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MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION
THE CBR RELATIONS
TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 3-441
November 1956
Waterways Experiment Station
CORPS OF ENGINEERS, U. S. ARMY
Vicksburg, Mississippi
ARMY"-MC VYCK UW#. MIsS.
OF
iii
Preface
The information presented in this report was developed as part of
the CBR relation development work being carried out at the Waterways Ex-
periment Station. Authority for this investigation is contained in In-
structions and Outline for the Review of Design Curves. The project was
initiated in October 1953 under the title "Design Curves for Less Than
Capacity Operations." The work is being done for the Airfields Branch,
Engineering Division, Military Construction, Office of the Chief of Engi-
neers. Engineers engaged in the direction and accomplishment of this
work include Messrs. W. J. Turnbull, C. R. Foster, and R. G. Ahlvin.
V
Contents
Page
Preface .... iii
Summary . .... ....... ...... .. .. . vii
Background ...................... .... 1
Mathematical Developments ................... 1
References ................... .... .... 8
vii
mmary
This paper presents mathematical developments leading to general
equations which represent the pattern of present CBR relations for air-
field pavement design in the range of CBR values below about 10 to 12.
These equations are:
1 P A
t = P and Ct = A
where t = thickness in inches, P = total load in pounds, p = tire pres-
sure in pounds per square inch, and A = tire contact area in square
inches.
MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION OF THE CBR RELATIONS
Background
1. The CBR test is an empirical tool used to evaluate materials in
flexible pavement systems. The CBR values are considered to be indica-
tive of the resistance of subgrade and base course materials to the
stresses that may be imposed upon them by repetitive wheel loads. The
design curves used with the CBR method express relationships between
loads, protective thickness of superior material, and CBR of the pertinent
layer in the flexible pavement system.
2. Theoretical shear-stress relationships, allowable deformations,
and relationships between relative sizes of loaded areas were used to ex-
trapolate the basic California Highway Department curves to airplane
loadings. Subsequently, theoretical relationships such as shear stresses,
vertical stresses, and vertical deflections have been used to study the
pattern of the CBR design curves. Graphical relationships have also been
used. These studies and service behavior records show that the CBR de-
sign curves can be divided into two parts. At the greater depths beneath
the surface of flexible pavements, required strengths are governed pri-
marily by the gross magnitudes of applied loads. These greater depths
are the zone in which the smaller CBR values are usually encountered. At
the lesser depths beneath the pavement surface, on the other hand, the
intensity of applied loads is the primary governing factor in the deter-
mination of required strengths. These lesser depths are the zone in
which the larger CBR values are usually encountered.
3. The developments presented in this report are concerned with
the small CBR range (greater depths) for which they establish a firm
mathematical pattern interrelating the various pertinent factors.
Mathematical Developments
4. Prior work has already established a relation between design
thickness, wheel load, and a constant dependent on the CBR for single
2
wheel loads having the same contact pressure (tire pressure).1, 4* This
relation is expressed as follows:
t = K (1)
where:
t = thickness
P = wheel load
K = a constant dependent on the CBR.
The formula is arrived at in the following manner: Relations obtained
from the theory of elasticity for homogeneous-isotropic material under a
uniformly loaded circular area show that for a given intensity of sur-
face load the stresses beneath total loads of different magnitudes will
be equal at homologous points. Homologous points are points beneath two
loads of the same intensity for which the ratio of the depth to the
radius of the load is a constant. It is reasonable to assume that the
needed strength and therefore the required CBR will be the same at
depths at which the stresses are identical. Therefore, it may be as-
sumed that for a given CBR and intensity of load, the depth of cover or
thickness of protective layer for any magnitude of load must be such
that the ratio of the thickness, t , to the radius of contact area,
r , is a constant, C , or
= . (2)
r
The relation between load, P , load intensity, p , and radius of con-
tact area, r , is:
P=pnr2 or r =V x - . (3)
Combining equations 2 and 3 gives:
* Raised numbers refer to the list of references at the end of the
text.
