Thermal performance of cast-in-place piles with artificial ground freezing in permafrost regions

During the construction of cast-in-place piles in warm permafrost,the heat carried by concrete and the cement hydration reaction can cause strong thermal disturbance to the surrounding permafrost.Since the bearing capacity of the pile is quite small before the full freeze-back,the quick refreezing of the native soils surrounding the cast-in-place pile has become the focus of the infrastructure construction in permafrost.To solve this problem,this paper innovatively puts forward the application of the artificial ground freezing(AGF)method at the end of the curing period of cast-in-place piles in permafrost.A field test on the AGF was conducted at the Beiluhe Observation and Research Station of Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment(34°51.2'N,92°56.4'E)in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau(QTP),and then a 3-D numerical model was established to investigate the thermal performance of piles using AGF under different engineering conditions.Additionally,the long-term thermal performance of piles after the completion of AGF under different conditions was estimated.Field experiment results demonstrate that AGF is an effective method to reduce the refreezing time of the soil surrounding the piles constructed in permafrost terrain,with the ability to reduce the pile-soil interface temperatures to below the natural ground temperature within 3 days.Numerical results further prove that AGF still has a good cooling effect even under unfavorable engineering conditions such as high pouring temperature,large pile diameter,and large pile length.Consequently,the application of this method is meaningful to save the subsequent latency time and solve the problem of thermal disturbance in pile construction in permafrost.The research results are highly relevant for the spread of AGF technology and the rapid building of pile foundations in permafrost.

Artificial ground freezing of underground mines in cold regions using thermosyphons with air insulation

Current practice of underground artificial ground freezing(AGF)typically involves huge refrigeration systems of large economic and environmental costs.In this study,a novel AGF technique is proposed deploying available cold wind in cold regions.This is achieved by a static heat transfer device called thermosyphon equipped with an air insulation layer.A refrigeration unit can be optionally integrated to meet additional cooling requirements.The introduction of air insulation isolates the thermosyphon from ground zones where freezing is not needed,resulting in:(1)steering the cooling resources(cold wind or refrigeration)towards zones of interest;and(2)minimizing refrigeration load.This design is demonstrated using well-validated mathematical models from our previous work based on two-phase enthalpy method of the ground coupled with a thermal resistance network for the thermosyphon.Two Canadian mines are considered:the Cigar Lake Mine and the Giant Mine.The results show that our proposed design can speed the freezing time by 30%at the Giant Mine and by two months at the Cigar Lake Mine.Further,a cooling load of 2.4 GWh can be saved at the Cigar Lake Mine.Overall,this study provides mining practitioners with sustainable solutions of underground AGF.

Coupling of the Calculated Freezing and Thawing Front Parameterization in the Earth System Model CAS-ESM

The soil freezing and thawing process affects soil physical properties,such as heat conductivity,heat capacity,and hydraulic conductivity in frozen ground regions,and further affects the processes of soil energy,hydrology,and carbon and nitrogen cycles.In this study,the calculation of freezing and thawing front parameterization was implemented into the earth system model of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS-ESM)and its land component,the Common Land Model(CoLM),to investigate the dynamic change of freezing and thawing fronts and their effects.Our results showed that the developed models could reproduce the soil freezing and thawing process and the dynamic change of freezing and thawing fronts.The regionally averaged value of active layer thickness in the permafrost regions was 1.92 m,and the regionally averaged trend value was 0.35 cm yr–1.The regionally averaged value of maximum freezing depth in the seasonally frozen ground regions was 2.15 m,and the regionally averaged trend value was–0.48 cm yr–1.The active layer thickness increased while the maximum freezing depth decreased year by year.These results contribute to a better understanding of the freezing and thawing cycle process.

