CBR

CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
Engr. Nicky Arjoe M. Obseñares
California Bearing Ratio

• CBR (California Bearing Ratio) Testing is primarily undertaken to provide

data for road pavement design. It was first developed by the California
State Highway Department.
• It is a penetration test that is used to evaluate the subgrade strength
primarily of roads, pavements, and foundations.
• The CBR Test often forms part of the overall site investigation and is
useful for determining the thickness of materials needed for the proposed
construction.

CEP322
Reference: https://www.ems-geotech.co.uk/cbr-testing
Construction Materials and Testing
California Bearing Ratio
This method covers the determination of the bearing ratio of soil when
compacted and tested in the laboratory by comparing the penetration load of
the soil to that of a standard material. The test involves measuring the
resistance of soil to penetration by a standard cylindrical piston, expressed as
a percentage fraction of a standard resistance which was originally measured
in tests on a good quality crushed rock.

Thus, to say that soil or aggregate has a CBR value of 20 means that in
the condition tested, the resistance to penetration of the standard piston was
20% of the standard resistance of a compacted crushed stone (1360.80 kg
load at a penetration of 2.54)

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
California Bearing Ratio

This test method covers the determination of the California Bearing Ratio
(CBR) of pavement subgrade, subbase course, and base course materials from
laboratory compacted specimens. The test method is primarily intended for,
but not limited to, evaluating the strength of cohesive materials having
maximum particle sizes of less than 19 mm (3/4 in.).

CEP322
Reference: https://www.ems-geotech.co.uk/cbr-testing
Construction Materials and Testing
California Bearing Ratio

This test method is used to evaluate the potential strength of subgrade,

subbase course, and base course materials. including recycled materials, for
use in road and airfield pavements. The CBR value obtained in this test forms
an integral part of several flexible pavement methods.

CEP322
Reference: https://www.ems-geotech.co.uk/cbr-testing
Construction Materials and Testing
 California Bearing Ratio

WATER ADDED
(𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒)(𝑂𝑀𝐶 − 𝑂𝐶)
𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 =
100 + 𝑀𝐶
Where:
OMC = Optimum Moisture Content (obtained through Compaction)
MC = Moisture Content from sample

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
 California Bearing Ratio

WATER ADDED
MOISTURE CONTENT:

𝑊𝑒𝑡 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙 − 𝐷𝑟𝑦 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

𝑴𝑪 = =
𝐷𝑟𝑦 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑟𝑦 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙

𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 = 𝑊𝑒𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑖𝑙 − 𝐷𝑟𝑦 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙

𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑫𝒓𝒚 𝑺𝒐𝒊𝒍 = 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 (𝑂𝑣𝑒𝑛 − 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑆𝑜𝑖𝑙) 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟 − 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
California Bearing Ratio
California Bearing Ratio

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
WORKSHEET

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
WORKSHEET

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
WORKSHEET

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
 GRAPH

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
EXAMPLE

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
EXAMPLE

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
EXAMPLE

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
EXAMPLE

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
 GRAPH

50
GRAPH
S
O
A
K
CBR VALUE = 36.67 % @ 65 BLOWS
E 40
(DD= 2080 Kg./cu.m.)
D

C 30 SOAKED CBR VALUE= 35.80 %

@ 100% of MDD = 2034 kg/cu.m.
B
R

20
V
A
L
U
E 10

0
1000 2000 3000

D R Y D E N S I T Y, (kg./cu.m.)

SUMMARY: CEP322
SOAKED CBR VALUE = 35.80 % @ 100 % of MDD (MDD= 2039 Kg/cu.m.)
Construction Materials and Testing
 END
CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO

CEP322
Construction Materials and Testing
Engr. Nicky Arjoe M. Obseñares