Select Fill

Select Fill, also known as select fill dirt, compactable fill, or select soil, is a controlled soil material commonly used for building pads, structural backfill, grading, subgrade preparation, and site-development projects. Depending on the local source and specification, Select Fill typically consists of suitable sand, clay, and fine mineral particles with limited organic matter, roots, trash, and other unsuitable debris.

Produced and supplied for construction and earthwork applications, Select Fill is chosen for projects that require more consistent compaction and soil performance than ordinary fill dirt. Its relatively uniform composition allows the material to spread evenly and compact into dense layers when properly placed, moisture-conditioned, and mechanically compacted.

Select Fill is commonly used during new construction, commercial development, roadway work, foundation preparation, and ongoing site-development projects where elevations need to be raised or stable subgrade needs to be established. Contractors may use multiple lifts of material to build up building pads, parking areas, roadways, slabs, and other areas before the next phase of construction begins.

When properly installed, Select Fill can help improve bearing conditions, reduce excessive settlement, and create a more consistent foundation beneath structures and paved surfaces. Placement requirements, lift thickness, moisture conditioning, and compaction levels should follow the project plans or geotechnical recommendations where applicable.

This makes Select Fill a common material for excavation contractors, builders, developers, grading crews, paving contractors, municipalities, utility contractors, and commercial construction projects. It is especially useful for large filling operations, site elevation changes, foundation areas, roadway preparation, and projects requiring repeated truckloads of compactable material as construction progresses.

Select Fill is also used for structural and non-structural backfilling around foundations, retaining walls, utility trenches, and other site features when the material meets the requirements of the project. Compared with general fill dirt, Select Fill is typically chosen where more predictable gradation, moisture response, and compaction characteristics are important.

Depending on the source and project specification, Select Fill may be evaluated or tested for properties such as moisture content, plasticity, density, gradation, and compaction performance. Select Fill should not automatically be assumed to be engineered fill; for engineered, permitted, or load-bearing applications, for engineered fill the supplied material should meet the specifications established by the engineer, geotechnical report, or local authority.

Exact color, soil composition, moisture content, and properties can vary between suppliers and local sources. For larger contractor, developer, municipal, industrial, or commercial projects, Select Fill is commonly supplied in bulk and delivered by dump truck directly to the construction site or project location.