Frost Heave Research Articles

Influence of subgrade filling types on covering effect in seasonally frozen soil area

The existence of a large area of expressway pavement in seasonally frozen soil region causes the moisture in roadbed filler to migrate upward and accumulate under the action of external temperature gradient and road barrier which aggravates the frost heave and thaw settlement of the subgrade. The formation process of subgrade covering effect in seasonally frozen soil area is reproduced by laboratory experiment. The water-vapor-heat model of unsaturated soil is established to simulate the formation process and difference of different subgrade filling cover effect in a certain area of Lanzhou. The results show that under the effect of seasonal temperature changes， soil water accumulates to the bottom of the impervious layer， and the accumulation phenomenon intensifies with freezing-thawing cycles. When the subgrade fillings are sandy soil， silty soil and silty clay， the maximum frozen depths are 1.21， 0.97 and 0.89 m， respectively， due to the difference in thermal conductivity and soil moisture diffusivity of the fillings. Water vapor migration dominates the water transport in shallow ground， which is most significant in silty soil. Water accumulations of sandy soil， silty clay and silty soil subgrade are 0.68%， 2.86% and 12.56%， respectively. The accumulation depth becomes shallower in turn. It is important to prevent and control the subgrade hazards caused by water vapor migration in the existing subgrade engineering. <fig fig-type="abstract-image" id="F1" orientation="portrait" position="float"><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="SP.J.1249-2022-39-1-59/733994E6-A745-493b-B2C8-B61D2BDE06B2-F001.jpg"/></fig>

Study on Frost Heaving Force Considering Synchronous Damage to Tunnel Lining and Surrounding Rocks Under Freeze–Thaw Cycles

Study on Frost Heaving Force Considering Synchronous Damage to Tunnel Lining and Surrounding Rocks Under Freeze–Thaw Cycles

Experimental study on frost heave deformation characteristics of rock and soil based on pore distribution model

Experimental study on frost heave deformation characteristics of rock and soil based on pore distribution model

Investigation of the Behavior of a Pipeline Under Frost Heave of Subgrade By Model Test

Investigation of the Behavior of a Pipeline Under Frost Heave of Subgrade By Model Test

Investigation on Frost Heaving Stress (Fhs) of Porous Cement Concrete Exposed to Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Investigation on Frost Heaving Stress (Fhs) of Porous Cement Concrete Exposed to Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Influence of Uneven Frost Heave of Subgrade on Deformation and Damage of Crts-Iii Slab Track

Influence of Uneven Frost Heave of Subgrade on Deformation and Damage of Crts-Iii Slab Track

The Mechanics of Frost Heave with Stratigraphic Microstructure Evolution: A New Fractal Model for Investigating the Micro-Macro Behaviors of Geotechnical Engineering in Cold Regions

The Mechanics of Frost Heave with Stratigraphic Microstructure Evolution: A New Fractal Model for Investigating the Micro-Macro Behaviors of Geotechnical Engineering in Cold Regions

Proposed application of a geothermal heat pump technique to address frost damage of embankments in cold regions

This study proposes a novel frost-proof heating method, which uses a ground source heat pump (GSHP) to generate artificial heating and prevent frost damages of embankment filling materials in cold regions. A direct expansion-GSHP (DE-GSHP) apparatus for embankments was designed and manufactured for experimentation. Consequently, the prototype of the new system demonstrated high performance with daily average heating temperatures above 50 °C in winter and low energy consumption with a theoretical coefficient of performance more than 3.0. The internal temperature in the test soil platform increased, and the calculated thermal influencing radius was 0.87 m and 2.03 m on days 1 and 5, respectively. Frost heave of embankments can be rapidly treated by heating the embankment through distribution of DE-GSHPs with a heat supply capacity of 1.0–2.0 kW and spacing of 2.0–4.0 m. The findings of this study provide significant insights into the methods suitable for thermal maintenance of embankment filling materials using the GSHP, thereby providing a feasible and energy-efficient solution during embankment construction in cold regions to prevent frost heave damages.

