Temperature Field Distribution and Thermal Stability of Roadbed in Permafrost Regions

Abstract

Many highways and railways in western China are built on permafrost roadbed. Frost heave and thaw settlement might cause diseases to frozen soil roadbed, such as deformation and cracking. For long-term operation, frozen soil roadbed should be kept stable and durable. Therefore, this paper analyzes the distribution law of temperature field of roadbed in permafrost regions, under the effect of thermal stability. Based on the thermodynamic properties of permafrost, the authors analyzed the influence of engineering geological factors, roadbed structural factors, and natural environmental factors on the thermal stability of frozen soil roadbed. Next, the antifreeze mechanism of frozen soil roadbed was described, together with the calculation methods for the relevant parameters. Afterwards, the temperature field of the roadbed with low thermal conductivity insulation material was analyzed by two methods, namely, steady-state thermal analysis and transient thermal analysis, and the solving process of roadbed temperature field was explained in details. The proposed analysis method and solving algorithm were proved valid through experiments. The research results provide a reference for the reasonable design of frozen soil roadbed.