Frost Heave Damage Research Articles

Physical properties and anisotropy of sandstone during freeze-thaw cycle under unidirectional constraint

To investigate the evolution of physical properties of sandstone under unidirectional constraint during freeze-thaw cycles, an experimental device was specifically designed. Unidirectional constraint freeze-thaw tests were performed on sandstone specimens. The study analyzed variations in the dry mass, saturated mass, and longitudinal wave velocity of the sandstone both before and after undergoing freeze-thaw cycles, as well as examining the evolution of resistivity throughout the process. Results revealed that an increase in the number of freeze-thaw cycles leads to a gradual increase in the saturated mass of sandstone, while its dry mass consistently decreases, irrespective of whether it is subjected to constraint or not. The change rates of both dry mass and saturated mass were found to be significantly lower under unidirectional constraint compared to that without constraint. With more freeze-thaw cycles, a decline in longitudinal wave velocity was noted. Under unconstrained conditions, no significant direction dependence in longitudinal wave velocity was detected. However, under unidirectional constraint, there was a smaller decrease in the longitudinal wave velocity along the direction of constraint compared to other directions. This indicates that constraint mitigates frost heave damage. In the temperature rise and maintenance stages, resistivity initially dropped, then increased prior to stabilizing at a constant value. Conversely, in temperature decrease and maintenance stages, resistivity first rose, then dipped before ultimately rising again. Temperature primarily influenced resistivity by affecting the ion movement velocity within pore water and the connectivity of the conductive network.

The use of drainage geocomposites in cold regions

When designing road structures in cold climates, engineers must consider frost heave, a natural process that involves the cyclic freezing and thawing of water in soil or rock. The formation of ice lenses as water separates from the soil when the ground freezes is the primary cause of frost heave, and its effect on road structures depends largely on soil particle size. Frost heave damage is more noticeable in fine-textured soils that promote capillary uplift and is more destructive in the spring due to the influx of water from melting snow and ice. One possible solution to prevent road structure deformations caused by frost heave effects is the use of drainage geocomposites. Polymeric geocomposites have been widely studied and used worldwide in transportation infrastructure for drainage or as an anticapillarity layer. It is important to note that their performance is affected by temperature variations, and while many studies and regulations have focused on temperatures above 20°C, there is limited information available for cold climates.

Study on the geothermal environment of urban building in permafrost regions of Northeast China

The geothermal environment of urban buildings is critical to the structural stability of urban buildings in permafrost regions, which is directly related to the safety of human settlements. However, existing studies have not been able to obtain the 3D geothermal field of building subgrades and its evolution during operation, due to a lack of continuous geothermal data. In this study, thermistor sensors were installed inside pile foundations during the construction, providing valuable data for geothermal field analysis. Based on long-term in-situ monitoring data, this paper studied the evolution of the geothermal field of urban building in permafrost regions of Northeast China. The results indicate that excavation and cast-in-place foundation construction cause irreversible degradation of the warm permafrost. When the building is vacant, the subgrade is frozen in the winter, with a maximum frost penetration depth of 6 m. When heated in winter, the frost penetration depth decreases year by year and the ground becomes warmer. The ground temperature within the monitoring depth (i.e., the bearing layer of the pile foundation) increases to above 0 °C. The mean annual ground temperature within the 0–4 m depth of the subgrade increases significantly, while that at depths below 7 m exhibits slight fluctuations. The 3D geothermal field and its evolution of the building subgrade are obtained for the first time. It was also found that the sunny-shady effect induces asymmetry of the geothermal field of the building, which increases the risk of uneven settlement of the building. In addition, the seasonal frost penetration on the northern side reaches 3 m, which can cause frost-heaving damage to buildings. These findings provide scientific evidence for risk assessment, disaster prevention, and control of building in permafrost regions under the scenario of climate warming.

