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CALIFORNIA BEARING
RATIO
3.1 General
The flexible pavements are built with a number of layers. In the design process, it
is to be ensured that under the application of load none of the layers is
overstressed. This means that at any instance no section of the pavement
structure is subjected to excessive deformation to form a localized depression or
settlement.
In the design of flexible pavements, it has yet not been possible to have a
rational design method wherein design process and the service behaviour of the
pavement can be expressed or predicted theoretically by mathematical laws.
One of the methods of pavement design is the California bearing ratio method,
which is an empirical method.
IRC Recommendations
Some of the important points recommended by IRC for the CBR method of
design (IRC: 37-1970) are given below:
1. The CBR test should be performed on remoulded soils in laboratory. In-
situ tests are recommended for design purposes. The specimen should be
2. Prepared by static compaction whenever possible otherwise by dynamic
compaction.
3. For the design of new roads the sub-grade soil sample should be
compacted at OMC to proctor density whenever suitable compaction
equipment is available to achieve this density in the field, otherwise the
soil is compacted to the dry density expected to be achieved in the field.
4. In new constructions the CBR test samples may be soaked in water for
four days period before testing. However in areas with arid climate or
when the annual rainfall is less than 50cm and the water table is to affect
the subgrade adversely and when thick impermeable bituminous surfacing
is provided, it is not necessary to soak the soil sample before carrying out
the CBR test.
5. At least three samples should be tested on each soil sample at same
density and moisture content. If the maximum variation in the CBR values
of three samples exceeds the specified limits, the design CBR should be
the average of at least six samples.
6. The top 50cm of sub-grade should be compacted at least up to 95 to
100% of proctor density.
7. An estimate of road traffic to be carried out by the road pavements at the
end of expected life should be made keeping in view the existing traffic
and growth rate of traffic. Pavements of major roads should be designed
for a period of ten years.
8. The traffic for the design is considered in units of heavy vehicles per day
in both directions and is divided into seven categories. The suitable design
curve should be chosen from the table given in design chart after
estimating the design traffic.
When sub-base course materials contain substantial portion of aggregate of size
above 20mm, the CBR value of these materials would not be valid for the design
of subsequent layers above them. Thin layers of wearing course such as surface
dressing or open graded premixed carpet up to 2.5cm thickness should not be
counted towards the total thickness as they do not increase the structural
capacity as the pavement.