LAB 4.

3: CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO

(CBR)TEST.
THEORY
The California bearing ratio test, CBR test as it is usually called, is an empirical test which
was first developed in California, USA, for estimating the bearing value or evaluate the
strength of highway sub-bases and subgrades for design of pavement thickness. The test is
performed by pushing a standard plunger into soil at a fixed rate of penetration, and
measuring the force required to maintain that rate. From the resulting load-penetration
relationship the California bearing ratio (CBR value) can be derived for the soil in the
condition at which it was tested. The load-penetration relationship is drawn as graph as a
graph from which the loads corresponding to standard penetration are read off and expressed
as ration (per cent) of standard loads. The accepted percentage is known as the California
bearing ratio or CBR value of the soil in the condition at which it was tested.

CBR
The ratio is usually determined for penetration of 2.5 mm and 5mm. The standard forces
corresponding to penetrations of 2.5 and 5mm are 13.24kN and 19.96kN.

OBJECTIVE
Determine the California bearing of the sub-grade soil.

APPARATUS

Sieves of size 20 mm.

Mould provided with a detachable metal extension collar.

Rammer of 4.5 kg.

Loading machine

Penetration plunger

Proving ring and deformation dial gauge.

Extruder.

PROCEDURE
Specimen preparation:

5.5 kg of representative sample for fine

grained soil was put into mixed plan

The material was sieve through 20mm

sieve.

Water was added to the soil and then

the water and soil was mixed together
uniformly. The mixture was divided
into five portions.

The mould was clamped with the

extension collar to the base plate.

The first portion of soil-water mix

was poured in the mould.

Give 62 blows with the rammer

weighing 4.5kg dropping through
450mm in 5 layers evenly spread on
the surface.

The top layer of compacted surface

was scratched. The steps 6 to 8 were
repeated in similar fashion for the
other four portions of soil. Then, the
mould was filled completely in five
layers.

The extension collar was removed

and the excess was trim off by a
straight edge.

The base plate, spacer disc and the

filter paper were removed and the
weight of mould and compacted
specimen was recorded.

Penetration Test:

The mould containing compacted soil

was inverted and clamp it the base
plate.
The mould containing the specimen
with base plate in position was plate
on the testing machine.

The penetration plunger in contact

with soil surface was brought and a
load 4kg was applied so that full
contact between soil and plunger is
established. This should be taken as
zero loads.

The reading of dial gauges was set to

zero.

The motor was switch on, and then

the load ring dial reading was
recorded at every 0.25mm interval of
the penetration dial gauge as the
penetration proceeds. The load at
penetration of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 until
6mm. The machine was stopped.

The mould was taken off from the machine

and the tested sample was removed from
the mould and then the mould was cleaned.

Then, about 20 to 50g of soil was collected

to determine the water content.

DATA AND ANALYSIS

Test 1
MOISTURE CONTENT (MC)
Tin no.
Weight of tin (g)
Weight of tin + wet soil (g)
Weight of tin + dry soil (g)
Moisture content (%)
MOULD
Weight of mould (g)
Weight of mould + soil (g)
Weight of soil (g)
Size of mould (cm)

1
22.88
100.47
83.56
27.87
9075
15005
55930
Diameter= 14.7 x height = 10.8

RESULT

PENETRATION
P
(mm)

0.00
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
1.25
1.50
1.75
2.00
2.25
2.50
2.75
3.00
3.25
3.50
3.75
4.00
4.25
4.50
4.75
5.00
5.25
5.50
5.75
6.00

STANDARD
FORCE
Lstd
(kN)

11.50
13.24

17.60

19.96

SAMPLE CALCULATION

PROVING
RING
DIAL
D
(div)

0
8
17
30
43
60
82
104
130
148
169
186
203
216
230
242
254
264
277
287
298
307
316
325
333

TEST 1
FORCE
CORRECTED
READING
FORCE
(kN)
L cor

CALIFORNIA
BEARING
RATIO
CBR =
Lcor/Lstd100
(%)

0
0.20
0.43
0.75
1.08
1.50
2.05
2.60
3.25
3.70
4.23
4.65
5.08
5.40
5.75
6.05
6.35
6.60
6.93
7.18
7.45
7.68
7.90
8.13
8.33

0
0.20
0.43
0.75
1.08
1.50
2.05
2.60
3.25
3.70
4.23
4.65
5.08
5.40
5.75
6.05
6.35
6.60
6.93
7.18
7.45
7.68
7.90
8.13
8.33

28.26
31.95

36.08

37.32

For Penetration 2.00 mm,

Force Reading = Proving Ring Dial 0.025

Force reading = 130 0.0.25

= 3.25 kN

CBR = (Lcor/Lstd) 100

CBR = (3.25/11.50) 100
=28.26 %

GRAPH

Force on Plunger vs Penetration

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0

DISCUSSION

California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test is a compressive nature penetration test. The test is
specifically used to determine the mechanical strength as well as the potential strength of
road sub grades and base courses materials including the recycled material generally used for
road and airfield pavements. So, the test must be done carefully to get the precise result and
have a few precautions that should be alert.
First, the sample should dry enough to get the maximum strength. As we know, the strength
of soil will be decrease due to high rate of moisture content in the soil. Thus, the sample must
be placed in the oven for at least 24 hours to minimise the rate of moisture content.
Moreover, if the soil is in the wet conditions, it will not strong enough to withstand the
pressure from rammer.
After that, we have to make sure the apparatus is set up correctly, especially the mould. The
screw must be tightening perfectly in order to hold the soil during compaction stage.This
allow the soil compacted completely.
Then, during the penetration test, the assembly must be turn upside down. This is because
after the compaction, the lower part of the soil will get the maximum compaction. So, the
penetration must be subjected to the bottom part of the soil as it have a highest strength.

CONCLUSION
The sub-grade layer of pavement is, essentially, the underlying ground. It is also known as the
Formation Level which can be defined as the level at which excavation ceases and
construction start where it is the lowest point of the pavement structure. Most sub-grade
improvement is accomplished by compacting the soil. In extreme situations, when the soil is
particularly bad or the loads high, soil stabilization can be used. In this process, Portland
cement, calcium chloride or lime are mixed into the soil then it is compacted. The subgrade
soil can also be excavated and mixed with gravel then compacted.
From this experiment, the value of California Bearing Ratio (CBR) for tested soil is
determined. The value for CBR is actually 37.32% at 5.00 mm of penetration. This method
covers the determination of the CBR of pavement subgrade, sub base and base course
materials from laboratory compacted specimens. The objectives are well determined.

REFERENCES

Geotechnical Laboratory Handbook

Roy Whitlow (1983), Basic Soil Mechanics. Singapore: Pearson Education South Asia
Pte Ltd

APPENDIX

Deformation dial gauge