Response of Freezing/Thawing Indexes to the Wetting Trend under Warming Climate Conditions over the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau during 1961–2010:A Numerical Simulation

Since the 1990s,the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau(QTP)has experienced a strikingly warming and wetter climate that alters the thermal and hydrological properties of frozen ground.A positive correlation between the warming and thermal degradation in permafrost or seasonally frozen ground(SFG)has long been recognized.Still,a predictive relationship between historical wetting under warming climate conditions and frozen ground has not yet been well demonstrated,despite the expectation that it will become even more important because precipitation over the QTP has been projected to increase continuously in the near future.This study investigates the response of the thermal regime to historical wetting in both permafrost and SFG areas and examines their relationships separately using the Community Land Surface Model version 4.5.Results show that wetting before the 1990s across the QTP mainly cooled the permafrost body in the arid and semiarid zones,with significant correlation coefficients of 0.60 and 0.48,respectively.Precipitation increased continually at the rate of 6.16 mm decade–1 in the arid zone after the 1990s but had a contrasting warming effect on permafrost through a significant shortening of the thawing duration within the active layer.However,diminished rainfall in the humid zone after the 1990s also significantly extended the thawing duration of SFG.The relationship between the ground thawing index and precipitation was significantly negatively correlated(−0.75).The dual effects of wetting on the thermal dynamics of the QTP are becoming critical because of the projected increases in future precipitation.

Freezing on demand: A new concept for mine safety and energy savings in wet underground mines

The artificial ground freezing(AGF)systems are designed to operate continuously for an extended period of time to control the groundwater seepage and to strengthen the groundwater structure surrounding excavation areas.This mode of operation requires a massive amount of energy to sustain the thickness of the frozen body.Therefore,it is of great interest to propose new concepts to reduce energy consumption while providing sufficient structural stability and safe operation.This paper discusses the principle of the freezing on demand(FoD)by means of experiment and mathematical model.A lab-scale rig that mimics the AGF process is conceived and developed.The setup is equipped with more than 80 thermocouples,flow-meters,and advanced instrumentation system to analyze the performance of the AGF process under the FoD concept.A mathematical model has been derived,validated,and utilized to simulate the transient FoD concept.The results suggest that the overall energy saving notably depends on the coolant’s temperature;the energy saving increases while decreasing the coolant inlet temperature.Moreover,applying the FoD concept in an AGF system leads to a significant drop in energy consumption.

Numerical simulation of artificial ground freezing in a fluid-saturated rock mass with account for filtration and mechanical processes

This study is devoted to the numerical simulation of the artificial ground freezing process in a fluid-saturated rock mass of the potassium salt deposit. A coupled model of nonstationary thermal conductivity, filtration and thermo-poroelasticity,which takes into account dependence of the physical properties on temperature and pressure, is proposed on the basis of the accepted hypotheses. The considered area is a cylinder with a depth of 256 meters and diameter of 26.5 meters and includes 13 layers with different thermophysical and filtration properties. Numerical simulation was carried out by the finite-element method. It has been shown that substantial ice wall formation occurs non-uniformly along the layers. This can be connected with geometry of the freezing wells and with difference in physical properties. The average width of the ice wall in each layer was calculated. It was demonstrated that two toroidal convective cells induced by thermogravitational convection were created from the very beginning of the freezing process. The effect of the constant seepage flow on the ice wall formation was investigated. It was shown that the presence of the slow flow lead to the delay in ice wall closure. In case of the flow with a velocity of more than 30 mm per day, closure of the ice wall was not observed at all in the foreseeable time.

General Introduction of Ground Freezing and Guidance Note on Ground Freezing Construction

Nowadays,there are many soil reinforcement methods and choice,i.e.: reinforcement strength,uniformity,safety,water tightness,stabilization medium and impact on surface construction area coverage etc.In order to prevent high-pressure water flows during mining,it has been necessary to artificially create a frozen wall barrier around the perimeter of the ore body.This paper focuses on the introduction of ground freezing reinforcement method for construction.

Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling of frost heave and water migration during artificial freezing of soils for mineshaft sinking

Artificial freezing of water-bearing soil layers composing a sedimentary deposit can induce frost heave and water migration that affect the natural stress-strain state of the soil layers and freezing process.In the present paper,a thermo-hydro-mechanical(THM)model for freezing of water-saturated soil is proposed to study the effects of frost heave and water migration in frozen soils on the formation of a frozen wall and subsequent excavation activity for sinking a vertical shaft.The governing equations of the model are formulated relative to porosity,temperature,and displacement which are considered as primary variables.The relationship between temperature,pore water,and ice pressure in frozen soil is established by the Clausius-Clapeyron equation,whereas the interaction between the stress-strain behavior and changes in porosity and pore pressure is described with the poromechanics theory.Moreover,constitutive relations for additional mechanical deformation are incorporated to describe volumetric expansion of soil during freezing as well as creep strain of soil in the frozen state.The ability of the proposed model to capture the frost heave of frozen soil is demonstrated by a comparison between numerical results and experimental data given by a one-sided freezing test.Also to validate the model in other freezing conditions,a radial freezing experiment is performed.After the validation procedure,the model is applied to numerical simulation of artificial freezing of silt and sand layers for shaft sinking at Petrikov potash mine in Belarus.Comparison of calculated temperature with thermal monitoring data during active freezing stage is presented.Numerical analysis of deformation of unsupported sidewall of a shaft inside the frozen wall is conducted to account for the change in natural stress-strain state of soil layers induced by artificial freezing.

Study on the freezing–thawing deformation of consolidated soils under high pressure

The freezing-thawing deformation behaviors of consolidated soils under high pressure have been investigated in a high-pressure-low-temperature （HPLT） Kq consolidation apparatus with a small strain sensor. The tests cover a variety of frozen soil temperatures ranging from -2℃ to -10 ℃, and a series of applied pressures ranging from 1 MPa to 5 MPa. The test results show that, for the consolidated soils under high pressure, their freezing-thawing deformation was caused by the realignment and the deformation of soil particles, the phase change of water, and the water redistribution in the soil. As for the deformation produced by thermal expansion and contraction,it is about 0.04-0.05 mm, accounting for only about 7%~9% of the total deformation. Taking the freezing-thawing deformation produced by temperature disturbance as a creep deformation, the creep models of the developing soil deformation will be determined by the soil＇s final temperature, i.e., the desired temperature. For the soils under a desired temperature between -2℃ and -5℃, the freezing-thawing de-formation develops according to a non-attenuation creep model; but for the soils with a desired temperature lower than -5℃, a full attenuation creep model is followed. The applied pressure and soil type also have a significant influence on the maximum freezing deformation. Generally, the greater the desired pressure applied, the less the maximum deformation is; and the loess freezing deformation is larger than that of sand.

A "TIME-SPACE" RELATED DESIGN METHOD OF FREEZING WALL

Artificially ground freezing (AGF) is one of the main methods to establish temporary support for shaft sinking in unstable water bearing strata. Domde (1915) formula based on frozen soil strength has widely been used for designing freezing wall thickness. However, it can not ensure the stability of freezing wall, nor guarantee the safety of shaft construction as frozen depth increases in unstable water bearing strata. F A. Auld (1985, 1988)[1,2] presented a design method of freezing wall, which is on the basis of strength and stability, together with deformation of freezing wall. This paper, according to the practice in China, describes a "time -space" related design method for deep freezing wall. The method is based on "time-space" concept, which includes influence of excavation rate of advance, unsupported length of freezing wall and the sump state on inward deformation of freezing wall, and the allowable pipe deformation caused by inward deformation of freezing wall. Finally, successful application of this method to the large scale coal mine-Jining No. 2 Mine[3] in Shandong Province of China is presented. It saved much investment compared with F. A. Auld’s design for the same mine.

