Study on temperature field and settlement of thawing soil under static and dynamic loading

A series of tests were conducted to analyze temperature field distribution and thawing settlement of a thawing soil under static and dynamic loading at various cooling and thawing temperatures. The results demonstrate： （1） the temperature field distribution of the thawing soil was not significantly influenced by the loading form under the tested loading conditions; similar results were obtained for samples at different dynamic loading frequencies and different dynamic loading ampli- tudes, which verified the independence of loading form and temperature field; （2） changed temperature field distributions were found in thawing soil with different cooling and thawing temperatures, and the cooling and thawing temperature of the samples were the main factors affecting their temperature distributions; （3） under the tested conditions, thawing set- tlements were little influenced by the thawing temperature and the dynamic loading frequency; and （4） a linear relation- ship existed between the thawing settlement and the cooling temperature, and a logarithmic function could be used to describe the relationship between the thawing settlement and the loading amplitude.

Thermal Characteristics of the Embankment with Crushed Rock Side Slope to Mitigate Thaw Settlement Hazards of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Permafrost （perennially frozen ground） appears widely in the Golmud-Lhasa section of the Qinghai-Tibet railway and is characterized by high ground temperature （≥1℃） and massive ground ice. Under the scenarios of global warming and human activity, the permafrost under the railway will gradually thaw and the massive ground ice will slowly melt, resulting in some thaw settlement hazards, which mainly include longitudinal and lateral cracks, and slope failure. The crushed rock layer has a thermal semiconductor effect under the periodic fluctuation of natural air. It can be used to lower the temperature of the underlying permafrost along the Qinghai-Tibet railway, and mitigate the thaw settlement hazards of the subgrade. In the present paper, the daily and annual changes in the thermal characteristics of the embankment with crushed rock side slope （ECRSS） were quantitatively simulated using the numerical method to study the cooling effect of the crushed rock layer and its mitigative ability. The results showed that the ECRSS absorbed some heat in the daytime in summer, but part of it was released at night, which accounted for approximately 20% of that absorbed. Within a year, it removed more heat from the railway subgrade in winter than that absorbed in summer. It can store approximately 20% of the ＂cold＂ energy in subgrade. Therefore, ECRSS is a better measure to mitigate thaw settlement hazards to the railway.

Characterization of frozen soil-cement mixture for berm construction in cold regions

Lagoon berms in western Alaska are difficult to design and build due to limited resources, high cost of construction and materials, and warm permafrost conditions. This paper explores methods to treat locally available frozen materials and use them for berm construction. The goal is to find an optimized mix ratio for cement and additives that can be effective in increasing the strength and decreasing the thaw settlement of an ice-rich frozen silty soil. Soil of similar type and ice content to the permafrost found at a project site in Eek, Alaska is prepared in a cold room. The frozen soil is pulverized and cement, additives and fibers are added to the samples for enhancing shear strength and controlling thaw settlement. Thaw settlement and direct shear tests are performed to assess strength and settlement characteristics. This paper presents a sample preparation method, data from thaw settlement and direct shear tests, and analyses of the test results and preliminary conclusions.

Centrifuge model test on performance of thermosyphon cooled sandbags stabilizing warm oil pipeline buried in permafrost

The thaw settlement of pipeline foundation soils in response to the operation of the first China-Russia Crude Oil Pipeline along the eastern flank of the northern Da Xing'anling Mountains in Northeast China was simulated in a physical model test(with a similitude ratio of 1/73) in a geotechnical centrifuge. Two pipes of a supported and an unsupported section were evaluated over a testing period for simulating 20 years of actual pipeline operation with seasonal cyclically changing oil and ambient temperatures. The results show that pipe settlement of the supported pipe was 45% of settlement of the unsupported pipe. Settlement for the unsupported section was approximately 35% of the thaw bulb depth below the initial pipe elevation, only 30% of that for the supported pipe due to the influence of the supports. The final thaw bulbs extended approximately 3.6 and 1.6 times of the pipe diameter below the unsupported and supported pipe bottom elevations, respectively. The sandbag supports kept frozen during the test period because of cooling effect of the thermosyphons. The maximum bending stress induced over the 20 m span length from bearing of the full cover over the pipe would be equivalent to40% specified minimum yield strength(SMYS). Potential buckling of the pipe should be considered as the ground thaws.This study also offers important data for calibration and validation of numerical simulation models.