Geotechnical and Foundation Engineering December 7, 2016

EXPERIMENT # 9

DETERMINATION OF CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO OF

LABORATORY COMPACTED SOILS
9.1 OBJECTIVE
To determine the California bearing ratio on laboratory compacted soils by
conducting a load penetration test in the laboratory.
The California bearing ratio test is penetration test meant for the evaluation of
sub-grade strength of roads and pavements.
This test method provides for the determination of the CBR of a material at
optimum water content or a range of water content from a specified compaction
test and a specified dry unit weight.
9.2 APPARATUS
Loading Machine
The loading machine shall be equipped with a movable head or base that
travels at a uniform (not pulsating) rate of 0.05 in. (1.27 mm)/min for use in
forcing the penetration piston into the specimen.
Mold
The mold shall be a rigid metal cylinder with an inside diameter of 6 in
(152.4mm) and a height of 7 in (177.8 mm).
Spacer Disk
A circular metal spacer disc having a minimum outside diameter of 5 in.
(150.8 mm) but no greater than will allow the spacer disc to easily slip into the
mold. The spacer disc shall be 2.416 in. (61.37mm) in height.
Drying Oven
Capable of maintaining a uniform temperature of (1105C)
Mixing Tools
Miscellaneous tools such as mixing pan, spoon, trowel, spatula etc.

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9.3 SIGNIFICANCE AND USE

The California bearing ratio test is penetration test meant for the evaluation of
sub-grade strength of roads and pavements.
The results obtained by these tests are used with the empirical curves to
determine the thickness of pavement and its component layers. This is the most
widely used method for the design of flexible pavement.
9.4 RELATED THEORY
The design of flexible pavement is divided into three parts:
i. Determination the compaction characteristics of soil (AASHTO T-180 and
ASTM D1557)
ii. Determination of the CBR of the soil (AASHTO T193-93 and ASTM D1883)
iii. Determination of the thickness of pavement on the bases of CBR
There are two methods to design the flexible pavement
i. On the bases of GI (Group Index)
ii. On the bases of CBR value

9.4.1 GROUP INDEX

Group index is used in the AASHTO soil classification system. Group index of the soil
is calculated as
= 0.01( 15)( 10)
Where:
GI= Group Index
F=Percentage passing #200 Sieve
PI=Plasticity Index
Greater will be the group index lower will be the quality of sub grade material.

9.4.2 CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO (C.B.R)

CBR is the ratio of Load (Corrected) required to cause the specific penetration of the
plunger to the standard load of the same penetration of the plunger. It is expressed as
Percentage (%).
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test was developed by the California Division of
Highway as a method of classifying and evaluating soil-sub grade and base course
materials for flexible pavements. CBR test, an empirical test, has been used to

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determine the material properties for pavement design. Empirical tests measure the
strength of the material and are not a true representation of the resilient modulus.
It is a penetration test wherein a standard piston, is used to penetrate the soil at a
standard rate.
This test method is used to evaluate the potential strength of subgrade, subbase and
base course material including recycled material for use in road and air field pavement.
The CBR value obtains in this test in an integral part of several flexible pavement
design method.
The following table gives the standard loads adopted for different penetrations for the
standard material with a C.B.R. value of 100%
Penetration of plunger (mm) Standard load (kg)

2.5 1370

5.0 2055

7.5 2630

10.0 3180

12.5 3600

( )
= 0

Standard load for 0.1in penetration =3000 lb

Standard load for 0.2in penetration =4500 lb

9.4.3 METHOD OF CBR TEST:

There are two method of CBR test
1- Point CBR (1 sample, 56 blows & compacted in 5 layers)
3-Point CBR (3 sample @ 10,30,65 blows in 5 layers)
9.5 PROCEDURE
Place the mould with base plate containing the sample, with the top face of the
sample exposed, centrally on the lower platen of the testing machine.
Fir into place the cylindrical plunger and force-measuring devise assembly with
the face of the plunger resting on the surface of the sample.