A Frost Heaving Prediction Approach for Ground Uplift Simulation Due to Freeze-Sealing Pipe Roof Method

Freeze-sealing pipe roof method is applied in the Gongbei tunnel,which causes the ground surface uplift induced by frost heave.A frost heaving prediction approach based on the coefficient of cold expansion is proposed to simulate the ground deformation of the Gongbei tunnel.The coefficient of cold expansion in the model and the frost heaving rate from the frost heave test under the hydration condition can achieve a good correspondence making the calculation result closer to the actual engineering.The ground surface uplift along the lateral and longitudinal direction are respectively analyzed and compared with the field measured data to validate the model.The results show that a good agreement between the frost heaving prediction model and the field measured data verifies the rationality and applicability of the proposed model.The maximum uplift of the Gongbei tunnel appears at the center of the model,gradually decreasing along with the lateral and longitudinal directions.The curve in the lateral direction presents a normal distribution due to the influence of the constraint of two sides,while the one along the lateral direction shapes like a parabola with the opening downward due to the temperature field distribution.The model provides a reference for frost heaving engineering calculation.

Field application of freezing technology for social infrastructures

There are numerous methods to prevent seepage flow and ground improvement methodologies such as cement grouting, sheet piling, and the membrane method. In this paper, we present case histories of freezing technology applications in the construction of a deep tunnel sewerage system, undersea highway tunnel, and liquefied natural gas tank. Heaving pressure measurements for various soil types around a liquefied natural tank are compared with existing data. In this paper, we present temperature variations at the bottom and side of a liquefied natural gas tank. Our findings show that ground-freezing technology is very effective in controlling ground water infiltration into underground structures as well providing soil reinforcement in the soft ground.

多冷媒非均质人工冻结壁弹塑性应力分析

【目的】受制冷媒介温度差异以及被冻地层与冻结管距离差异的影响,多冷媒联合双排管冻结壁的非均匀性较为显著,为了合理评价该类冻结壁的安全性,需开展考虑非均质性的多冷媒人工冻结壁弹塑性应力分析。【方法】选取距离1/4管距处的冻结壁作为特征截面,将该截面上的温度分布曲线等效成三段一次函数形式,并将冻结壁视为随温度成线性变化的非均质材料,分别基于4种冻土屈服准则,推导得出多冷媒联合双排管非均质冻结壁弹塑性应力解析表达式。基于该解析表达式,对多冷媒冻结壁的受力特性进行计算,并将该计算结果与均质冻结壁计算得出的结果进行对比。【结果和结论】研究发现:(1)在盐水-二氧化碳联合双排管冻结壁中,径向应力随着相对半径r的增加而上升,环向应力在不同冻结区间(Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ)表现出不同的变化趋势。(2)基于均质冻结壁计算理论,弹性极限状态的冻结壁的环向应力最大值出现在冻结壁内侧,弹塑性状态的冻结壁的环向应力最大值出现在弹塑性分界面处,塑性极限状态的冻结壁的环向应力最大值出现在冻结壁最外侧;而基于非均质冻结壁计算理论,冻结壁环向应力最大值始终出现在冻结壁分区界线(r=2)处。(3)在考虑非均质特性后,冻结壁的弹性极限承载力降低1.8%,而塑性极限承载力提高8.1%。在弹塑性状态下,对应相同塑性区相对半径,非均质冻结壁具有更高的承载力,且这种现象随着塑性区相对半径的增大而愈发明显。研究成果对富水地层多冷媒联合冻结帷幕的设计具有重要的参考价值。