Study on the evolution of microscopic pore structure of sandstone under freeze-thaw cycles

In cold regions, rocks undergo freeze-thaw (FT) cycles, leading to damage caused by the evolution of pores. This phenomenon significantly influences the rock mass stability. A comprehensive and accurate study of FT damage evolution in rock pores was conducted in this research. The microscopic morphology and pore size distribution (PSD) of sandstone samples subjected to FT cycles were measured utilizing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption (NAD) method, and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Multifractal analysis was applied to explore the evolution of PSD. A gradual weakening of the cementation degree of mineral particles under FT cycles was observed based on SEM results, resulting in the formation of larger connected pores. A decrease of 37.3% in the number of pores was recorded after 40 cycles. According to NAD and MIP results, a greater effect on mesopores and large pores were found, with a minimal impact on micropores and transition pores. Multifractal characteristics were identified in the PSD of sandstone samples with different FT cycles. Initially, the connectivity of sandstone pores was found to decrease and then increase gradually after 10 cycles. Uneven PSD was observed to concentrate stress among pores, exacerbate frost heave damage, and drive the PSD towards a more uniform direction. It was concluded that the non-uniform degree of PSD does not consistently increase with FT cycles. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for further research on rock FT damage mechanisms.

THE INFLUENCE OF DEICING SALT ON AIR VOIDS OF ASPHALT MIXTURE UNDER FREEZE-THAW CYCLE

The extensive use of deicing salt has not only solved the problem of road icing but also had a serious impact on the pavement, reducing its lifespan. In order to deeply understand the impact of deicing salt on the air voids of asphalt mixture in the northwest climate of China, this paper conducted freeze-thaw cycle tests on AC-13 and AC-16 asphalt mixtures under three different deicing salt solutions and three different low-temperature environments, and analyzed the changes in air voids, meanwhile, the Logistic prediction model was used to evaluate the change characteristics of the air voids. The experimental results showed that the air voids of asphalt mixture increased to varying degrees after multiple freeze-thaw cycles; when the temperature was above its freezing point, no frost heave damage occurred, and the air voids increased slowly; when the temperature was below the freezing point, frost heave damage occurred, causing rapid growth and connection of voids in the mixture, and the air voids increased rapidly; the Logistic model showed a good fit with the observed changes in air voids.

A novel assembled channel lining for reducing frost heave in seasonally frozen regions

The destruction of channel lining under frost action in seasonally frozen regions has become a prominent factor restricting water transportation in western regions of China, which has also caused a lot of waste of water resources. A novel assembled channel lining for reducing frost heave destruction was presented in this paper. The assembled channel and a normal channel with the trapezoidal section were carried out in the laboratory, considering different water level storage in the high-temperature period. The results revealed that the freezing depths in the channel was quite different, and the order from large to small is the channel embankment, center of the bottom and slope toe. Meanwhile, compared to the variation of water level, the influence of water storage in the channel on the frost heave deformation is more significant than that in the absence of water in the channel. The triangular prism block with the large cross-section set at the slope toe of the assembled channel not only has the insulation effect and a specific anti-seepage function at the channel foundation soil to a certain extent, but also connects the independent concrete plates one by one with the loop-end buckle groove to make the channel deformation uniform under the frost heave. Therefore, the assembled channel could be considered as a novel channel structure to prevent and reduce the frost heave damage in seasonally frozen regions.

Development and thermal response of concrete incorporated with multi-stage phase change materials-aggregates for application in seasonally frozen regions

Frost heave damage occurs frequently in cold regions, which has a serious impact on building engineering. Concrete incorporated with phase change materials (PCMs) is promising in alleviating frost heave by release latent heat. This study aims to develop concrete integrated 100% multi-stage PCMs-aggregates as coarse aggregates and study the thermal response of multi-stage PCMs-concrete. Firstly, the pore properties of shale ceramsite were characterized by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) analysis techniques. Then three PCMs (dodecane, tridecane and tetradecane) impregnated into shale ceramsite respectively to prepare PCMs-aggregates. The effect of different impregnation method and the influence of pore properties on impregnation were evaluated. In order to avoid leakage and improve interface performance, modified epoxy resin and cement powder were used as double-layer coating materials and its optimum addition level was obtained from comparative experiments. Freeze-thaw test showed the effectiveness of coated PCMs-aggregate for leakage resistance. Subsequently, 100% PCMs-aggregate replaced coarse aggregate in volume to prepare single-stage PCMs-concrete and multi-stage PCMs-concrete. The thermal response indicated that the multi-stage PCMs-concrete limits extreme temperature (5.2 °C) compared with reference concrete. The compressive strength test indicated that PCMs-concrete strength was acceptable. Taken overall, multi-stage PCMs concrete exhibited excellent thermal regulation ability at multiple temperature points in a range of 5 °C to −15 °C, which possessed important practical significance to alleviate frost heave damage in cold regions.

