Simulation of heat–water–mechanics process in a freezing soil under stepwise freezing

Abstract

Frost heave is a process coupling heat transfer, water migration, water–ice phase change and deformation. Frost heave forms various landforms, such as frost mounds, ice pitons, sorted polygons and stone circles, and potentially induces a variety of engineering failures, such as building inclination, differential engineering foundation and pavement cracking. To understand the mechanism of frost heave under complex freezing paths, we provide a numerical heat–water–mechanics model that incorporates shrinkage in an unfrozen zone and uses a water content criterion to judge the formation of the ice lens. The model is then used to simulate the moisture, temperature, deformation and ice lens of a freezing soil during stepwise freezing. The simulated results for temperature, displacement and the ice lens are in good agreement with measured data, indicating that the model can be used to describe the heat–water–mechanics process in freezing soils under a complex freezing path. The freezing path determines the soil's water content profile in a manner like that in a stepwise freezing process, where each step produces a water‐content peak at the frozen fringe of the step. The model must consider shrinkage of the unfrozen area, or the amount of frost heave would be overestimated and the predicted ice lens would unrealistically be found in the frozen zone.

Effect of Anionic Polyacrylamide Polymer on Frost Heave Mitigation and Its Implication for Frost-Susceptible Soil

“…The initial water content is approximately 25%, and significant water distribution occurred after freezing (Figure 6). The maximum water content related to the formation and growth of the thickest (warmest) ice lens was observed near the freezing front [32]. Furthermore, the discrete ice lenses were discontinuously distributed, and the oscillation of water was ultimately observed in the frozen zone since the newly emerged ice lens can block the water flow to the previously growing ice lens until the warmest ice lens formed (external water can migrate into the frozen fringe and feed the growth of the warmest ice lens).…”

A Review of the Research on Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Coupling for the Frozen Soil

“…Research on the mechanism of complex frost heave path has been rarely reported before 2019. Bai et al [58] studied the role of frost heave path in the frost heave mechanism based on the existing observations of ice lens distribution and the corresponding numerical simulation (fitting degree = 0:2655 ). They further proposed the three-dimensional THM coupling model with the presence of segregated ice.…”

A Scientometric Review of Research Status on Unfrozen Soil Water

“…The most utilized journal is Cold Regions Science and Technology that published 103 papers on UWFS, followed by Permafrost and Periglacial Processes and Water Resources Research (Figure 4). The study of frozen soil and unfrozen water is of great significance in engineering [68,69], mechanics [70,71], and water resources or hydrology [72,73] in cold regions. It is understandable that these three journals carried a significantly higher volume of such studies compared to other journals.…”