Compaction reduces the voids in soil, improving its engineering properties. Compacting soil to the optimum moisture content yields the highest density and strength. Compacting dry of optimum gives higher initial shear strength but lower compressibility, while compacting wet of optimum produces lower shear strength but higher compressibility, permeability and shrinkage potential. The stress-strain behavior and failure mode also depend on whether the soil is compacted dry or wet of optimum moisture content.