Analysis and Evaluation on Residual Strength of Pipelines with Internal Corrosion Defects in Seasonal Frozen Soil Region

In order to study the residual strength of buried pipelines with internal corrosion defects in seasonally frozen soil regions, we established a thermo-mechanical coupling model of a buried pipeline under differential frost heave by using the finite element elastoplastic analysis method. The material nonlinearity and geometric nonlinearity were considered as the basis of analysis. Firstly, the location of the maximum Mises equivalent stress in the inner wall of the buried non-corroded pipeline was determined. Furthermore, the residual strength of the buried pipeline with corrosion defects and the stress state of internal corrosion area in the pipeline under different defect parameters was analyzed by the orthogonal design method. Based on the data results of the finite element simulation calculation, the prediction formula of residual strength of buried pipelines with internal corrosion defects was obtained by SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) fitting. The prediction results were analyzed in comparison with the evaluation results of B31G, DNV RP-F101 and the experimental data of hydraulic blasting. The rationality of the finite element model and the accuracy of the fitting formula were verified. The results show that the effect degree of main factors on residual strength was in order of corrosion depth, corrosion length, and corrosion width. when the corrosion length exceeds 600 mm, which affects the influence degree of residual strength will gradually decrease. the prediction error of the fitting formula is small and the distribution is uniform, it can meet the prediction requirements of failure pressure of buried pipelines with internal corrosion defects in seasonally frozen soil regions. This method may provide some useful theoretical reference for the simulation real-time monitoring and safety analysis in the pipeline operation stage.

Stability of the Foundation of Buried Energy Pipeline in Permafrost Region

During operation, a buried pipeline is threatened by a variety of geological hazards, particularly in permafrost regions, where freezing-thawing disasters have a significant influence on the integrity and safety of the buried pipelines. The topographical environmental conditions along the pipeline, as well as the influence of frost heave and thaw settlement on the pipeline’s foundation soil, must be considered in the design and construction stage. Theoretical analysis, numerical modeling, field testing, and mitigation measures on vital energy pipelines in permafrost have been widely documented, but no attempt has been made to review the freezing-thawing disasters, current research methodologies, and mitigation strategies. This article reviews the formation mechanisms and mitigation measures for frost hazards (e.g., differential frost heave, thaw settlement, slope instability, frost mounds, icing, river ice scouring, and pipeline floating) along buried pipelines in permafrost regions and summarizes and prospects the major progress in the research on mechanisms, analysis methods, model test, and field monitoring based on publications of studies of key energy pipelines in permafrost regions. This review will provide scholars with a basic understanding of the challenging freezing-thawing hazards encountered by energy pipelines in permafrost regions, as well as research on the stability and mitigation of pipeline foundation soils plagued by freezing-thawing hazards in permafrost regions under a warming climate and degrading permafrost environment.

A framework for constructing elasto‐plastic constitutive models for frozen and unfrozen soils

AbstractThe need for unified constitutive models for frozen and unfrozen soils in simulating frost heave and thaw consolidation has been recognized. However, a reliable and easy‐to‐implement model is not yet available. This paper extends the one‐dimensional elasto‐plastic model proposed by Yu et al. to solve multi‐dimensional problems. In the extended model, total and effective stresses are taken as the stress variables for frozen and unfrozen soils, respectively. A critical‐state‐based mode, Clay And Sand Model (CASM), is employed for soil at unfrozen states. The emphasis is placed on how a basic constitutive model for unfrozen soils is extended to describe the elasto‐plastic behavior for both unfrozen and frozen soils in two steps: (1) extension of the constitutive model from unfrozen to frozen soils by considering ice‐bonding effect, and (2) integration of descriptions for soils at unfrozen and frozen states using the concept of residual stress (by Nixon and Morgenstern). The freeze‐thaw cycling effect is naturally incorporated by the introduction of residual stress line that is used to determine the initial stress state and preconsolidation pressure of thawed soil. After being implemented into FORTRAN subroutines for ABAQUS, the performance of the proposed model is demonstrated by simulating triaxial compression tests on frozen sand at different temperatures under confining pressures, and freeze‐thaw cycling processes of silty clay under loading.

Analysis of heat transfer and water flow with phase change in saturated porous media by bond-based peridynamics

A wide range of natural and industrial processes involve heat and mass transport in porous media. In some important cases the transported substance may undergo phase change, e.g. from liquid to solid and vice versa in the case of freezing and thawing of soils. The predictive modelling of such phenomena faces physical (multiple physical processes taking place) and mathematical (evolving interface with step change of properties) challenges. In this work, we develop and test a non-local approach based on bond-based peridynamics which addresses the challenges successfully. Our formulation allows for predicting the location of the interface between phases, and for calculating the temperature and pressure distributions within the saturated porous medium under the conditions of pressure driven water flow. The formulation is verified against existing analytical solutions for 1D problems, as well as finite element transient solutions for 2D problems. The agreement found by the verification exercise demonstrates the accuracy of the proposed methodology. The detailed coupled description of heat and hydraulic processes can be considered as a critical step towards a thermo-hydro-mechanical model, which will allow, for example, description of the hydrological behaviour of permafrost soils and the frost heave phenomenon.