Numerical Simulation of Frost Heave Deformation of Concrete-Lined Canal Considering Thermal-Hydro-Mechanical Coupling Effect

This work presents a comprehensive coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical model to explore the frost heave mechanism of the concrete-lined canal under a freeze–thaw environment. Unlike previous models that regard concrete as a homogeneous material, this model considers concrete a porous medium and considers the effect of the concrete pore structure, as well as the water content, ice content, and ice-water phase transition, on the mechanical deformation of the canal. Firstly, based on the theories of unsaturated soil mechanics, thermodynamics, and poroelasticity, the thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling equations of the soil under the freeze–thaw condition are established. Then, based on the theories of thermodynamics, poroelasticity, and permeability mechanics of porous media, the thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling equations of the concrete under the freeze–thaw condition are established. Finally, the freeze–thaw simulation of a canal is carried out and compared with the referred indoor model test, in which the evolution behavior of temperature, frost depth, and frost heave deformation of the canal are studied. The results show that the freezing process of the soil foundation is a unidirectional process that develops from the surface to the bottom, and the thawing process of the soil foundation is a bidirectional process that thaws from the surface and bottom to the center. The frost heave deformation of the soil foundation at the 1/2~1/3 slope height area is the largest, which may easily lead to frost heave damage to the concrete lining in this area. The frost heave deformation of the canal obtained by the numerical simulation is consistent with the experimental results, which illustrates the validity of the established model for predicting the frost heave deformation of concrete-lined canals.

Thermal-mechanical properties of polystyrene insulation board under defect condition and their influence on lining structure of conveyance channel

The seasonal frozen soil area in the north of China has a low temperature in winter, and laying an insulation board is an effective method for mitigating the frost-heaving damage to the lining structure of the conveyance channel. However, the insulation board has a certain defect rate during installation and later operation, which changes its thermodynamic and mechanical properties, thus affecting the safety of the lining structure. In this study, an expanded polystyrene insulation board was adopted and its thermal-mechanical properties were examined under the condition of defects. Then, the effect of the insulation board with defects on the lining structure was analyzed by conducting numerical simulations, taking a conveyance channel of a Jiaodong water diversion project as an example. The experimental results showed that with the increase in freeze–thaw times and decrease in defect size, the moisture content and thermal conductivity of the insulation board with defects increased. After 28 freeze–thaw cycles, compared with the complete insulation board, the moisture content and thermal conductivity of the insulation board with 20-mm defect decreased by 21.63% and 4.33%, respectively. With the increase in freeze–thaw times and defect size, the elastic modulus and compressive strength of the insulation board with defects decreased. After 45 freeze–thaw cycles, compared with the complete insulation board, the elastic modulus and compressive strength of the insulation board with 20-mm defect decreased by 17.76% and 6.67%, respectively. The numerical simulation results showed that when air media existed in the defects, the deformation and stress change of lining were not distinctive. When ice media were present in the defects, the larger the defect size, the larger the freezing depth of the channel, the larger the normal frost-heaving displacement of the lining surface, the greater the possibility of tensile damage of the lining inside, and the more significant the outward expansion trend of the canal slope lining. In the middle of a shady slope, compared with the complete insulation board, the average freezing depth of the insulation board with 20-mm ice defect increased by 2.29 times, the maximum normal frost-heaving displacement increased by 4.50 times, and the normal frost-heaving stress and tangential freezing stress increased by 16.86 and 7.47 times, respectively. These results can provide a theoretical reference for the safe and efficient operation of water diversion projects in dry and cold regions.