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Secure the penetration dial gauge in position. Record its initial zero reading, or
reset it to read zero.
Start the test so that the plunger penetrates the sample and at the same instant
start the timer.
Record readings of the force gauge at intervals of penetration of 0.5mm, to a
total penetration not exceeding 13 mm.
After completing the penetration test or tests, determine the moisture content
of the test sample
Test results are plotted in the form of a load-penetration diagram by drawing a
curve through the experimental points. Usually the curve will be convex
upwards but sometimes the initial part of the curve is concave upwards and,
over this section, a correction becomes necessary. The correction consists of
drawing a tangent to the curve at its steepest slope and producing it back to cut
the penetration axis. This point is regarded as the origin of the penetration scale
for the corrected curve.
Penetrations of 2.5mm and 5mm are used for calculating the CBR value. From
the test curve, with corrected penetration scale if appropriate, read off the forces
corresponding to 2.5mm and 5mm penetration. Express these as a percentage
of the standard forces at these penetrations. Take the higher percentage as the
CBR value.
9.6 OBSERVATIONS & CALCULATIONS
Diameter of mould = 6 inch
Height of mould = 7 inch
O.M.C (form Modified Proctors compaction test) =13 %
Dry density (form Modified Proctors compaction test) = 19.7 kN/m3
Proving Ring Constant = 2.43 lb/div
L.C of deformation dial gauge = 0.01 mm
Volume of mould
6
= 7
4

= 197.92

= 0.00324

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10 Blows 30 Blows 65 Blows

Penetration Load Load Load

Dial Gauge Penetration Gauge Load Gauge Load Gauge Load
Readings Reading Reading Reading

mm lb lb
0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00
50.00 0.50 1.00 2.43 10.00 24.30 6.00 14.58
100.00 1.00 14.00 34.02 40.00 97.20 11.00 26.73
150.00 1.50 27.00 65.61 65.00 157.95 28.00 68.04
200.00 2.00 38.00 92.34 100.00 243.00 46.00 111.78
250.00 2.50 49.00 119.07 130.00 315.90 63.00 153.09
300.00 3.00 57.00 138.51 150.00 364.50 83.00 201.69
350.00 3.50 65.00 157.95 175.00 425.25 105.00 255.15
400.00 4.00 78.00 189.54 200.00 486.00 126.00 306.18
450.00 4.50 90.00 218.70 222.00 539.46 145.00 352.35
500.00 5.00 103.00 250.29 240.00 583.20 167.00 405.81
550.00 5.50 110.00 267.30 260.00 631.80 190.00 461.70
600.00 6.00 119.00 289.17 278.00 675.54 222.00 539.46
650.00 6.50 124.00 301.32 294.00 714.42 244.00 592.92
700.00 7.00 134.00 325.62 311.00 755.73 258.00 626.94
750.00 7.50 142.00 345.06 328.00 797.04 270.00 656.10
800.00 8.00 143.00 347.49 340.00 826.20 280.00 680.40
850.00 8.50 151.00 366.93 348.00 845.64 291.00 707.13
900.00 9.00 156.00 379.08 357.00 867.51 299.00 726.57
950.00 9.50 163.00 396.09 362.00 879.66 302.00 733.86
1000.00 10.00 169.00 410.67 362.00 879.66 304.00 738.72
1050.00 10.50 172.00 417.96 360.00 874.80 308.00 748.44
1100.00 11.00 178.00 432.54 345.00 838.35 311.00 755.73
1150.00 11.50 183.00 444.69 335.00 814.05 317.00 770.31
1200.00 12.00 187.00 454.41 330.00 801.90 319.00 775.17
1250.00 12.50 191.00 464.13 325.00 789.75 312.00 758.16
1300.00 13.00 192.00 466.56 324.00 787.32 311.00 755.73

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9.6.1 GRAPH BETWEEN LOAD VS PENETRATION

Load Vs Penetration Graph

1000.0
900.0
800.0
700.0
Load (lb.)