Estimating Permeability of Partially Frozen Soil Using Floating Random Walks

AbstractFlow through partially frozen pores in granular media containing ice or gas hydrate plays an essential role in diverse phenomena including methane migration and frost heave. As freezing progresses, the frozen phase grows in the pore space and constricts flow paths so that the permeability decreases. Previous works have measured the relationship between permeability and volumetric fraction of the frozen phase, and various correlations have been proposed to predict permeability change in hydrology and the oil industry. However, predictions from different formulae can differ by orders of magnitude, causing great uncertainty in modeling results. We present a floating random walk method to approximate the porous flow field and estimate the effective permeability in isotropic granular media with specified particle size distributions, without solving for the entire flow field in the pore space. In packed spherical particles, the method compares favorably with the Kozeny‐Carman formula. We further extend this method with a probabilistic interpretation of the volumetric fraction of the frozen phase, simulate the effect of freezing in irregular pores, and predict the evolution of permeability. Employing no adjustable parameters, our results can provide insight into the coupling between phase transitions and permeability change, which plays important roles in hydrate formation and dissociation, as well as in the thawing and freezing of permafrost and ice‐bed coupling beneath glaciers.

Evaluation of Rapid Repair of Concrete Pavements Using Precast Concrete Technology: A Sustainable and Cost-Effective Solution

Abstract Concrete and asphalt are the two competitive materials for a highway. In Sweden, the predominant material for the highway system is asphalt. But under certain conditions, concrete pavements are competitive alternatives. For example, concrete pavements are suitable for high-traffic volume roads, roads in tunnels, concentrated loads (e.g., bus stops and industrial pavement). Besides the load-carrying capacity, the concrete pavement has many advantages such as durability (wear resistance), resistance against frost heave, environment (pollution, recycling, and low rolling resistance leading to fuel savings), fire resistance, noise limitations, brightness, evenness and aesthetics. Concrete pavements are long-lasting but need final repair. Single slabs may crack in the jointed concrete pavement due to various structural and non-structural factors. Repair and maintenance operations are, therefore, necessary to increase the service life of the structures. To avoid extended lane closures, prevent traffic congestions, and expedite the pavement construction process, precast concrete technology is a recent innovative construction method that can meet the requirement of rapid construction and rehabilitation of the pavement. This paper evaluates rapid repair techniques of concrete pavement using precast concrete technology by analysing three case studies on jointed precast concrete pavements. The study showed that the required amount of time to re-open the pavement to traffic is dramatically reduced with jointed precast concrete panels.

Experimental Study of the Anisotropic Frost Heave Characteristics of Rock Surrounding Tunnels in Cold Regions

Abstract Considering the characteristics of the surrounding rock temperature and water replenishing direction of tunnels in cold areas, to study the frost heave deformation law of surrounding rock ...

ANALYSIS OF POROSITY, PERMEABILITY, AND ANISOTROPY OF SANDSTONE IN FREEZE–THAW ENVIRONMENTS USING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND FRACTAL THEORY

An in-depth understanding of the deterioration characteristics of porous rock materials in freeze–thaw (F–T) environments is very important for rock mass engineering in cold regions. However, quantitative descriptions of key rock indicators such as porosity, permeability, and anisotropy are lacking. In this paper, computed tomography (CT) was used to study saturated intact sandstone, saturated fractured sandstone, and ice-filled fractured sandstone under various F–T cycles and stress states. Meso-structural parameters were obtained by reconstructing the three-dimensional fracture networks from CT images. Then, based on fractal geometry theory, the fractal dimension ([Formula: see text], tortuosity fractal dimension ([Formula: see text], and anisotropic two-dimensional fractal dimension ([Formula: see text] of the sandstone samples were analyzed quantitatively. The [Formula: see text] gradually increased during the F–T process, while [Formula: see text] gradually decreased. Compared with [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] was found to describe changes in the absolute permeability of rocks under F–T cycling more accurately. Anisotropy in sandstone was enhanced by F–T cycling. After uniaxial compression, the [Formula: see text] value was the greatest in ice-filled fractured sandstone. In addition, the tree-like fracture structure produced by F–T cycling expanded the range of self-similarity, which enhanced the fractal characteristics of sandstone. However, due to the large frost heave pressure of ice-filled sandstone, fracture expansion accelerated in the later period of F–T cycling, which destroyed the self-similarity. These results assist in understanding the F–T characteristics of porous rock materials. The method described provides a new way to better evaluate and predict F–T-related engineering disasters.