Experimental study on the mechanism of ice layer formation in fractured rock masses in cold regions

The formation and growth of ice layers in fractured rock masses is one of the main causes of frost weathering in bedrock in cold regions. The mechanism of ice layer formation in fractured rock masses was simulated in this study by conducting frost weathering tests on a simulated rock mass with a vertical through fracture, which was fabricated by splicing two cement blocks. The test results were used to propose a novel mechanism for ice layer formation in terms of the initial crack-frost effect in which moisture mainly migrates in vapor form. The continuous accumulation and growth of these frosts eventually forms an ice layer that expands the crack, and the fractured rock simulation model undergoes frost-heaving damage. The frost layer on the rock wall in the negative temperature region is similar to the frosting process on the cold surface of thermodynamic studies. The relative humidity (RH) gradient and temperature gradient were shown to be the factors affecting water vapor migration, where the former plays a direct and dominant role, and the temperature gradient has a very limited direct effect on vapor migration.

Durability Analysis of Small Assembled Buildings in Irrigation Canal System

With the rapid development of agricultural economy, people are paying more and more attention to how to apply high-efficiency technologies that save resources to improve agricultural production efficiency, so water-saving irrigation technology has gradually developed. China’s agricultural irrigation technology is relatively backward. In addition to the inappropriate irrigation methods and irrigation systems, problems such as siltation, seepage, and frost heave damage in irrigation canals have seriously affected the durability and service life of the canals. The backward irrigation technology seriously restricts the development of agricultural water-saving irrigation. Compared with large irrigation channels, the fabricated reinforced concrete small irrigation channels studied in this paper are less prone to frost heave damage and infiltration problems, and have the advantages of standardized production, simple transportation and installation, and convenient maintenance. In order to study the durability issues such as the basic characteristics, frost heave damage, and service life of fabricated irrigation channels, this paper takes the channel concrete and the formed channel as the research objects, and discusses the research on the properties of the channel concrete through theoretical research, numerical analysis, experiments, and other methods. Strength properties, water penetration resistance, cyanide ion penetration resistance and frost resistance; simulate the seasonal frost heave failure process of the channel; finally, on the basis of the test data, the service life aims to explore the safety and applicability of the fabricated reinforced concrete irrigation channel during the design use period.

Frost Heaving Damage Mechanism of a Buried Natural Gas Pipeline in a River and Creek Region.

When the buried pipeline passes through the permafrost zone, the phenomenon of frost swelling occurs in the permafrost zone, which causes a certain degree of bending and deformation of the pipeline. As a result, the pipeline’s structural safety is compromised, and the pipeline finally fails during operation, posing a serious hazard to the natural gas pipeline’s operation. Whereas the theoretical research on soil frost heave is relatively comprehensive, the applied research on engineering problems is not yet complete. Therefore, it is necessary to predict frost heaving through experiments and numerical simulation, and put forward reasonable control measures for existing or potential problems. For the problem of pipeline damage caused by frost swelling of soil in the natural gas high-pressure regulator station in a river and creek region, the Drucker–Prager elastic-ideal plastic model of soil was selected for finite element analysis, and a reasonable finite element model of pipe-soil was established in this paper. Through the temperature field analysis, it was found that the soil around the buried pipe is affected by the pipeline and is lower than its freezing temperature, which makes the soil freeze and swell. Furthermore, through the thermal–structural coupling analysis, it was found that the buried pipe is affected by the freezing and swelling of the soil and the structure is greatly likely to be damaged. In addition, by analyzing the temperature distribution and frost heave deformation of the soil around the pipeline, as well as the deformation and force of the pipeline at different pipe temperatures, this paper also determined the ideal temperature for preventing frost heave damage to natural gas at high-pressure regulator stations as −1 °C. Finally, based on the results of the abovementioned analysis, the heating method was determined to improve the frost damage phenomenon at the high-pressure regulator. The results of the anti-frost and swell study were used to conduct field trials at natural gas high-pressure regulator stations where frost and swell had occurred. By adding heating furnace to increase inlet temperature, frost heaving of gas transmission pipeline can be effectively prevented. The results of the research provide a reference for both existing and new natural gas pipelines, and also accumulate experience for winter maintenance design and construction of pipeline engineering in seasonally frozen soil areas.

Repairing Post-Tensioned Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders with Frost-Heaving Damage

Repairing Post-Tensioned Prestressed Concrete Bridge Girders with Frost-Heaving Damage

Meso- and Macro-Mechanical Analysis of the Frost-Heaving Effect of Void Water on Asphalt Pavement.

