CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO (CBR) TEST

STANDARDS: IS: 2720 (Part 16) 1979.

DEFINITION: California bearing ratio is the ratio of force per unit area required to penetrate in
to a soil mass with a circular plunger of 50mm diameter at the rate of 1.25mm / min.

BACKGROUND
The California Bearing Ratio test (CBR) is a laboratory testing method to determine the load
bearing capacity and the mechanical strength of road sub-bases and subgrades. California
Bearing Ratio is obtained by measuring the relationship between force and penetration when a
cylindrical plunger is made to penetrate the soil at a standard rate. A plunger penetrates 2.5 mm
or 5mm into a compacted sample a cylindrical mould and its resistance is measured. California
bearing ratio shows the ability of a subgrade to carry the load of a structure (pavement).
Subgrades are classified according to the CBR value for example, CBR 30 - SG30 and expansive
soils – SGE. The harder the surface, the higher the CBR rating. The test is done using ZWS 185
Part 2 (2001) specifications.

OBJECTIVES
1. To determine the load bearing capacity of soil.
2. The test was conducted to determine the CBR of disturbed soil through measuring the
relation between load and penetration when a solid cylindrical plunger of a standard cross
sectional area (1930mm 2) is made to penetrate the soil specimen in a mould at a given rate.
MATERIALS
1. Soil sample (about 28kg)
2. Water

APPARTUS:
1. Moulds 2250cm3 capacity with base plate, stay rod and wing nut confirming to 4.1,
4.3 and 4.4 of IS: 9669-1980.
2. Collar confirming to 4.2 of IS: 9669-1980.
3. Spacer Disc confirming to 4.4 of IS: 9669-1980.
4. Metal rammer confirming to IS: 9189-1979.
5. Expansion measuring apparatus with the adjustable stem, perforated plates, tripod
confirming and to weights confirming to 4.4 of IS: 9669-1980.
6. Loading machine having a capacity of at least 5000kg and equipped with a movable
head or base that travels at a uniform rate of 1.25mm / min for use in forcing the
penetration plunger in to the specimen.
7. Penetration plunger confirming to 4.4 of IS: 9669-1980.
8. Dial gauge two numbers reading to 0.01mm.
 9. IS sieves 37.50 or 22.50 or 19mm and 4.75mm?
10. Miscellaneous apparatus such as mixing bowl, straight edge, scales, soaking tank,
drying oven, filter paper, dishes and calibrated measuring jar.
DIAGRAM 1.0

PROCEDURE:
The procedure was divided into the categories, which are:
1. Dynamic Compaction test.
2. Soaking phase.
3. California bearing ratio test.

1. DYNAMIC COMPACTION:

2. Take representative sample of soil weighing approximately 6kg and mix thoroughly at
optimum moisture content.
3. Record the empty weight of the mould with base plate, with extension collar removed
(m1).
3. Replace the extension collar of the mould.
 4. Insert a spacer disc over the base plate and place a coarse filter paper on the top of the
spacer disc.
5. Place the mould on a solid base such as a concrete floor or plinth and compact the wet
soil in to the mould in five layers of approximately equal mass each layer being given 56
blows with 4.90kg hammer equally distributed and dropped from a height of 450mm
above the soil
6. The amount of soil used shall be sufficient to fill the mould, leaving not more than about
6mm to be struck off when the extension collar is removed.
7. Remove the extension collar and carefully level the compacted soil to the top of the
mould by means of a straight edge.
8. Remove the spacer disc by inverting the mould and weigh the mould with compacted soil
(m2).
9. Place a filter paper between the base plate and the inverted mould.
10. Replace the extension collar of the mould.
11. Prepare two more specimens in the same procedure as described above.
12. In both the cases of compaction, if the sample is to be soaked, take representative
samples of the material at the beginning of compaction and another sample of remaining
material after compaction for the determination of moisture content.
13. Each sample shall weigh not less than 100g for fine-grained soils and not less than 500
for granular soils.

PENETRATION SOAKING PHASE

1. The mold was assembled back onto the base and collar with a filter paper placed
on the base prior to the assemblage.
2. A filter paper was placed on the top of the compacted material in the mold and a
perforated soaking plate was also placed on top to the paper.

3. The entire mold assembly was immersed in a designated water tank ensuring the
level of the water was about 10mm above the crest of the mold.
4. A bridge fitted with a dial gauge reading 0.01mm was placed for measuring the
expansion during soaking on top of the mould with the rear leg on a mark on the rim of
the mould so that the plunger of the gauge was centered over the adjusted stem of the
soaking plate.
5. The stem of the soaking plate was adjusted to ensure the dial gauge reading was
zero.
6. The specimen was left to soak for a minimum of 4 days obtaining the bridge dial
gauge readings twice each day.
 7. The above procedure was repeated for each mold containing the compacted
material.

