. Choose test sites with adequate space between them to ensure you accurately test the entire area's density. Mark each spot you test and place the gauge back in the same position, repeating this process until there are no more significant density increases. 

4. Address Drum Ringing and Avoid Over-Compacting Material

Drum ringing may occur when your material is fully compacted or close to full compaction. To address this, you should reduce your vibratory passes and lower the amplitude by balancing the eccentric weight of the vibratory's shaft inside the drum. You can adjust the amplitude settings according to the roller's user manual. It's also important to avoid over-rolling materials. This is especially crucial when compacting stone because it prevents it from breaking down and losing density.

Safety Tips

Safety should be your top priority when operating any type of heavy machinery. Follow these tips to prevent rollovers and keep you and your crew safe:

  • Always wear a seatbelt and hard hat when operating a ride-on compaction roller.
  • Drive at a low speed and avoid changing gears when operating machinery on a grade.
  • Operate your machine with your seat parallel to a slope if one is near your work area to prevent slipping.
  • Stop your machine and set your parking brake immediately if your machine draws too close to a slope's edge.
  • Always set your parking brake before exiting a compaction roller.
  • Never drive sideways on a hill — always drive up or down when operating machinery on a hill.
  • Opt for a compaction roller with a rollover protective structure if possible.
  • Always park a compaction roller on flat ground.


Rent a High-Quality Compaction Roller From The Cat® Rental Store

Smooth drum rollers and padfoot rollers are excellent compaction machines you can use to prepare surfaces for construction work. A smooth drum roller offers the smooth surface necessary to level asphalt or pack down granular materials, and a padfoot roller offers the force and kneading capabilities to handle dense, cohesive materials.

The Cat® Rental Store offers a wide selection of quality compaction rollers with flexible rental terms. Our cost-effective options can help you diversify your capabilities and work with a wider variety of materials. We thoroughly inspect each machine before and after rental to ensure it's safe and delivers top performance.

The right machine for your next project depends on how large the project is and the type of material involved. Renting a compaction roller from The Cat Rental Store allows you to match the right machine to your job, helping you complete compaction tasks with precision and efficiency. Find The Cat Rental Store location nearest you to find the perfect equipment for your next project.

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