Indian Geotechnical Conference 2010, GEOtrendz

December 1618, 2010

IGS Mumbai Chapter & IIT Bombay

California Bearing Ratio, Evaluation and Estimation:

A Study on Comparisons
Roy, T.K.

Chattopadhyay, B.C.

Roy, S.K.

Sr. Lecturer
e-mail: tapash@civil.becs.ac.in, tapash2000@hotmail.com

Professor
e-mail: ccbikash@ yahoo.co.in

Professor
e-mail: sudip@ civil.becs.ac.in

Department of Civil Engineering, Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur, Howrah

ABSTRACT
In India, California Bearing Ratio (CBR) value of subgrade is used often for design of flexible pavements. In
practice, only limited number of such tests could be performed because of high unit cost and time required for
such testing. As a result, in many cases, it is difficult to reveal detailed variations in the CBR values, over the
length of roads. In such cases if the estimation of the CBR could be done on the basis of some tests which are
quick to perform, less time consuming and cheap, then it will be easy to get the information about the strength of
subgrade over the length of roads and also will be helpful and important specially for low volume roads being
constructed under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) scheme over different states of India presently,
to develop large scale connections of rural India within a short period of time. By considering this aspect, a
number of investigators in the past made their investigations in this field and developed different methods for
determining the CBR value on the basis of results of low cost, less time consuming and easy to perform tests. In
this study, attempts have been made to seek the validation of the predicted values of CBR determined by different
method as per guidelines of IRC:SP:72-2007.
1. INTRODUCTION
California bearing ratio (CBR) is an empirical test and
widely applied in design of flexible pavement over the
world. This method was developed during 1928-29 by the
California Highway Department. Use of CBR test results
for design of roads, introduced in USA during 2nd World
War and subsequently adopted as a standard method of
design in other parts of the world, is recently being
discouraged in some advanced countries because of the
imperialness of the method (Brown, 1996). In addition,
CBR test in laboratory requires a large soil sample and is
laborious as well as time consuming. Furthermore, the
results sometimes are not accurate due to poor quality of
skill of the technicians testing the soil samples in the
laboratory. All these problems may result in serious delay
in the progress of the project and ultimately it may lead to
escalation of the project cost. Government of India launched
a prestigious project namely Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak
Yojana (PMGSY) for providing the connectivity to the
unconnected rural areas. In this project, the designers have
to use the CBR value of soil for determining the thickness
of the road where soaked/unsoaked CBR of soil samples to
be used as subgrde to be determined in the laboratory. So

evaluation of CBR of subgrade soils on the basis of simple

and less time consuming tests may be necessary specially
in such types of low volume roads. In the past, several
attempts have been made to predict CBR by using different
methods. Karunaprema and Edirisinghe (2002) and
Nuwaiwu et al. (2006) performed the investigations for
prediction of CBR from the Dynamic Cone Penetration
(DCP) value and plasticity modulus. A study to check the
validity of available correlations between CBR and other
properties of soils has been made by Roy et al. (2006).
Shukla and Kukalyekar (2004) have developed correlations
of CBR with the compaction characteristics for the
compacted fly ash. Recently Srinivasa Rao (2004)
developed a correlation between CBR and Group index
based on tests on about 150 soil samples covering a wide
range of soil types. In this paper, an attempt has been made
to make the comparison between the predicted and the
experimental values of CBR as per the guidelines of
IRC:SP:72-2007 for different projects of PMGSY.
2. AVAILABLE METHODS FOR PREDICTING
CBR
For the design of new roads, the CBR value may be

20

T.K. Roy, B.C. Chattopadhyay and S.K. Roy

predicted as per IRC:SP:72-2007 by using the presumptive

chart on the basis of soil classification tests which gives
typical presumptive design CBR values for soil samples
compacted to maximum dry density at optimum moisture
content and soaked under water for 4 days as shown in the
Table 1.
Another method is by using Nomograph based on wet
sieve analysis data, for estimating soaked CBR values on
samples compacted to Proctor density as shown in the
Figure 1.
Table 1: Typical Presumptive Design CBR Values

Description of
Subgrde Soil

IS Soil
Classification

Typical Soaked
CBR Values (%)

