Study on Temporal and Spatial Variation in Soil Temperature in Artificial Ground Freezing of Subway Cross Passage

Abstract

Temperature is the fundamental variable used in artificial ground freezing (AGF) design to assess the frozen curtain’s state and carry out an analysis of its mechanical behavior. Therefore, it is important to appropriately understand the temperature variation in the soil during freezing and thawing throughout the construction process of AGF. In this paper, a soil physical state analysis model was established to obtain the one-dimensional distribution curve of the soil temperature field and the temperature variation curve of the soil with temporal, which can be used to explore the soil temperature characteristics during the construction of AGF, so as to scientifically evaluate the physical state of frozen soil and reduce the construction risk. The soil can be divided into three zones during the construction process of AGF, namely the frozen zone, the frozen fringe, and the unfrozen zone. Additionally, Hangzhou muddy silty clay was selected for the indoor model test to verify the correctness of the analytical model. The results show the following: (1) Due to the influence of the latent heat of the phase change, the physical state and temperature of the soil on both sides of the frozen fringe are not the same. It is not appropriate to use the same temperature index to judge whether the soil is frozen or thawed in the project. (2) For Hangzhou muddy silty clay, the freezing index is −1 °C, and the thawing index is 0.9 °C. The research results can provide some guidance for the judgment of the soil state during the AGF of subway cross passages.