NF P94-078

MAI 1997

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AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
P o ur : Af c o n s I nf r a st r u ct u r e Li m i t ed

ISSN 0335-3931

NF P 94-078
May 1997
French Standard Classification index: P 94-078

ICS : 93.020

Soils: Recognition and testing

CBR index after immersion —
Immediate CBR index
Immediate bearing index
Measurement on sample compacted in the CBR mold
E : Soils : investigation and tests — CBR after immersion — Immediate CBR —
Immediate bearing ratio — Measurement on sample compacted in CBR
mould
D : Boden : Erkundung und Prüfungen — CBR Index nach Immersion —
Sofortiger CBR — Index sofortiger Bodenfestigkeitsindex Messung an
© AFNOR 1997 — Tous droits reserves

einer verfestigten Probe in der CBR Form

French standard approved

by decision of the Director General of AFNOR on April 20, 1997 to
take effect on M ay 20, 1997.
Replaces the approved standard NF P 94 -078, of December 1992.

Correspondence At the date of publication of this document, there is no European or international

work on the same subject.

Analyze This document describes the test methods for measuring indices
following:
— indice CBR après immersion ;
— indice CBR imm ediat ;
— Indice Portant Immediat (IPI).

Descriptions
International Technical Thesaurus: soil, test, immersion method, measurement,
characteristic, size, apparatus.

Modifications
Compared to the replaced document: additional details relating to the methods of
carrying out the test

Corrections

Edited and distributed by the French Association for Standardization (AFNOR), Tour Europe 92049 Paris La Defense Cedex
Tel. : 01 42 91 55 55 — Tel. international : + 33 1 42 91 55 55

© AFNOR 1997 AFNOR 1997 1' tirage 97-05-F

AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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Roadways earthworks -
Execution of earthworks BNSR/CTT

Members of the standardization committee

President : M BOLLE

Secretariat : M J.P. JOUBERT — BNSR

M ABDO NATIONAL UNION OF CEMENT AND LIME MANUFACTURERS

M BERRAUD BOUYGUES
M BETOUX RAZEL
M BOLLE
M GIRAUD EDF — TEGG
M IRASTORZA USIRF
MME LEROY TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF PARIS
M MANOJLOVIC CEMAGREF
M M E MA RJ O U BNSR-SETRA
M MICHAUT COLAS
M MUDET SNCF
M PUECH SCETAUROUTE
M RAYNAUD CEBTP
M RINCENT RINCENT BTP SERVICES
M SAINTON BEUGNET
M SCHAEFFNER LCPC
MLLE SIGAL BEC FRERES
M SMERECKI AFNOR
M VOEGELI DTP EARTHWORKS
AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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—3— NF P 94-078

Summary
Page

1 Scope .................................................................................................................................. 4

2 Normative References ............................................................................................................. 4

3 Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 4

4 Symbols and abbreviations ............................................................................................... 5

5 Principle of the test ........................................................................................................... 5

6 Equipment ...................................................................................................................... 6
6.1 Test specimen manufacturing equipment ...................................................................... 6
6.2 Punching material .................................................................................................. 6
6. 3 Swelling immersion and measurement equipment .......................................................... 7

7 Running the test ................................................................................................................ 7

7.1 Preparation of test specimens ................................................................................. 7
7.2 Execution of punching ............................................................................................ 8

8 Calculations and results .................................................................................................... 8

9 Minutes ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Annexe A (informative) Interpretation mode — CBR study ............................................................ 11

AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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NF P 94-078 —4—

1 Scope
This document describes the specific apparatus, and the modalities of the operating process of the tests
allowing the determination:

— the immediate bearing index (IPI);

— the immediate CBR index;
— the CBR index after immersion;
a soil or a granular material used in the construction of earthen structures or road foundations.
It defines in the appendix the methodology of the CBR study applied to the search for the CBR pavement
dimensioning index.
It applies to soils, rocky materials, industrial by-products defined in standard NF P 11-300 and on condition
that the proportion of elements whose Dmax exceeds 20 mm does not exceed 30%. It also applies to these
same materials when they are mixed with different products such as aerial lime, hydraulic or pozzolanic
binders, fibers, etc.

2 Normative References

This document incorporates by dated or undated reference, provisions from other publications. These
normative references are cited at the appropriate places in the text and the publications are listed below.
For dated references, subsequent amendments to or revisions of any of these publications apply to this
document only when incorporated in it by amendment or revision. For undated references, the latest
edition of the publication referred to applies.
NF P 11-300 Execution of earthworks - Classification of materials that can be used in the construction of embankments
and sub-layers of road infrastructure -
NF P 94-049-1 Soils: Investigation and testing - Determination of the water content by weight of materials -
Part 1: Microwave oven drying method.
NF P 94-049-2 Soils: Investigation and testing - Determination of the water content by weight of materials -
Part 2: Hot plate or radiant panel method.
NF P 94-050 Soils: Recognition and tests - Determination of the water content by weight of materials -
Method by steaming.
NF P 94-093 Soils: Investigation and testing - Determination of the compaction characteristics of a soil -
Normal Proctor test (600 knm/m3)— Modified Proctor test (2 700 knm/m3) 1).