Highly Plastic Clays

and Silts

CH, MH

* 2-3

Silty Clays and Sandy

Clays

ML, MI
CL, CI

4-5

Clayey Sands and

Silty Sands

SC, SM

6-10

* Expansive clays like BC Soil may have a soaked CBR of less

than 2%

Fig. 1: Nomograph for Computing Soaked CBR Value From

Sieve Analysis Data (CRRI, 1990)

3. METHODOLOGY AND DISCUSSION

For checking the applicability of the above cited methods
for predicting CBR, reported different properties like Liquid
limit (LL), Plastic limit (PL), Plasticity index (PI), Grain
size distribution etc. of soils along with the soaked CBR
have been collected from the Detailed Project Report (DPR)
of different roads project of different district of West Bengal
under PMGSY and shown in the Table 2. List of the places
of the collected soil samples are furnished below:
Sl.No.1:
Deul to Basanti, at CH. 0.4 km, Kumargang
Block, Dist.-Dakshin Dinajpur, W.B.
Sl.No.2:
Deul to Basanti, at CH. 1.10 km, Kumargang
Block, Dist.-Dakshin Dinajpur, W.B.
Sl.No.3:
Dakshin Jamalpur to Fatepur, at CH. 4.00 km,
Tapan Block, Dist.- Dakshin Dinajpur, W.B.
Sl.No.4:
18 No Road to Chowtara, at CH. 2.00 km,
Dhaniakhali Block, Dist.-Hooghly, W.B.
Sl.No.5:
Birshimul more to Kantapukur, at CH. 1.00
km, Memari Block, Dist.- Bardhaman, W.B.
Sl.No.6:
T-02 to Buranagar, at CH. 0.60 km, BhangarI Block, Dist.-South 24 Parganas, W.B.
Sl.No.7:
T-02 to Buranagar, at CH. 3.80 km, BhangarI Block, Dist.-South 24 Parganas, W.B.
Sl.No.8:
T-02 to Buranagar, at CH. 6.90 km, BhangarI Block, Dist.-South 24 Parganas, W.B.
Sl.No.9:
T-06 to Sasari-169, at CH. 1.90 km, Baruipur
Block, Dist.-South 24 Parganas, W.B.
Sl.No.10: T-02 to Sasari-169, at CH. 3.80 km, Baruipur
Block, Dist.-South 24 Parganas, W.B.
To compare the experimental and presumptive design
values of soaked CBR as per IRC:SP:72-2007, tested soils
have been classified into different groups by using the
reported values of LL and PI as per the plasticity chart and
furnished in the Table 3.
Further comparison has been made in between the
experimental and predicted values of soaked CBR by
following the guidelines of evaluating procedure of
Nomograph from IRC:SP:72-2007, and the results are
tabulated in the Table 4.
From the Table 3, it is observed that experimental
soaked CBR values determined at optimum moisture
content of ML and CL group of soils have shown the lower
amount compared to the typical presumptive design CBR
values as specified in the IRC:SP:72-2007. But between
two experimental values of soaked CBR of CL-ML group
of soils, one value has satisfied the said design chart and
other one remains below the lower limit. However the
reported value of soaked CBR of CH group of soil exceeds
the upper limit of the presumptive design CBR values as
specified in the IRC:SP:72-2007.

21

California Bearing Ratio, Evaluation and Estimation: A Study on Comparisons

Further for prediction of soaked CBR by using
Nomograph as per IRC:SP:72-2007 as shown in the Table
4, it is observed that the variation between the experimental
values and the predicted values remains within the range
of 1% to 49%. Among 10 nos. of predicted values, 50%
have remained within limit of 20% and balance exceeds
the same.
Table 2: Physical Properties of Different Soils Reported
in the DPR

Sand-23.2%
Silt &
Clay-76.8%

Nonplastic

3.11

Sand-26.7%
Silt &
Clay-73.3%

Nonplastic

Soaked
CBR
(%)

