Civil, Structural & Geotechnical Engineering
Hveem Stabilometer Resistance R-Value Formula (ASTM D2844) & Subgrade Modulus
Calculate ASTM D2844 / Caltrans Test 301 Hveem Stabilometer Resistance R-Value (0–100 scale) from 160-psi vertical pressure, transmitted horizontal fluid pressure P_h, and displacement turns D_2, plus AASHTO Resilient Modulus M_R.
Measure lateral plastic soil flow directly on a 0 (water) to 100 (rigid steel) resistance scale!
Invented by Caltrans Materials & Research Engineer Francis N. Hveem and standardized as ASTM D2844 / AASHTO T 190 / California Test 301, the Hveem Stabilometer encloses a 4-inch-diameter compacted soil or aggregate specimen inside a flexible rubber-diaphragm oil chamber! Applying a standard vertical axial pressure P_v = 160 psi measures how much lateral pressure P_h (psi) the soil transmits horizontally into the surrounding hydraulic fluid (followed by pump displacement turns D_2 required to raise chamber pressure from 5 psi to 100 psi, correcting for surface air-void roughness):
R = 100 - (100 / ((2.5 / D_2) * ((P_v / P_h) - 1) + 1))! Look at the physical endpoints: a pure liquid (hydrostatic Pascal’s law P_h = P_v = 160 psi) yields (P_v / P_h - 1) = 0 -> R = 0, whereas a completely rigid elastic solid transmitting near-zero lateral pressure (P_h -> 0) yields R -> 100! For Western U.S. / AASHTO pavement design across fine-grained subgrades (R <= 20), Asphalt Institute / AASHTO correlates Subgrade Resilient Modulus via M_R (psi) = 1,155 + 555 * R!
| Compacted Pavement Material (P_v = 160 psi) | Horizontal Pressure P_h (psi) | Displacement Turns D_2 | Evaluated Hveem R-Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expansive Plastic Clay Subgrade | 118 psi | 2.35 turns | 27.4 |
| Silty Sand Embankment Fill | 52 psi | 2.85 turns | 64.6 |
| Crushed Aggregate Base (Class 2) | 22 psi | 3.40 turns | 82.2 (Spec >= 78) |
ASTM D2844 Hveem Stabilometer Resistance R-Value (0 to 100)
Evaluates 100 - 100 / ((2.5 / D_2) * ((P_v / P_h) - 1) + 1) across applied vertical pressure P_v (B2 = 160 psi), horizontal chamber pressure P_h (B3 in (0, P_v]), and displacement turns D_2 (B4 > 0).
=IF(OR(B2 <= 0, B3 <= 0, B3 > B2, B4 <= 0), "Requires 0 < Horizontal P_h <= Vertical P_v and Turns D_2 > 0", ROUND(100 - (100 / ((2.5 / B4) * ((B2 / B3) - 1) + 1)), 2))AASHTO / Asphalt Institute Subgrade Resilient Modulus M_R (psi) from R-Value
Computes 1155 + 555 * R to translate Hveem Stabilometer R-values into pavement design Resilient Modulus (psi).
=IF(OR(B2 <= 0, B3 <= 0, B3 > B2, B4 <= 0), "Requires Valid Hveem R-Value Inputs", ROUND(1155 + 555 * (100 - (100 / ((2.5 / B4) * ((B2 / B3) - 1) + 1))), 0))Try the example
Use the original values or change them to test your understanding.