SUBGRADE thickness

IRC: 37 -2001: Top 500mm is considered as subgrade

IRC: 37 -2012: Subgrade is top 500mm of embankment immediately below pavement.
IRC: 37 -2017: Same as IS
Austoroads, Guide to pavement technology (2008):
AASHTO, Design for Pavement Structures (1993):
Kentucky Research: A flexible pavement design and management system (1976):
The asphalt institute design:
National Crushed Stone association:
Design manual for roads and bridges, HD26 (DRMB 7.2.3):
SUBGRADE compaction
IRC: 37 -2001: shall be compacted to 97% of dry density achieved with heavy compaction for expressways, NH, SH, major district
road and other heavily trafficked roads (IS: 2720 (Part 8). For other cases road may be compacted to at least 97% of standard proctor
density (IS: 2720 (Part 7)
IRC: 37 -2012: shall be compacted to minimum 97% of laboratory dry density achieved with heavy compaction (IS: 2720 (Part 8).
IRC: 37 -2017: Same
Austoroads, Guide to pavement technology (2008):
AASHTO, Design for Pavement Structures (1993):
Kentucky Research: A flexible pavement design and management system (1976):
The asphalt institute design:
National Crushed Stone association:
Design manual for roads and bridges, HD26 (DRMB 7.2.3):
SUBGRADE Dry density
IRC: 37 -2001: for expressways, NH, SH, major district road and other heavily trafficked roads the material used for sub grade
construction should have the dry density of not less than 1.75 gm/cc.
IRC: 37 -2012:
IRC: 37 -2017:
Austoroads, Guide to pavement technology (2008):
AASHTO, Design for Pavement Structures (1993):
Kentucky Research: A flexible pavement design and management system (1976):
The asphalt institute design:
National Crushed Stone association:
Design manual for roads and bridges, HD26 (DRMB 7.2.3):
SUBGRADE
Clause 5.1
IRC: 37 -2001: top 500mm portion. For Expressways, National Highway, State Highway, Major District Roads and other heavy
trafficked roads sub grade shall be compacted to 97% of dry density achieved with heavy compaction as per IS: 2720 Part 8. In other
cases the subgrade shall be compacted to atleast 97% of the standard proctor density conforming to IS: 2720 (Part 7). For high
category roads the material used for subgrade should have dry density not less than 1.75 gm/cc. for CBR value the procedure given
in IS: 2720 (Part 16) should be strictly adhered to. For CBR Sample is soaked in water for a period of four days prior to testing.
Permissible variation in CBR value (from 3 specimens)

CBR (%) Maximum Variation in CBR

5 +- 1
5 – 10 +- 2
11 - 30 +- 3
30 and above +- 5
Where variation is more than above, the design should be average of test results from atleast six samples and not three.
IRC: 37 -2012: top 500mm of the embankment immediately below the bottom of Pavement. Sub grade should be compacted to
minimum of 97 percent of laboratory dry density achieved with heavy compaction as per IS: 2720 Part 8 for Expressways, National
Highway, State Highway, Major District Roads and other heavy traffic roads. Subgrade should have a minimum CBR of 8 percent for
roads having traffic of 450 CVPD or higher. The In-Situ CBR value is determined from Dynamic Cone Penetrometer from the following
relation (ASTM-D6951-09)
Log10CBR = 2.465 – 1.12 log10N
Where N = mm/blow
As a general practice, the worst field moisture condition is simulated by soaking the specimen in water for four days.
Where different type of soils are used in subgrade, a minimum of six to eight average CBR values will be required for determination
of design CBR. The 90th percentile value should be adopted as design CBR for high volume road. For other categories, design is based
on 80th percentile of laboratory CBR value.
Maximum permissible variation within CBR value Same as in IRC: 37 – 2002
Resilient modulus is determined in the laboratory by conducting test as per AASHTO T307-99(2003). Resilient modulus can be
estimated from genral correlation:
Relation for MR and effective CBR
MRSUB =10 X CBR (For CBR=5)
MRSUB =17.6 X (CBR)0.64(For CBR >5)
CBR of subgrade is determined as per IS: 2720 (Part 16)

IRC: 37 -2017: Same as in IRC: 37-2012

But for effective CBR following procedure are given:
Using IIT Pave software, determine the maximum deflection (δ) due to single wheel load of 40000 N and a tyre pressure of 0.56 Mpa
for two layer elastic system comprising 500 mm thick subgrade soil and a given thickness of embankment soil considering the
poison’s ratio from 0.35. Then using the maximum deflection, find the resilient modulus of the equivalent single layer elastic system
by following equation:

2 ( 1−μ2 ) pa
M r=
δ
Where P = pressure over circular area of radius=a
It is effective resilient modulus value not the CBR that is used in design. However if required, CBR can be calculated from the
equation (i.e. relation for MR and CBR equation)
Austoroads, Guide to pavement technology (2008):
AASHTO, Design for Pavement Structures (1993):
Kentucky Research: A flexible pavement design and management system (1976):
The asphalt institute design:
National Crushed Stone association:
Design manual for roads and bridges, HD26 (DRMB 7.2.3):