Nonplastic

PI
%

Nonplastic

PL
%

Nonplastic

Type of Soil

LL
%

Nonplastic

Sl.
No

3.39

Sand-2.0%
Silt &
Clay-98.0%

Sand-11.56%
Silt &
Clay-88.44%

31.0

16.21

14.79

3.55

Sand-10.21%
Silt &
Clay-89.79%

30.70

17.22

13.48

3.62

Sand-4.0%
Silt &
Clay-96.0%

Sand-2.0%
Silt &
Clay-98.0%

Sand-1.0%
Silt &
Clay-99.0%

10

Sand-8.0%
Silt &
Clay-92.0%
Sand-4.0%
Silt &
Clay-96.0%

31.21

29.23

27.58

29.27

36.24

34.57

16.14

22.83

21.25

20.11

24.32

22.74

15.07

6.40

6.33

9.16

11.92

11.83

3.24

4.0

3.51

3.37

Table 3: Comparison Between the Typical Presumptive Design

CBR Values and the Tested Values Reported in DPR

Sl.
No.

Reported
Value

Presumptive Design
Values As Per IRC:SP:722007

IS
Classification

Reported
Soaked
CBR

IS
Classification

Typical
Soaked
CBR

ML

3.11

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

ML

3.39

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

CL

3.24

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

CL

3.55

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

CL

3.62

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

CL-ML

4.0

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

CL-ML

3.51

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

CL

3.37

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

CH

3.22

CH, MH

2-3

10

CL

3.52

ML,MI,CL,CI

4-5

Table 4: Comparison of the Predicted CBR Values from the

Nomograph with the Tested Values Reported in DPR

Sl.
No.

Reported
Soaked
CBR (%)

Predicted Soaked CBR

By Nomograph
As Per IRC:SP:72-2007

%
Diff.

3.11

4.50

31

3.49

4.40

21

3.24

3.00

3.55

3.50

3.62

3.40

4.0

3.10

29

3.51

2.35

49

3.37

2.30

47

3.22

3.25

10

3.52

3.10

14

3.22

3.52

22
4. CONCLUSION
From this experimental study, the following conclusions
can be made:
(i) Estimation of CBR on the basis of cheap and less
time consuming method will help the designers
and constructors enormously.
(ii) However prediction of soaked CBR value by using
the presumptive design chart as specified in the
IRC:SP:72-2007 have shown significant difference
with the experimental values of the same.
(iii) By using Nomograph of IRC:SP:72-2007, the
difference between the reported and predicted
soaked CBR values exceeds 20%, when soil is nonplastic or having very small amount of sand
content.
REFERENCES
Brown, S.F. (1996). Soil Mechanics in Pavement
Engineering. Geotechnique, 46 (3), 383-426.
IRC: SP 72 (2007). Guidelines for the Design of Flexible
Pavements for Low Volume Rural Roads.
IS 2720 (Part V) (1985). Determination of Liquid & Plastic
Limits.
IS 2720. Method of Test for Soil (Part VIII) (1980)
Laboratory Determination of Moisture Content & Dry
Density.

T.K. Roy, B.C. Chattopadhyay and S.K. Roy

IS 2720. Method of Test for Soil (Part CVI). Laboratory

Determination of CBR.
Karunaprema, K.A.K. and Edirisinghe, A.G.H.J. (2002).
Some Useful Relationships for the use of Dynamic Cone
Penetrometer for Road Subgrade Evaluation.
Proceedings of the Civil Engineering Society Annual
Seminar, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 85.
Nuwaiwu, C.M.O., Alkali, I.B.K. and Ahmed, U.A., (2006).
Properties of Ironstone Lateritic Gravels in Relation to
Gravel Road Pavement Construction. Geotechnical and
Geological Engineering, 24, 283-298.
Roy T.K., Chattopadhyay B.C. and Roy S.K., (2006).
Prediction of CBR for Subgrade of Different Materials
from Simple Test., Proc. International Conference on
Civil Engineering in the New Millennium
Opportunities and Challenges, BESUS, West
Bengal,Vol.-III :2091-2098.
Shukla, S. K. and Kukalyekar, M. P., (2004). Development
of CBR Correlations for the Compacted Fly Ash.
Proceedings of the Indian Geotechnical Conference.
Warangal, 53-56.
Srinivasa Rao, K. (2004). Correlation between C.B.R. And
Group Index. Proceedings of the Indian Geotechnical
Conference. Warangal, 477-480.