Establishment and Instrumentation of a Full Scale Laboratory for Thermal and Hygroscopic Investigations of Soil Behavior in Cold Climates

Abstract

This study presents the establishment and instrumentation of a laboratory for investigating how different soils behave under controlled conditions in cold climates. Ground conditions are extremely important in regards to the building sector. Establishing new infrastructure and buildings require high competence about the ground/soils in order to build robust and long lasting foundations and constructions. In cold climates, soils are frequently exposed to freezing and thawing cycles, and building projects often require additional resources compared to similar projects further south. During 2009-2010, a new laboratory was established in Narvik, Norway. The laboratory consists of 4 different 6x6m bins containing different homogenous soils down to a depth of 3m. A special designed measurement frame has been placed inside each bin, which facilitates instrumentation for thermal and hygroscopic measurements. The laboratory has many applications which may lead to advances within knowledge about thermal response of soils, artificial thawing for more efficient building in cold climates, faster dehydration and curing of concrete during winter, improved road foundations and preventing frost heaves and so on. This study describes the laboratory setup and presents test measurements on thermal responses of sand, silty sand and gravel during artificial thawing using a hydronic thawing system.