NOTE: The operating process for the tests treated in this document is based on the American standard
ASTM (D 1883: 1973 - Reapproved 1978) - “Standard test method for bearing ratio of laboratory
compacted soils”.

3 Definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following definitions apply:

CBR index after immersion; immediate CBR index: Quantities used to characterize a soil or a developed material, as
a support or as a component of a pavement structure;

Immediate Bearing Index: Quantity used to assess the aptitude of a soil or an elaborated material to withstand the
traffic of construction machinery.

1) En cours de revision.
AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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5— NF P 94-078

4 Symbols and abbreviations

Pd is the density of the dry soil measured on a test specimen or on the soil in place (expressed
in tonnes per cubic meter);
w is the water content of the soil (expressed as a percentage)
pdOPN is the optimum density Proctor normal: it is the maximum value of the density of the dry
soil obtained when compacting a soil at normal Proctor energy (pdOPN is expressed in
tonnes per cubic met;
wOPN is the optimum water content Proctor normal: it is the particular water content for which
we obtain the pdOPN of a soil (wOPN is expressed as a percentage) ;
PdoPm is the optimum water content Proctor normal: it is the particular water content for which
we obtain the pdOPN of a soil (wOPN is expressed as a percentage);
wOPM is the optimum water content Proctor modified: it is the particular water content, for
which we obtain the pdOPM of a soil (wOPM is expressed as a percentage) ;
I.CBR immersion is the CBR index of a soil measured after four days of immersion of the specimen with
application of the overloads defined in paragraph 6.3 (expressed as a percentage) ;
I.CBR immediat is the CBR index of a soil measured at the water content of the test specimen with
application of the overloads defined in paragraph 6.3 (expressed as a percentage); ;
IPI is the Immediate Bearing Index, measured at the water content of the test specimen
without application of the overloads defined in paragraph 6.3 (expressed as a percentage) ;
H is the initial height of the test specimen before filling (expressed in centimeters) ;
Ah is the swelling measured at the end of the immersion period (expressed in centimeters) ;
G is the value of the relative linear swelling (expressed as a percentage).

5 Principle of the test

The general principle of the test consists of measuring the forces to be applied to a cylindrical punch to
make it penetrate at constant speed into a test piece of material. The particular values of the two forces
having caused two conventional depressions are respectively related to the values of the forces observed
on a reference material for the same depressions.

The index sought is conventionally defined as being the greatest value, expressed as a percentage, of the
two ratios thus calculated (see article 8).

The values of the parameters (section of the punch, driving speed, conventional driving, forces observed on
the material) are standardized and specified in articles 6 and 7.

NOTE: CBR and IPI indices are not intrinsic characteristics of a soil. Indeed, if these quantities
depend in part on the nature of the soil (granularity, plasticity), they depend more on its water
content, its dry density and its degree of saturation, which are state characteristics. , these
being a function of the operating and environmental conditions.

The indication of any value of a CBR or IPI index of a material therefore only makes sense if it is
combined with the soil condition characteristics taken into account in the preparation of the test
specimen, i.e. -to say:

— its density in the dry state pd expressed as a percentage of the pd OPN or pdOPM value of the
soil ;
— its water content expressed as a percentage of the wOPN or wOPM value of the soil;
— its state of saturation qualitatively defined by the fact that the test piece is punched
— either immediately, after its preparation, and we then speak of an immediate CBR index or IPI,
depending on the operating process followed;
— either after having been immersed for four days and we then speak of I.CBR after immersion.
AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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NF P 94-078 — 6 —

Regarding the CBR pavement sizing index, the designer must choose the soil condition characteristics he
intends to take into account based on the specifics of the project. As an indication, it can be recalled that the
following characteristics are often retained::

— water content : wOPM ;

— dry density : p d OPM ;

— state of saturation: that obtained after four days of immersion.

This choice is however generally pessimistic, because it is often possible that the soil under the roadway is in a
state of saturation comparable to that of the test piece placed for four days in immersion. It is therefore
necessary to carry out the most realistic possible assessment of the hydric state of the soil under the
pavement in service and then determine the CBR design index corresponding to this state. In appendix A of
this document, a methodology is proposed for evaluating the impact of variations in state parameters
(compactness and water state) on the values of the CBR design index of a pavement.
Regarding the IPI, we retain as state characteristics:

— the water content (or the water content range) for which we want to assess the ability of the
material to withstand the movement of gear;
— the density of the dry soil corresponding to the value obtained when compacting the material
to the water content considered, to the normal Proctor energy in the case of a soil and to the
modified Proctor energy in the case a pavement base material.

