Modelling of freezing in frost-susceptible soils

Radosław L. Michałowski; Ming Zhu

Radosław L. Michałowski University of Michigan
Ming Zhu GeoSyntec Consultants

Abstract

Frost heave in soils is a common phenomenon in cold regions, yet the previous efforts toward its mathematical description did not result into a generally accepted model. The model described in this paper is based on the concept of porosity rate function, which characterizes well the heaving phenomenon in variety of soils. The concept is simple enough so that it can be easily incorporated in numerical methods. The description of the model is followed by brief considerations of energy transfer and phase change. Calibration results are shown, and the model is implemented to solve a practical boundary value problem. The influence of thermal insulation on the performance of a retaining wall with frost-susceptible backfill is discussed.

Keywords

soil freezing, frost heave, constitutive model, heat transfer, phase change, retaining wall,

References

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