DefinePK

Abstract

Despite the limitations of the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test, this test is currently one of the most widely used experimental procedures to define the quality of materials in pavement design. Several investigations have sought to correlate CBR with parameters used in pavement design, but to date there are few investigations aimed at correlating the stiffness of modified sub-bases with High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), with the value of CBR. The purpose of this article is to correlate the modulus of elasticity (E) of a modified granular subbase with different percentages of HDPE, with the results of CBR tests. To define this correlation, the Finite Element Method (FEM) calibration was carried out in the Plaxis program, simulating the CBR tests carried out on modified subbases. The calibration of the parameters was carried out through a retrospective analysis, where the stress-strain curves obtained in the CBR tests were compared with those determined by the numerical model. Finally, this research performed an analysis of the stress distribution on the sample during the CBR test, and proposes a relationship between the CBR and the elasticity modulus.