C X VT.(4)
Now being a constant can be designated as K . Thus, K is a
constant dependent on the CBR for a given intensity of pressure. Sub-
stituting K for results in equation 1.
t = K . (1)
This is the expression presented in earlier work.1 1 Use of this rela-
tion permits the development of increasingly larger wheel load CBR curves
from existing CBR curves. The relation has been shown to give values in
good agreement with those determined by service behavior and empirical
tests for CBR values below about 15 to 20. In the initial development
of the CBR relations, tire pressure was not considered. However, tire
pressures used originally in developing service behavior records for
airplane loadings ranged from 60 to slightly above 100 psi. Therefore,
when preparation of design curves for 200-psi tires became necessary
the established relationships were assumed to be valid for tire pres-
sures up to 100 psi. The simple relation for equal stress at homologous
points applies only for a single intensity of applied load and would not
serve for extrapolating the design curves from 100- to 200-psi tire
pressures, but it was found that the relations of the theory of elas-
ticity for deflection beneath the center of a uniform circular load
could be used.1 The pertinent relation is:
2
w = 1.5 x r (5)
E
m Yr
2
+t 2
r + t
where:
w = deflection
E = modulus of elasticity
m
p, r, and t are the same as in equations 2 and 3.
By considering that an increase in tire pressure would require an in-
crease in protective thickness (depth) such that the theoretical de-
flections would be equal, CBR relations were developed for higher tire
pressures. These have since been validated by field test results.
3
5. Equation 5 can be combined with equation 3 to give the
following:
P 1 2
2
1.5 x p
W = 1.5- x or r + t= (6)
xE wnE
m 2 2m
For a given situation E can be considered to have a single value, and
m
if the total load is considered to be constant and tire pressure per-
mitted to vary, the right-hand side of equation 6 is constant when the
deflection is constant and the following expression can be written:
r2 +2 =C'
(7)
where r and t are as defined previously and C' is a constant.
6. It is now possible to examine the effect on thickness require-
ments of changes in gross load and of changes in tire pressure. First,
consider a change in gross load from Pa to Pb. at equal tire pres-
sure. From equation 1, the following can be written:
t tb b
a = K =tb or -
=
where pa
=
b (8)
a ( a a
Now consider a change in tire pressure from pb to pc with no change
in gross load (P = Pc
) .
From equation 7, the following can be written:
=+t or t = tb + b - re where Pb
=
P (9) r + C'=rc +tc ort+r where =P. (9)
Squaring equations 8 and 9 and combining gives:
2 2 b 2 2
tc =t + rb rc (10)
This can be developed in the following manner to give an expression for
the combined effect of variations in total load and tire pressure:
2 2
2 2 Pb xpb rb c re
t =t +
c a Pb
a P P
5
but, npr2 = P, therefore:
2 2 b Pb Pc
t =t +--- - ---
c a a spb spc
and since, pa -=b and Pb
P c
P P
2 2 c c 1 1
c a P- p p
Sa
P
This may be written:
tc Pc
+
Pa1 Pc1 (11)
a2
It may also be written:
t
2 2
a 1 c 1
+--- = + ---- .
P n Pc Pc
a a C c
Since the subscripts represent arbitrary sets of values, the following
more general expression can be written:
2
t
2
t
2
2
a 1 c 1 e 1 n 1
-+ - = + = .... - + -
a a c c e e n n
Or, since any set of values combined in this way must equal any other
set so combined, it follows that the expression must equal a constant:
t
2
1
-- + = D ,where D is a constant . (12)
P pit
7. This expression is similar to equation 1 except that it will
accommodate variations in tire pressure as well as in gross load. The
similarity of equations 1 and 12 is readily apparent, and their combina-
tion provides a relation between the constants D and K . This
relation is:
D = K + -- 1 (13)
pn
6
Reference to paragraph 4 will show that K can be considered to have the
in. in.
2
units --- and therefore D will have the units in. . Since K is
dependent on the CBR, it follows that D is also dependent on CBR.