In cold regions, many types of structural damages are caused by the frost heaving of asphalt pavements. Hence, it is important to quantitatively determine the frost-heaving effect of asphalt pavement using a mechanical method to control frost-heaving damage. In this study, first, the internal voids of the asphalt mixture were regarded as a single void, and the water phase transition generating the freezing water in the voids was simulated using a simplified hollow sphere model to create a uniform internal pressure. Second, the prediction equation of the equivalent linear expansion coefficient was proposed by taking the phase transition of water in the saturated asphalt mixture voids into account. A step function was used during the phase transition of water to determine the sudden change in the equivalent linear expansion coefficient, heat capacity, density, and thermal conductivity. Finally, the typical cooling conditions were simulated with the water phase transition and the nonwater phase transition. The experimental results showed that the proposed model could accurately simulate the effect of frost heaving. Higher stress and strain were generated on the surface and in the interior of the pavement, and the positions of maximum stress and strain occurred on the pavement surface under the frost-heaving conditions. The compressive strength of the asphalt mixture in a uniaxial compression test is about 4.5–6 MPa with a single freeze–thaw cycle. Furthermore, when frost heaving occurs on the asphalt pavement between 5.8 and 6.5 MPa, the numerical simulation method can be used to calculate the internal stress of the structure, which found that the compressive stress under the frost-heaving condition was the same magnitude as the compressive strength under the freeze–thaw testing condition.

Effect of dynamic load and cooling path on the frost characteristics of saturated lean clay

With the traffic load increase in heavy-haul railways, the subgrade's frost heave damage should be emphasized in colder seasons for operational safety. The effects of dynamic vehicle load (mean value and frequency), step cooling path, and dry density on filler's frost characteristics are not explored in existing heavy-haul lines. This study performed L9(43) orthogonal tests for saturated lean clay filler. The test results were analyzed using the analysis of variance method and the grey incidence (GI) model. The external water supply caused a shallower frozen depth, more segregated ice, and a frost heave ratio exceeding 4.0% under a dynamic load. The dry density, associated with the migrating water's permeability, had the highest significance on the open system's frost heave. As the phase change of water depends on the negative temperature, the step cooling path had the highest impact on the frost heave ratio and frozen depth in the closed system. The significance of dynamic load on the frost heave ratio was slight, so an increase in axle load and operating speed had little impact on the lean clay's frost heave characteristics. Compared with other factors, the water supply conditions had the most significant impact on the test results. This study clarifies the significance of the four factors on the filler's frost characteristics in heavy-haul railways, which serves as an essential guide to frost damage management.

The mechanism of crack propagation during frost heave damage in fractured rock mass at low temperature

The mechanism of crack propagation during frost heave damage in fractured rock mass at low temperature

Study on the microscopic damage of porous asphalt mixture under the combined action of hydrodynamic pressure and ice crystal frost heave

Hydrodynamic pressure and frost heaving damage of ice crystals are the main reasons for the damage of porous asphalt mixture pavement in winter. Therefore, the author takes the open graded friction course (OGFC) asphalt mixture as an example, uses ANSYS finite element software to conduct multi-field coupling analysis of fluid and temperature for OGFC-13 asphalt mixtures with different porosities, pore structures, and different temperatures. Results show that the phenomena of “washing” and “pumping” of dynamic water exist in the connected pores at the same time. Under low-temperature conditions, low speed and heavy load are the most disadvantageous to the pores of the pavement surface. The maximum positive and negative pressures were 1.162 and −0.616 MPa, respectively. The wall shear stress distributed at the entrance and exit of the pores also reached peaks of 33.40, 25.77, and 20.07 kPa at the load duration T/2. In the early stage of ice crystal development, the temperature was lower, the temperature difference was greater, and the freezing rate was faster. In the later stage, the temperature difference decreased, the freezing rate decreased, and the same temperature value as the asphalt mixture matrix was finally reached. In addition, under the combined influence of temperature and air voids contents, the maximum stress value in the bonding surface near the connected pores was 2.89 MPa, which was 1.5 times the maximum stress value in the asphalt mortar. Under the interaction of hydrodynamic pressure and frost heave force, the upper layer of porous asphalt concrete pavement in contact with the wheels is destroyed earlier than the internal structure of the pavement. This article provides a quantitative expression for the hydrodynamic pressure and frost heave damage of porous asphalt pavement. Also, it reveals the influence of ice and snow melt on the macro performance of asphalt pavement from a meso-level perspective.

