ADVANCE QUESTION

1. What Is a CBR Test Used For?

CBR testing is used in the design of highways and housing estate roads to determine the
strength of the subgrade soil and allow for the appropriate selection of suitable pavement
thickness for the anticipated traffic density, as well as any frost heave precautions. The main
objective of the California bearing ratio test is to measure soil resistance penetration prior to
reaching its maximum ultimate value of shearing.

Basically, 2 California bearing ratio value is designed as a percentage ranging from 0 to

100. The important operation of carrying out the California bearing ratio test is the same of
variations of various soil conditions and construction types. The California bearing ratio test is
used to assess the subgrade strength of a road and pavement. The California bearing ratio
value is used as a measure of soil strength and bearing capacity. The CBR test results are
combined with the Imperial curves to determine the thickness of pavement and various
component layers of pavement.[1]
2. Kindly related with current industry with using the CBR test.
CBR tests are very important to be conducted before building roads, especially with the
current rapid development of the industry. CBR is performed to determine the effectiveness of
coal bed ash mixed into the road sub-base aggregate and it can be concluded that the coal
base ash is suitable material to be used as an additive to road sub-base aggregate and it is
proved by CBR test.[2] Appropriate optimum concentration the percentage of coal base ash
used as an additive to road sub-base aggregate is determined to be about 9%. The percentages
are appropriate for soaked and non-soaked conditions according to the CBR value index. By
using ash below 9% as an additive material to the road sub-base aggregate, it has been
improved by increasing the CBR value strength for the undrained condition.[2] However, there is
a slight decrease in the CBR value for soaking condition compared to control due to saturated
conditions. Conversely, the CBR value the results for both conditions have met the
requirements for road sub-base aggregate from Malaysian Public Works Department (JKR) for
Road Work Standard Specifications while the CBR value for the road sub-base should exceed
30 percent. Bottom ash is more effective as an additive and can be used as alternative additives
to road base aggregates to improve and improve CBR value.[2] Therefore, this will reduce the
cost of construction and solve the problem of disposal.

REFERENCES
1. “EMS GeoTech.” EMS GeoTech, 5 Apr. 2022, www.ems-geotech.co.uk/cbr-testing/.
2. Khalid, Norazlan, et al. “THE CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO (CBR) VALUE of ROAD SUB-
BASE AGGREGATE MIXED with BOTTOM ASH.” Malaysian Journal of Civil Engineering 25
Special Issue, no. 1, 2013, pp. 112–21,
engineering.utm.my/civil/mjce/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2013/10/Paper-9.pdf.
‌