Hydration investigation of negative temperature concrete at early age based on low-field nuclear magnetic resonance

Few control indexes and detection methods have considered the microstructure properties of negative temperature concrete. As such, construction-focused quality control of negative temperature concrete is still a problem that needs to be solved. In this paper, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to monitor the in-situ distribution and dynamical variation of liquid water content in cement paste at both thawed (20 °C) and frozen (−15 °C) states. Results showed that LF-NMR could determine the optimal antifreeze dosage and pre-curing time. LF-NMR was also able to evaluate the properties of negative temperature concrete at early stages, and these properties coincided with the results of compressive strength test. Both LF-NMR and differential scanning calorimetry thermal gravimetric analysis (DSC-TGA) revealed that the main positive effect of the antifreeze on negative temperature concrete is the alleviation of frost heave stress, and not the promotion of hydration. Additionally, a theoretical hypothesis was proposed to explain the reason why concrete with low water/binder ratio is more sensitive to freezing damage at the early stages.

Artificial Neural Network-Based Model for Prediction of Frost Heave Behavior of Silty Soil Specimen

Frost heave action is a major issue in permafrost regions that can give rise to various geotechnical engineering problems. To analyze and predict this phenomenon at a specimen scale, this study conducted a fully coupled thermal-hydro-mechanical analysis and evaluated the frost heave behavior of frozen soil considering geotechnical parameters. Furthermore, a parametric study was performed to quantitatively analyze the effects of major geotechnical properties on frost heave behavior. According to the results of the parametric study, the amount of heave tended to decrease as the particle thermal conductivity increased, whereas the frost heave ratio tended to increase as the initial hydraulic conductivity increased. After evaluating the sensitivity of each parameter to frost heave behavior through statistical analyses, an artificial neural network model was developed to practically predict frost heave behavior. According to the verification results of the neural network model, the trained network model demonstrated a reliable accuracy (R2 = 0.893) in predicting frost heave ratio, even when the model used test datasets that were not part of the training datasets.

Anti-frost heave design method for a parabolic canal based on the hydraulic optimal solution set in seasonally frozen regions

Parabolic canals are commonly used in seasonally frozen regions because of their excellent hydraulic characteristics and frost heave resistance. However, severe frost damage can still occur, mainly because the design of canals is based on experience, and the analytical mechnical models and design methods are limited. First, the frost heave characteristics of parabolic canals were analysed, and the canal lining was simplified as an arched thin shell structure under the normal frost heave force, tangential freezing force, and gravity. Second, an analytical mechanical model of frost damage to the lining was established, and the equations for the axial force, bending moment, tensile stress were derived; the accuracy of the model was verified by field measurements and numerical simulations of a canal case. Third, the effects of groundwater depth and canal size were analysed, and the frost damage mechanism was investigated. Fourth, the anti-frost heave design method of a canal based on the hydraulic optimal solution set was proposed, and the method was encapsulated into digital design software with Python language. This mechanical model can explain the frost damage of the canal, and the nonuniform frost heave of foundation soil caused by different groundwater depths in different parts of the canal is the cause of lining damage. The bi-objective optimization design method can consider the hydraulic performance and anti-frost heave performance of the canal, and the digital design software can assist engineers with developing a quick and accurate design approach. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and technical means for cold-region canal design.

Full-scale investigation of post-tensioned prestressed concrete bridge girders subjected to frost heaving in cold regions

Frost heaving is one of the major diseases of post-tensioned prestressed concrete structures in cold regions. This study investigates the effects and underlying mechanisms of frost heaving damages on the mechanical behaviors of full-scale post-tensioned prestressed concrete girders of a highway bridge. Forensic investigations were performed for three bridge girders through destructive tests, which included borehole, anatomy, and flexural tests, with an intact girder as the control. Three-dimensional nonlinear finite element models of the girders were established to understand the mechanisms of the effect of frost heaving. The results show that frost heaving reduced the effective prestress, mechanical properties of concrete, and bond between concrete and tendon, thus reducing the crack resistance and durability of the girders. This study provides new insights into post-tensioned prestressed concrete girders under frost heaving. The results are useful to improve the safety, serviceability, and durability of prestressed concrete bridges in cold regions.