Random generation of asphalt mixture mesostructure and thermal–mechanical coupling analysis at low temperature

To further study the damage mechanism of asphalt mixture during ice crystal frost heaving force and to provide reference and suggestions for the prevention and research of frost damage of asphalt pavement in severe cold areas. Taking AC-13 asphalt mixture as an example, this study uses Matlab to establish a random delivery model of irregular aggregates and uses ANSYS to conduct a thermal–mechanical coupling analysis of asphalt mixtures with different porosity and temperatures. Results show that the numerical model can be used for the microstructure analysis of asphalt mixtures. Moreover, in a low temperature environment of −5 °C to −25 °C, the moisture in the void will freeze sharply within 60 s and eventually reach the same temperature value as the matrix. In the three-way constrained displacement field, the frost heave force generated by ice crystals causes the largest and most obvious deformation on the surface of the specimen. In addition, due to the interaction of the aggregate surface, the asphalt components are reorganized. Under the extreme condition of −25 °C, the stress value in the bonding surface reaches the maximum 33.07 MPa, which is three times that of asphalt mortar under the same conditions. It shows that under the same strain, the bonding surface reaches the allowable stress earlier than the asphalt mortar and fails. Therefore, this study not only provides a quantitative expression for the frost heave damage of ice crystals but also reveals the influence of ice crystals on the macroscopic properties of asphalt mixture from a meso level.

Effect of different concrete properties on frost heave crack in U-shaped canal lining and joint

Due to seasonal frost heave of base soil, there were numerous U-shaped concrete canal linings that crack or even fracture in the irrigation area of northern China. Once the canal lining was cracked or fractured, there would lead to seepage and damage of the canal lining. This situation was adverse to water saving irrigation gravely. The U-shaped canal lining includes two parts which contain prefabricated concrete slabs and cast-in-place concrete joints. Based on the features of construction, the concrete characterization included strength and deformation had observably distinction between slab and joint of lining, which resulted the difference in frost heave effect. In this study, the cracks difference between slab and joint was quantified by the experiment of crack observation firstly. Further, the numerical simulation model with concrete damage model and smeared crack approach of frost heave force was established by the experiments of the effective frost heave and concrete mechanical properties. The crack propagation process of different concrete lining slab and joint was analyzed under the change of frost heave force. At the same time, the validity of the numerical model and approach was proven by comparing the results with the experimental. The result showed that the increase of concrete strength had a significant effect on the resistance of U-shaped canal lining to crack by frost heaving. It indicated that the tensile strength of concrete was increased by 48.28% from C15 to C20, and the frost heaving force during cracking was increased by 21.26%. The empirical equations of power function could be used to predict the cracking frost heave force of U-shaped canal lining by the concrete strength. The study provided a new idea for studying the frost heave damage process of different types of canal lining.

An experimental study of the relationship between the matric potential, unfrozen water, and segregated ice of saturated freezing soil

Frost heave damage is caused by the in situ freezing of pore water and segregated ice due to moisture migration. Previous studies have shown that in freezing soil, moisture migration is related to the pore water pressure gradient, and moisture migration is the dominant reason for the formation of an ice lens. However, the essential relationship between ice segregation and the matric potential is still controversial. Using a pF meter sensor, a 5TM volume water content sensor, and a digital image capture system, the relationship between the matric potential and the unfrozen water in saturated freezing soil was monitored in real time, and digital images of the formation of segregated ice were collected. Furthermore, the time space coupling relationships between the unfrozen water, the matric potential, the frost-heaving amount, the moisture migration, and the formation of an ice lens were systematically analyzed during soil freezing. The results demonstrate that there is an internal relationship between the moisture migration driven by the matric potential (from the micro-perspective) and the segregated ice layer effect (from the macroscopic perspective). In addition, the unfrozen water and the matric potential in the frozen area have a significant impact on the distribution of the segregated ice lenses.