8. Values for the constant K were carefully developed as shown
in reference 4. The values developed in that reference and in reference
1 are shown in the following table. These are from single-wheel CBR
curves for design (or evaluation) of flexible airfield pavements for
capacity operation (5000 coverages). In evaluation of the constant K ,
units must be assigned to the various quantities, therefore t has been
taken in inches, P in pounds, and K in pounds per square inch.
Values of K
For 100-p For 200-psi
R curves CER curves
0.195 0.199
0.166 0.171
0.147 0.152
0.132 0.138
0.120 0.126
0.111 0.118
0.103 0.110
0.096 o 0.104
0.085 0.093
0.073 0.082
0.067 0.075
0.059 0.068
Values of K
2
For 100-psi For 200-psi
CER curves CR curves
0.03803 0.03961
0.02755 0.02923
0.02161 0.02311
0.01742 0.01905
0.01440o 0.01588
0.01232 0.01392
0.01060 0.01210
0.00921 0.01o81
0.00723 0.00865
0.00533 0.00672
0.00oo49 0.00563
0.00348 0.00oo462
Values of D = +
For 100-psi For 200-psai
CBR curves CBR curves
0.04121 0.04120
0.03073 0.03082
0.02479 0.02470
0.02060 0.02064
0.01758 0.01747
0.01550 0.01551
0.01378 0.01369
0.01239 0.01239
0.olo41 0.01024
0.00851 0.00831
0.00767 0.00722
0.00666 0.00621
Values of D x CMR
For 100-psi For 200-psi
CBR curves CER curves
0.124 0.124
0.123 0.123
0.124 0.124
0.124 0.124
0.123 0.122
0.124 0.124
0.124 0.123
0.124 0.124
0.125 0.123
0.128 0.124
0.130 0.123
0.133 0.124
The above table also develops values for the constant D from those for
the constant K . Study of the values developed showed a relationship
between D and the CBR. Their simple product was found to be substan-
tially constant for CER values below about 10 to 12. The last column in
the table shows this. The resulting constant has an average value of
2
0.1236 and has the units of . Thus the following relation can be
written:
0= 12 in
DX CBR = 0.1236 or D = 016 i .
CESR Ib
(14)
This may also be written as :
1 in.
D=b
8.1 CER
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
15
17
20
7
9. This value for D can now be substituted in equation 12 and
the result solved for t to give a general relation directly involving
gross load, load intensity required, thickness, and CBR as follows:
t = 1 - .
8.1
CBR
pi
(15)
This expression then is a representation of the CBR design relations for
values of CBR less than about 10 to 12.
10. In more recent CBR work, it has become desirable to develop
relations for constant contact areas. Equation 15 can easily be reshaped
to permit this by recognizing that P = Ap , where A is the tire con-
tact area. Then:
(16) t
P
-P A
8.1 CBR
In these equations t = thickness in inches, P = total load in pounds,
p = tire pressure in pounds per square inch, A = tire contact area in
square inches, and the constant, 8.1, has the units pounds per square
inch.
11. It will quickly be noted that for some combinations of CBR and
loading, zero and negative values result. These merely indicate no need
for increasing subgrade strength through use of a base course. It might
also be well to point out that the 10 to 12 CBR upper limit of validity
applies in the 100-psi tire pressure range. For greater pressures the
limit of validity is higher and conversely for lower pressures may be
somewhat lower.
8
References
1. Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, Collection of
Letter Reports on Flexible Pavement Design Curves. Miscellaneous
Paper No. 4-61, Vicksburg, Miss., June 1951.
2. , Investigations of Pressures and Deflections for Flexible
Pavements, Report No. 3, Theoretical Stresses Induced by Uniform
Circular Loads. Technical Memorandum No. 3-323, Vicksburg, Miss.,
September 1953.
3. , Design of Upper Base Courses for High-pressure Tires,
Report No. 1, Base Course Requirements as Related to Contact Pres-
sures. Technical Memorandum No. 3-373, Vicksburg, Miss., December
1953.
+. Fergus, S. M., Development of CBR Flexible Pavement Design Method
for Airfields (A Symposium). ASCE Transactions, vol 115, pp 564-565,
1950.