6 Equipment

6.1 Test specimen manufacturing equipment

It comprises :
— the CBR mold ;

— normal Proctor and modified Proctor compaction machines or machines ;

— all the accessories (base plate, extension, spacer disc, straightedge, ...) ;

— everyday equipment (scales, oven, trays, etc.).

All the equipment is described in standard NF P 94 -093.

6.2 Punching material

It comprises a press with an effective capacity of at least 50 kN and having a stroke of at least 10 mm.
This press must be equipped:
— a cylindrical steel punch 49.6 mm ± 0.1 mm in diameter, ie a circular section of 19.32 cm2 ± 0.08
cm2, and a minimum of ten centimeters in length;

— a device for driving the punch into the material at a speed of 1.27 mm / min ± 0.1 mm / min;
— a device for measuring the depression of the punch guaranteeing measurement with a maximum
absolute uncertainty of 0.1 mm;
— a device for measuring the punching forces. The capacity of this device must be adapted to the
measured effort. Its precision must guarantee the measurement with a maximum relative
uncertainty of 1 %.
AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
P o ur : Af c o n s I nf r a st r u ct u r e Li m i t ed

NF P 94-078

6.3 Swelling immersion and measurement equipment

It consists:
— one or more tanks of sufficient height to ensure the complete immersion of the test pieces, while
leaving a layer of water at least 10 mm high below each of them (by means of a slatted for example) ;

— a so-called <<swelling>> disc, metal or plastic, 150 mm in diameter and weighing not more than
approximately 300 g, perforated over its entire surface by at least 25 holes of 3 mm ± 1 mm in diameter,
evenly distributed. This disc comprises, perpendicularly in its center, a rod of adjustable height, allowing
the setting to zero of the swelling measuring device, before immersion;

— a series of at least three overloads each consisting of a disc of 150 mm ± 1 mm of external diameter
comprising a central cylindrical recess of 0 54 mm ± 1 mm allowing the easy passage of the punch. The
mass of each overload must be 2.3 kg ± 0.1 kg.
The overloads can be produced in two parts by sectioning the disc defined above along a diametral
plane in order to facilitate their installation on the specimen and around the punch .

— a device allowing the swelling to be measured with a maximum absolute uncertainty of 0.01 mm;
the measuring range must be at least 20 mm.

7 Running the test

7.1 Preparation of test specimens

The first step is to choose the different sets of soil condition conditions (dry density, water content,
saturation state) for which the test is to be performed.

When the maximum dimension of the soil elements to be studied is less than 20 mm, the entire soil is
tested.

If the soil contains elements greater than 20 mm in a proportion less than 30%, they are removed by sieving.
The test is then carried out on the remaining fraction.

For each set of state conditions considered, it is advisable to prepare a minimum of 5.5 kg of material in the
case where we are looking for the immediate CBR or the IPI and a minimum of 7 kg of material in the case
we are looking for the I.CBR immersion.

The soil is then prepared and compacted in the molds according to the procedures described in standard
NF P 94-093 (article 7).

In the case where the immersion I.CBR is determined, the water content for making the test piece is
determined from the excess material, according to one of the standard methods.

The mold containing the test piece is then detached from its base plate, turned over so that the upper face
of the test piece comes into contact with the base. This is then again secured to the mold. Extract the
spacer disc then perform punching or immersion according to the index sought.
AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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NF P 94-078 —8—

7.2 Execution of punching

The execution modalities of the punching differ depending on whether the IPI, the immediate I.CBR or the
immersion I.CBR is determined.

If the object of the test is the determination of the IPI, place the base, mold and test specimen assembly on
the press, in a position centered in relation to the punching piston and punching as follows :
— bring the upper surface of the test piece into contact with the piston;

— initialize the force and sag measurement devices;

— execute the punching while maintaining the penetration speed at 1.27 mm / min ± 0.1 mm / min ;
— establish the stress-deformation curve corresponding, at least, to the sinks of 1.25 mm; 2 mm;
2.5 mm; 5 mm; 7.5mm and 10mm;

— determine the water content of the test piece according to one of the standard methods.

If the object of the test is the determination of the immediate I.CBR, interpose two overloads in the volume
freed by the spacer disk. If it is expected that the stress brought by the roadway on the ground is greater
than the 4.6 kg of the overloads thus formed, it is appropriate to add as many overloads as necessary. The
base plate and overload mold assembly is then placed on the press. Then carry out punching as indicated
above.
If the object of the test is the determination of III.CBR immersion :

— position the swelling disc on the test specimen before placing the overloads as indicated previously;
— set up and initialize the swelling measurement device;
— immerse the assembly so that the test piece is covered by a water depth of at least 20 mm and a
layer of water at least 10 mm high is present under the mold.