CALIFORNIA BEARING RATIO TEST

1. After 24 hours of soaking take out the specimen from the water and remove the extension
collar, perforated disc, surcharge weights and filter paper.
2. Drain off the excess water by placing the mould inclined for about 15 minutes and weigh
the mould.
TESTING OF CBR SPECIMEN
3. Place the mould on the lower plate of the testing machine with top face exposed
4. To prevent upheaval of soil in to the hole of surcharge weights, place 2.5kg annular
weights on the soil surface prior to seating the penetration plunger after which place the
reminder of the surcharge weights.
5. Set the plunger under a load of 4 kg so that full contact is established between the surface
of the specimen and the plunger.
6. Set the stress and strain gauges to zero.
7. Consider the initial load applied to the plunger as the zero load.
8. Apply the load at the rate of 1.25 mm / min.
9. Take the readings of the load at penetration of 0;0.5; 1.0; 1.5; 2.0; 2.5;3.0; 4; 5;7.5; 10
and 12.5.
10. Raise the plunger and detach the mould from the loading equipment.
11. Collect the sample of about 20 to 50gms of soil from the top 30mm layer of specimen
and determine the water content in accordance with IS: 2720 (Part 4)
12. Examine the specimen carefully after the test is completed for the presence of any large
soil particles, which are likely to affect the results if they happen to be Located directly
below the penetration plunger.
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS
Table 1.1: Compaction Results
Volume of mould = 2250 cm3
Mould number 11 3 1 4
Mass of mould
(g)
4604 4492 4106 4429

Mass of mould
+wet sample (g)
8957 8725 8416 8634
Mass of wet
sample/bulk
4353 4233 4310 4205
mass (g)
Wet/bulk density 1935 1881 1916 1868
(kgm-3)
Tare number W 53 8 X
Mass of empty
tare (g)
280 284 286 287
Mass of tare +
wet sample (g)
680 684 686 687
Mass of tare +
dry soil (g)
604 613 607 606
Mass of dry 324 329 321 319
sample(g)
Mass of water
(g) 76 71 79 81
Moisture content
mc (%)
23.5 21.6 24.6 25.4
Water added
(ml) 1600 1500 1700 1800
Dry density
(kgm-3) 1567 1547 1538 1490
 dry density vs moisture content
1580

1560

1540

1520 dry density vs moisture content

1500

1480

1460

1440
21 21.5 22 22.5 23 23.5 24 24.5 25 25.5 26

Table 1.2
For Mould Number 3
Penetration Gauge reading Load /N % CBR
(mm)
0,5 10 230
1.0 24 552
1.5 38 874
2.0 48 1104
2.5 57 1311 9.89
3.0 63 1449
4.0 73 1679
5.0 81 1863 9.32
7.5 95 2185
10.0 105 2415
12.5 114 2622
Table 1.3: Mould 11
Penetration Gauge reading Load /N % CBR
(mm)
0,5 4 92
1.0 12 276
1.5 22 506
2.0 32 736
2.5 42 966 7.29
3.0 51 1173
4.0 64 1472
5.0 74 1702 8.51
7.5 91 2093
10.0 103 2396
12.5 113 2599

Table 1.4: Mould 1

Penetration Gauge reading Load /N % CBR
(mm)
0,5 1 23
1.0 2 46
1.5 7 161
2.0 13 299
2.5 20 460 3.47
3.0 27 621
4.0 39 897
5.0 49 1127 5.64
7.5 64 1472
10.0 75 1725
 12.5 83 1909

Table 1.5: Mould 4

Penetration Gauge reading Load /N % CBR
(mm)
0,5 2 46
1.0 5 115
1.5 8 184
2.0 12 276
2.5 15 345 2.60
3.0 18 414
4.0 23 529
5.0 28 644 3.22
7.5 38 874
10.0 45 1035
12.5 52 1196

3000
LOAD VS PENETRATION CHART
2500

2000
Mould#3
LOAD (N)

1500 Mould#11
Mould#1
Mould#4
1000

500

0 PENETRATION (mm)
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
The load was calculated as follows
Load = gauge reading × 23
And the percentage of loads at 2.5 mm and 5 mm penetration were calculated using the formulas
load
% CBR at 2.5mm = ×100
13250
load
% CBR at 5 mm = ×100
20000
Table 1.6
Mould No. 3 11 1 4

% CBR 9.89 8.51 5.64 3.22

Tare No F E 7 12

Tare mass (g) 271 280 277 278

Tare + wet 671 680 677 678

Sample (g)

Tare + dry 582 593 586 584

sample (g)

Water (g) 89 87 91 94

Dry mass (g) 311 313 309 306

Moisture
content mc (%) 28.6 27.8 29.4 30.7
 cbr vs moisture content
12

10

8
cbr (%)

6 cbr vs moisture content

0
27.5 28 28.5 29 29.5 30 30.5 31
moisture content(%)

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Sources of Errors
1. Ramming the soil on the mold over a non-rigid pan, this caused dissipation of
compaction energy.
2. The used air dried sample wasn’t cured before the test
3. Sample may not have been mixed well before taking sample for moisture content
determination.

4. Hammer was not dropped with an equal distribution over the sample
5. Non uniform soil and presence of stones distorts CBR values.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. More accurate result could be obtained if the manually compacting hammer was
replaced with a mechanical one, besides the development of a rigid, well-fixed bench
to ram the sample over, in order to avoid loss of compaction energy.
REFERENCES
Head, K. H., 1982, Manual of soil laboratory testing, Vol 2,Pentech Press, ISBN 0-7273-1305-3

Smith, M.J. (2005). Soil Mechanics. Longman Scientific and Technical, Harlow, Essex, England
Craig, R.F. (2012). Soil Mechanics.p458