600.0
500.0
400.0
300.0
200.0
30 Blows 65 Blows 10 Blows
100.0
0.0
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0
2.5 mm 5 mm Penetration (mm)

9.6.2 CBR VALUE FOR 10 BLOWS

Load at 0.1in (2.5mm) penetration = 138.51 lb.
CBR at 0.1in (2.5mm) penetration
Load at 0.1 inch penetration
100
0.1 hpenetration
138.51
= 100
3000
=5%
Load at 0.2-in (5mm) penetration = 267.30 lb.
CBR at 0.2-in (5mm) penetration
Load at 0.2 inch penetration
100
0.2 h penetration
267.30
= 100
4500
=6%
So
CBR value (10 blows) = 6 %
Dry Density
W 1 = Weight of empty mould = 5.908 kg = 0.058 kN
W 2= Weight of wet soil + mould =11.842 kg = 0.1162 kN

=

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0.1162 0.058
=
0.00324
= 17.967 /

=
1+
17.967
=
1 + 0.13
= 15.9 /

9.6.3 CBR VALUE FOR 30 BLOWS

Load at 0.1in (2.5mm) penetration = 364.50 lb.
CBR at 0.1in (2.5mm) penetration
Load at 0.1 inch penetration
100
0.1 h penetration
364.50
= 100
3000
= 12 %
Load at 0.2-in (5mm) penetration = 631.80 lb.
CBR at 0.2-in (5mm) penetration
Load at 0.2 inch penetration
100
0.2 h penetration
631.80
= 100
4500
= 14 %
So
CBR value (30 blows) = 14 %
Dry Density
W 1 = Weight of empty mould = 6.16 kg = 0.0604 kN
W 2= Weight of wet soil + mould =12.726 kg = 0.1248 kN

=

0.1248 0.0604
=
0.00324
= 19.880 /

=
1+

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19.880
=
1 + 0.13
= 17.593 /

9.6.4 CBR VALUE FOR 65 BLOWS

Load at 0.1in (2.5mm) penetration = 201.69 lb.
CBR at 0.1in (2.5mm) penetration
Load at 0.1 inch penetration
100
0.1 h penetration
201.69
= 100
3000
=7%
Load at 0.2-in (5mm) penetration = 461.70 lb.
CBR at 0.2-in (5mm) penetration
Load at 0.2 inch penetration
100
0.2 h penetration
461.70
= 100
4500
= 10 %
So
CBR value (65 blows) = 10 %
Dry Density
W 1 = Weight of empty mould = 6.046 kg = 0.00593 kN
W 2= Weight of wet soil + mould =12.95 kg = 0.1270 kN

=

0.1270 0.0593
=
0.00324
= 20.904 /

=
1+
20.904
=
1 + 0.13
= 18.499 /

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9.6.5 Table of Dry Density and CBR value

No of blows Dry Density ( / ) CBR value (%)

10 Blows 15.900 6

30 Blows 17.593 14

65 Blows 18.499 10

9.6.6 GRAPH BETWEEN DRY DENSITY VS CBR VALUE

Dry density vs CBR value

16.000

14.000

12.000

10.000

8.000

6.000

4.000
85 % of Optimum Density

2.000

0.000
15.500 16.000 16.500 17.000 17.500 18.000 18.500 19.000

9.6.7 CBR VALUE OF 85% OF OPTIMUM DRY DENSITY

CBR Value at 85 % of Optimum dry density = 0.8519.7

= 16.745 kN/m3

CBR value = 11 %

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9.7 REFERENCE
ASTM D1883
Standard Test Method for CBR (California Bearing Ratio) of Laboratory-Compact Soils
9.8 COMMENTS
CBR test is an empirical test method and cannot be related accurately with any
fundamental or physical property of the soil or pavement material tested.
Generally, the CBR value at 2.5 mm penetration is higher and this value is adopted as
the CBR value of the soil sample. However, if higher CBR value is obtained at 5.0 mm
penetration, the CBR test is to be repeated to verify the result. If CBR value at 5.0 mm
penetration is higher in the repeat test also, this higher value is adopted as the CBR
value of the soil sample.
CBR test may be conducted in the laboratory either on remoulded or undisturbed soil
specimens. CBR test can also be conducted in the field.
The initial concavity in the curve indicates that during the initial application of load, the
plunger penetrated at a more rapid rate and later further penetration values are
consistent with respect to the load applied.
In our case concavity starts at 0.5 mm so we take the readings start from 0.5mm to
3mm and 5.5mm for CBR value. CBR value at 85% of optimum dry density is 11%

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