渗流地层地铁联络通道冻结壁形成过程及其影响因素分析

冻结法凭借封水性好、适应性强和环境影响小等优势成为地铁联络通道施工的主要工法之一,而地下水渗流易引起冻结壁交圈时间延后、厚度和平均温度不及预期,对冻结工程的推进具有不利影响。本文采用频域反射法获取饱和砂砾石未冻水体积分数和温度的函数关系式,基于多孔介质传热和渗流理论,建立考虑相变的饱和地层渗流冻结流热耦合数学模型,利用联络通道冻结模型试验结果验证流热耦合模型的有效性。在此基础上,研究渗流速度、冷媒温度、冻结管直径和渗流温度对联络通道冻结壁形成过程和交圈时间的影响规律。最后,采用正交试验方法对冻结壁形成过程影响因素的显著性进行分析,提出考虑多因素影响的冻结壁交圈时间和标厚时间预测方法。研究结果表明:无渗流时,联络通道冻结温度场呈W型对称分布;当渗流速度为51.2 m/d时,地层温度场不再呈对称分布,上游区域温度高于下游区域温度。渗流速度是影响联络通道冻结壁形成的首要因素,冻结管直径和冷媒温度次之,渗流温度对交圈时间的影响较小。上游侧墙是渗流地层冻结壁扩展的薄弱环节,应加强该区域温度场的监测,跟踪冻结壁的形成过程。

基坑免降水开挖的组合式冻结法支护工艺研究

近年来,随着地下水资源保护力度的不断增大,对基坑工程进行免降水开挖的需求愈加紧迫。为解决富水地层基坑工程施工中的免降水问题,提出一种新的基坑支护方法:传统悬挂式止水帷幕与水平冻土止水帷幕相结合的“组合式冻结法”。根据以往市政工程中的冻结法施工经验,总结组合式冻结法的施工流程,提出泄压孔、温度限位孔和局部冻结技术相结合的冻胀控制措施,以及利用冻结管嵌入地连墙的界面区强化措施。通过模型试验对组合式冻结法的可行性进行验证,试验结果表明,组合式冻结法可以有效实现基底的支护,在冻结薄弱环节临时竖井、地连墙附近冻结壁承载能力满足设计要求;观测发现地层冻结对地连墙强度和变形无明显影响。

基于差异冻结技术的深厚冲积层三维冻结温度场数值计算分析

为了探究人工地层冻结(artificial ground freezing, AGF)多圈管冻结壁温度场分布与发展规律,以淮北青东煤矿东风井为工程背景,利用现场实测数据和COMSOL Multiphysics软件建立三维冻结温度场数值计算模型,分析了立井井筒所在土层在差异冻结技术下的冻结温度场时空演化规律。研究结果表明:在对比分析中三圈管相较两圈管冻结扩展速度较快,相同的冻结时间下,冻结壁平均温度要低0.73~3.32℃·d^(-1),有效厚度增加0.38 m;砂土层相同冻结时间的条件下冻结壁平均温度要比黏土层低0.94~1.50℃,有效厚度增加0.21 m。冻结井筒计算范围内,径向温度场呈现出圈管之间温度低,圈管两侧温度较高的“马鞍型”分布;在土体深度方向,不同土性的土层温度梯度较为明显,具体表现为三圈管以及细砂层位温度更低,30 d左右Ⅱ层土体(三圈管砂土层)降温速率达到最大,约为1.12℃·d^(-1),首先完成土体降温阶段进入冻结壁交圈和拓展阶段,此时其他土层仍处于土体降温阶段。“长短腿”冻结管布置形式既可以提高井筒开挖的时间,缩短工期;又可以防止深部冻土入荒径过多,降低开挖难度,节约工程成本。采用差异冻结的方式,开机冻结30 d,去路盐水温度降至-30℃后维持该温度循环制冷盐水,使得该冻结工程取得了圆满成功。此研究可以为类似矿井冻结施工提供一定的参考。

人工冻土冻胀引发上覆地层与结构变形计算方法研究

人工冻结法在地下特殊施工中的冻胀风险引发广泛关注,上覆地表变形可能造成城市道路、建筑结构变形,继而引发破坏,需要对地表及结构变形进行预测。瞄准冻胀的实质是冻土中水分迁移引起的宏观表现,基于Peck公式计算思路,对冻胀引起的上覆地层变形进行公式推导和参数取值,得出适合计算冻胀变形的冻隆公式,以求解冻结过程中上覆地层产生的冻胀量。通过水分迁移试验测定冻结水分迁移速度,推导和归纳冻结外锋面半径经验计算方法,得出冻土体积增加量计算公式。以郑州某冻结工程实测数据,计算土体冻结过程中的水分体积增加率,冻隆公式计算值与实测值接近,满足施工过程中安全评价分析的需求。研究成果可为人工冻结技术在高风险地下工程领域的技术研究应用提供理论基础和计算参考。

