Main Tab: Road Construction
Sub Tabs:
1. Roads Construction Introduction, Planning and Designing
2. Subgrade & Earth Work of Roads Construction
3. Subbase of Roads Construction
4. Base of Roads Construction
5. Rigid & Flexible Pavement of Roads Construction
6. Drainage system of Roads
7. Signage and Markings of Roads
8. Materials Used in Road Construction
9. Equipments and Machinery Used in Roads Construction
10. Environmental Considerations of Roads Construction
11. Safety Measures During Roads Construction
Subbase of Roads Construction
Subbase construction is critical components of road construction, providing support and stability
to the base course & pavement layers. This layer helps distribute the load of traffic and prevent
premature failure of the road surface.
The subbase is the layer of material placed on the compacted subgrade and beneath the base
course. It provides additional support and helps in drainage. Common materials used for subbase
include crushed stone, gravel, or recycled concrete. The subbase layer is typically thicker than
the base layer.
Construction Process of Sub base
a. Preparation of Subgrade surface: Before dumping and placing subbase material
surface of subgrade should be prepared, and any unsuitable material should removed.
b. Placement of subbase material: Spread the sub-base material evenly over the prepared
sub-grade using equipment like bulldozers, graders, or excavators. The layer thickness
should conform to design specifications. Granular Sub Base includes all naturally
occurring materials, meeting the requirements mentioned in below Table:
Grading Requirements
Sieve Designation Percent Passing by Weight
mm (inch / No.) Grading A Grading B
60 2-1/2 in 100 -
50 2 in 90-100 100
25 1 in 50-80 -
9.5 3/8 in - 55-85
4.75 No. 4 35-70 40-70
2.0 No. 10 - 30-60
0.425 No. 40 - 20-50
0.075 No. 200 2-8 5-15
Note:- The co-efficient of Uniformity, Cu = (D60 / D10) shall not be less
than 3, where D60 & D10 are the particle dia corresponding to 60% &10%
respectively, passing (by weight) in Grain Size Analysis curve
Other Properties of Granular Sub-Base
CBR Value (tested as per AASHTO T-193) 30% (Min)
Plasticity Index (P.I) 6 (Max)
Liquid Limit (L.L) 25 (Max)
Abrasion Value 50% (Max)
Sand Equivalent ([Link]) 25 (Min)
Soil aggregates subbase available in nature consisting of pebbles, shingle and sand may
be used. It may be a mixture of natural and crushed stone. The pebble size should not exc
60 mm (2½”).
c. Compaction of subbase material
Initial Rolling: Begin compaction immediately after spreading the material. Use
heavy rollers (either pneumatic-tired rollers or vibratory rollers) to achieve initial
compaction. This process helps in settling the material and removing air voids.
Moisture Control: Control the moisture content of the sub-base material. It
should be moist enough to facilitate compaction but not too wet, which can cause
instability. Moisture content is typically controlled to a specified range based on
material type and conditions.
Layer-by-Layer Compaction: Depending on the thickness of the sub-base layer,
it may be compacted in several layers. Each layer is typically compacted to a
specified density using the compaction equipment.
Overlap: Ensure that each pass of the compactor overlaps the previous pass by at
least half the width of the roller to achieve uniform compaction.
Number of Passes: The number of passes required for compaction depends on
factors such as material type, thickness, and moisture content. Generally,
minimum 6 passes are required to achieve the desired density.
d. Testing: Compaction tests are performed on each 15cm layer to ensure that the subbase
layers meet the required specifications. Min Compaction (Field Density) 98% of MDD
determined as per ASTM -D 1557
Important Points regarding Subbase of Roads Construction
Use hard, suitable and approved materials
Lay to full depth, hand pack on edge, fill interstices with spalls of sub-base material.
Lay to gradients, camber and super-elevation required and dry roll to a solid even
finish, with 8 - 12 Ton power roller. The actual weight of the roller may be changed at
the discretion of the Engineer-in-Charge, according to the nature of soil and the
(bottoming) sub base materials used.
Make good with spalls of bottoming materials any voids, which may appear during
the process of compaction and rolling, so as to leave the finished surface solid and
conforming to the required slopes, levels, etc.
The thickness refers to the thickness after compaction.
If bricks are allowed to be used, they shall be over burnt, whole bricks close laid flat,
or on edge. Spread sand to fill voids and interstices @ 0.15 Cum per 10 Sqm.
