A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

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A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

Introduction :
The CBR Bearing Ratio with its numerous variation is probably the
most widely used method of designing asphalt pavement structures.
This method was developed by the California division of Highways
around 1930 ( USA ).The CBR is considered to be a comparative
measure of the shearing resistance of a soil .It is used with empirical
curves to design asphalt pavement structures .

Experiment Objective :
To determine the CBR of a soil sample ( as subgrade ) containing a
small amount of material retained on the ( ¾ ) inch sieve .

Theory of Experiment :
The test consist of measuring the load required to cause a plunger of
standard size to penetrate a soil specimen at a specified rate .The
CBR can be define as the load in psi required to force a piston into
the soil at a certain depth(at specific density and moisture ),
expressed as a percentage of the load in psi required to force the
piston the same depth(at same specific density and moisture ) into a
standard sample of crushed stone. Usually depths of 2.5 mm(0.1 inch)
& 5.0 mm (0.2 inch) are used ,but depths of up to 12.5 mm can be
used if desired.

Apparatus :
There are two test have some different tool :
First test : ( dry Sample)(unsoaking)
• Cylinder mold .
• Spacer disc .
• Compaction Hummer ( 2.5 kg = 10 Ib ) .
• 20 mm sieve & No. 4 ( 4.75 mm) .
• Expansion apparatus consisting of perforated aluminum plate
with adjustable atom and a tripod with a dial gauge for
measuring expansion of soil sample during the period time the
compacted soil is soaked in water .
• Surcharge weights .
• Apparatus for measuring the load on the piston and the
movement of the piston during penetration .

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A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

• A jack for applying load to the piston .

• Coarse filter paper, wire saran and cellophane .

Second test : ( wet Sample)(soaking)

1. Compaction Hammer .
2. CBR mold body .
3. Extension collar .
4. Solid base for mold .
5. Tool for base plate .
6. Surcharge weight ( 2.27 kg ) .
7. Spanner ( to mount and dismount collar from mold ) .
8. Perforated plate with adjustable stem .
9. Spilt surcharge weight ( 2.25 kg ) .
10. Compaction plug with handle .
11. Swell dial gauge .
12. Socking tank .

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A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

C.B.R testing machine with accessories .

Procedure:
At first should be select a soil sample that passing (3/4 ) but if
retained should be passing (3/4) & retained on NO. 4 .
The sample should have 20%weight of sample ( = 5 Kg) as water .But
the sample , which we testing it , has 6% weight of sample so we need
to put 14 %weight of sample as water .
( Volume of water which we need to add it = 14% x the weight of
sample x density of water =14% x 5 x 1000 = 700 mm3 as water ) .
Two samples should be prepared one of them is dry and the
other is wet. Soak the sample, after compacting it into mould on 5
layers with 56 strokes for each layer, into water path and take an
initial reading.
Leave it there for four days, take another reading and take it out of
the path.
Now this sample and the dry one, which was prepared as the wet
one, should be tested for bearing. Apply a pressure of 3000lb on each
sample and start penetrating the piston into it, after calibration on
the apparatus. Take reading at several values of penetration.

How can we read the load & penetrate gauges ?

☺ In penetration gauge : one cycle = 1 mm
So : quarter cycle = 0.25 mm .

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A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

☺ In load gauge : we just take reading at the determine penetration

value as divisions .So, we need to transfer it to magnitude as KN Or Ib .
Note : The load gauge cycle = 200 division
So: half of cycle = 100 division .

Results
For dry sample :

Penetration Load Load Load

(mm) (division) (kg) (lb=2.2xKg)
0.25 16 26.20 57.64
0.5 35 57.30 126.06
0.75 48 78.59 172.898
1 59 96.59 212.498
1.5 74 121.15 266.53
2 85 139.16 306.152
2.5 90 147.35 324.17
3 92 150.62 331.364
3.5 95 155.53 342.166
4 98 160.45 352.99
4.5 100 163.72 360.184
5 101 165.36 363.792
5.5 104 170.27 374.594
6 105 171.91 378.202
6.5 106 173.54 381.788
7 107 175.18 385.396
7.5 108 176.82 389.004

C.B.R @ 2.5 mm (0.1 in) =(y/3000) *100%=(324.17/3000)*100%=10.81%

C.B.R @ 5 mm (0.2 in) =(y/4500)*100%= (363.792/4500)*100%=8.08%
CBR 0.1 inch > CBR 0.2 inch , so take CBR 0.1 inch

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A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

Results for wet sample :

Penetration Load Load Load

(mm) (division) (kg) (lb=2.2xKg)
0.25 6 9.82 21.604
0.5 10 16.37 36.014
0.75 13 21.28 46.816
1 14 22.92 50.424
1.5 16 26.20 57.64
2 17 27.83 61.226
2.5 19 31.11 68.442
3 20 32.74 72.028
3.5 22 36.02 79.244
4 24 39.29 86.438
4.5 25 40.93 90.046
5 26 42.57 93.654
5.5 28 45.84 100.848
6 29 47.48 104.456
6.5 30 49.12 108.064
7 30.5 49.435 108.757
7.5 31 50.75 111.65

C.B.R @ 2.5 mm(0.1 in) =(y/3000) *100%=(68.442/3000)*100%=2.28%

C.B.R @ 5 mm(0.2 in) =(y/4500)*100%= (93.654/4500)*100%=2.08%
Swell % = (ΔY/Height of specimen)= ( - )/125*100%= %
CBR 0.1 inch > CBR 0.2 inch , so take CBR 0.1 inch

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A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

Conclusion and comments :

1) It seems that our experiment went well since the values of CBR
@0.1 (in) were always greater than values of CBR @0.2 (in)
which allow us not to repeat the experiment to check our
results.( if CBR 0.1 inch < CBR 0.2 inch , we take CBR 0.2 inch )
2) We should be aware that we should always compensate any piece
of stone or aggregate that are not passing sieve No 4 with a
same weight from a sample passing sieve No 4.
3) We were lucky not to have a graphical shape concave upward
near the origin because then we should correct it.
4) Our values in the graphs didn’t intersect with the origin but the
offsets were too small and negligible.
5) As we have seen the values of the CBR shows that when the
sample was dry it has the properties to be subbase but when
it was wet it has the properties of subgrade.
6) The properties of soil tend to decrease with the presence of
water
7) Swelling measurements are quite important material selection
because we want swelling to be minimum.
8) CBR base <CBRsubbase<CBRsubgrade
9) Classification of CBR :

Properties CBR Layer

Very poor 0 –3 Subgrade
Poor 3–7 Subgrade
Ok ( fair ) 7 – 20 Subgrade
Good 20 – 50 Subbase
Very good 50 – 80 Base
Excellent 80 – 100 Base

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A H M 531 CBR By: Mu'men Al-Otoom

The Relation between penetration

& load in dry sample

500
400

The Load (Ib)

300
2
y = -14.944x + 156.52x
200
100
0
8 6 4 2 0
The Penetration (mm)

The Relation between

penetration & load in wet
sample

120
100
The Load

80
60
y = -2.6845x2 + 33.859x
40
20
0
8 6 4 2 0
The Penetration

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