1960—2023年我国东北典型季节性冻土区冻融指数及冻土退化影响因素分析

【目的】季节性冻土的冻融循环过程显著影响了流域水循环和冻土层的演变。明晰冻融过程演变规律,为保障季节性冻土区生态及水利水电工程的建设和运行管理提供理论支撑。【方法】基于我国东北部典型季节性冻土区的10个气象站和冻土观测站数据,分析1960—2020年冻融指数的时空分布特征,计算了最大冻结深度、冻结开始日期、完全融化日期、冻融期、冻土退化速率,并结合气候(年平均气温、冻结温度变化率、冻结指数、融化指数)及地理参数(经纬度、海拔),利用相关性分析评估1960—2023年典型季节性冻土区最大冻结深度、冻土退化速率与冻融状态的影响。【结果】我国东北部典型季节性冻土区冻结指数以55.10℃·d/10 a的速率减小,融化指数以60.80℃·d/10 a的速率增加。60 a间最大冻结深度范围为68.00~260.00 cm,冻土退化速率范围为0.07~1.45 cm/a,开始冻结日期推迟速率为1.15 d/10 a,完全融化日期以4.71 d/10 a的速率显著提前,冻融期以5.60 d/10 a的速率缩短。【结论】冻结指数与纬度的相关性大,而融化指数与海拔相关性强。我国东北部典型季节性冻土区最大冻结深度主要受年平均气温和纬度影响,冻土退化主要受冻结温度变化率影响,冻融期显著受年平均气温影响。

人工冻结水泥改良软黏土冻融及强度特性研究

为探究人工冻结水泥改良软黏土冻胀融沉特性及冻融前后强度变化规律,通过室内冻胀融沉试验和单轴抗压强度试验,揭示不同冻融状态、不同影响因素等条件下水泥改良软黏土冻胀融沉及强度特性。研究结果表明,软黏土冻胀率和融沉系数随冻结冷端温度降低而减小,且融沉系数大于冻胀率;掺入水泥后融沉系数均小于冻胀率,且随水泥掺量增加而降低,当水泥掺量超过5%时,融沉系数小于2%。水泥土起始冻结温度随水泥掺量增加而降低,当水泥掺量为9%时,起始冻结温度最低达到-1.53℃;冻融过程沿试样不同高度温度场变化分为积极冻结、维护冻结和融化三个阶段;冻融后水泥改良软黏土强度降低,25组试样平均降低56%,冻融后强度折减最大达76%。研究指出,改良土强度分别随水泥掺量增加而增大,随含水率增大而减小,随龄期增长而增大。

高流速卵石地层地铁联络通道人工冻结温度场研究

地铁联络通道的开挖经常受到地下水干扰,人工地层冻结法凭借其优秀的封水性和适应性成为富水地层联络通道施工的首选工法。依托北京地铁12号线苏州桥站~人民大学站区间1#联络通道冻结工程,通过现场实测研究地层温度场和泄压孔压力的发展规律,分析冻结帷幕的交圈特征,确定高流速地层冻结壁薄弱位置。结果表明:盐水去回路温度在冻结初期迅速下降,而后降速减缓并最终稳定在-28℃以下;测温孔中土体与管片交界处的温度高于土体内部,渗流上游冻结壁温度高于下游,这些区域应当重点监测;冻结至59 d时,利用基于实际降温速率的分阶段冻结壁厚度计算方法求得不同截面位置处的冻结壁最小厚度为2495.2 mm,同时泄压孔压力已全部释放并保持稳定,冻结壁不再发展,满足联络通道开挖要求。研究成果能为高流速地层的人工冻结参数选取和监测提供理论支持。