After four days of immersion (± 2 h), record the total swelling value reached.
Remove the mold and the test tube from the immersion tank and after draining, perform the punching
as indicated above.

8 Calculations and results

We calculate the following values:
Penetration force at 2.5 mm sinking (in kN) X100
13.35 2)
Penetration force at 2.5 mm sinking (in kN) X100
19.93 2)

— The index sought is by convention the greater of these two values;

If necessary, make an original correction (see figure 1).

2) The values of 13.35 kN and 19.93 kN are respectively the forces causing the piston to sink 2.5 mm and 5 mm on the
conventional reference material (see article 5 <<Principle of the test)>>).
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— 9 -- NF P 94-078

9 Minutes
The test report must include the following minimum information:
— the name of the organization which carried out the test;
— reference to this standard;
— identification of the case (title, case number or reference);
— identification of the sample (date and place of sampling, borehole number and depth) and of any
binder added (nature, origin, dosage, formula, etc.);
— the start date of the test;
— the method used for determining the water content (with reference to the standard chosen). The
desired index being determined, one specifies on the test sheet:
— if it is the immediate I.CBR or I.CBR immersion, or an IPI;
— the dry density of the test piece, expressed as an absolute value and as a percentage of the
maximum dry density Proctor normal or Proctor modified of the soil;
— the water content of the test specimen, expressed as an absolute value and as a percentage of
the normal or modified Proctor optimum water content of the soil.

In the case of the I.CBR immersion, we also specify:

— the value of the deformation of the test piece G, expressed as a percentage

G = — h x 100

— the water content after immersion of the test piece .

AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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NF P 94-078 — 10 —

I I r I I I I
F o r c e kN ___ À Curve requiring original correction C ___
0 Curve requiring no original correction
0

20

16
-.a

12

.... •
-...
8

à à

/
e
1 .25 2 2.5 1.5 10 mm
Pe ne tra ti on
C C

Figure 1 : Plots of force-penetration curves

AFNOR NF P94-078 : 1997-05
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— 11 — NF P 94-078

Annexe A
(informative)
Method of interpretation - CBR study

The bearing capacity of a soil depending considerably on its state characteristics, a particular value of a CBR
index corresponding to a dry density, a water content, a given degree of saturation, does not generally make it
possible to validly prejudge the behavior of this soil, as a support for a roadway. In fact, in this function the
actual state in which it is likely to be found can vary over a fairly wide range, taking into account the vagaries
of water conditions and of operation.

In order to be able to propose a well-founded interpretation, it is most often essential to determine the values
of the CBR indices of the soil for a set of state conditions sweeping the area covered by the aforementioned
hazards.

A CBR study should then be performed, according to the process described below :
a) choice of dry density conditions
Three compaction energies are chosen:
— modified Proctor energy;

— normal Proctor energy;

— reduced energy, corresponding to approximately 25% of the normal Proctor energy (same
modalities as the normal Proctor test, except for the number of queen strikes per layer, which is
reduced from 56 to 14).
b) choice of water content
Five water contents distributed in a range covering the extent of the possible water contents of the soil,
are chosen in the case of site considered..
c) choice of saturation state conditions
In the absence of reliable data on the equilibrium water content of the soil under the pavement, the state
of saturation obtained after four days of immersion is adopted.

The values of the IRC immersion, found for the 3 x 5 = 15 pairs water content - dry density, are then plotted
on two graphs, such as those shown (figures A.1 and A.2) :
— on the graph of figure A.1, one plots the various values of the dry density and of the water content for
the three energies of compaction considered ;
— on the graph of figure A.2, we correspond to the scale of the water contents of the graph of figure A.1
the values of the I.CBR immersion;

— finally, we report on the graph of figure A.1 the network of iso-CBR curves after immersion, which we
can easily build, from the graph of figure A.2, by dividing it by horizontals d 'CBR index given.

From this network of iso-CBR curves after immersion, it is immediately possible to evaluate the variations of
the CBR lift of the soil, corresponding to realistic ranges of variation of its state characteristics once
implemented and consequently to define a sizing index for the structure, taking into account the admitted
risks and the prescriptions imposed by the designer.
AFNOR N171394-078:199745
Pour : Afcons Infrastructure Limited

NF P 94 078
- — 12 —

Pd
2,0

1,8

1,6

1,4

12
5 10 15 20 25 30 W

Figure A.1 : Plot of iso-CBR immersion curves

I .CBR ■
20 O O Modified Energy Proctor

- Normal Proctor Energy

A A Low Energy:0.2 Normal

Proctor Energy

15 -

10

,A

A 0 A
"•••.---:.:17 Imams
0
5 10 15 20 25 30 W

Figure A.2 : CBR immersion study