Abstract:
The present research work is carried out to predict
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) values of soils from the
Tshimoyapula area near Serowe in the Central District of
Botswana based on the index properties using machine learning
techniques. The CBR test is a very important and common test
performed on soils to assess the stiffness modulus and shear
strength of subgrade materials to determine the thickness of
overlaying layers in pavement design. It is an expensive and timeconsuming
test in addition to difficulty in keeping the sample in the
desired condition. The construction industry is one of the least
digitized in the world, and using Artificial Intelligence could help
achieve profitability, efficiency, safety, and security. Machine
learning techniques, namely, Regression Analysis (RA) and
Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were developed with different
configurations using various laboratory soil properties comprising
Liquid Limit (LL), Plastic Limit (PL), Plastic Index (PI), Maximum
Dry Density (MDD), and Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) of 200
soil samples that laboratory CBR test was performed on. The index
properties were used as input parameters for different models with
the CBR as output. Results indicate a good correlation between the
input parameters and the output. Artificial Neural Networks
showed the least error and the highest accuracy followed by Linear
Regression among the models.