Review of Effectiveness and Costs of Strategies to Improve Roadbed Stability in Permafrost Regions
Publication: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 27, Issue 3
Abstract
This paper reviews the effectiveness and costs of strategies to improve roadbed stability in permafrost regions, based on a synthesis of literature findings. Roadbeds in permafrost regions experience instability when the embankment loading and its heat absorption properties degrade the permafrost foundation. A variety of engineering strategies are used to mitigate this effect. The review summarizes the rationale, effectiveness, and costs of four types of strategies, namely those that control roadbed thawing, cool the roadbed, insulate the roadbed, and reduce roadbed fill weight. The literature reveals that strategies to control roadbed thawing, insulate the roadbed, or reduce roadbed fill weight do not reverse the long-term degradation of permafrost foundations. Strategies that cool the roadbed by implementing air convection embankments, ventilation ducts, thermosiphons, heat drains, or combinations of these are effective in reducing embankment temperatures and stabilizing the roadbed. Costs vary by geographic and climatic conditions and the proximity of materials to the construction site. Reported data suggest that conducting normal maintenance is less expensive than implementing roadbed cooling strategies, but maintaining serviceability may not be feasible.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors express gratitude to Transport Canada–Surface–Prairie and Northern Region for financially supporting this research.
References
Alfaro, M. C., Ciro, G. A., Thiessen, K. J., and Ng, T. (2009). “Case study of degrading permafrost beneath a road embankment.” J. Cold Regions Eng., 23(3), 93–111.
Beaulac, I., and Doré, G. (2006). “Permafrost degradation and adaptations of airfields and access roads, Nunavik, Quebec, Canada.” Proc., Annual Conf. of the Transportation Association of Canada, Transportation Association of Canada, Ottawa.
Cheng, G. (2005a). “Permafrost studies in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for road construction.” J. Cold Regions Eng., 19(1), 19–29.
Cheng, G. (2005b). “A roadbed cooling approach for the construction of Qinghai-Tibet Railway.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 42(2), 169–176.
Cheng, G., Sun, Z., and Niu, F. (2008). “Application of the roadbed cooling approach in Qinghai-Tibet railway engineering.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 53(3), 241–258.
Cheng, G., Zhang, J., Sheng, Y., and Chen, J. (2004). “Principle of thermal insulation for permafrost protection.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 40(1–2), 71–79.
Dong, Y., Lai, Y., Xu, X., and Zhang, S. (2010). “Using perforated ventilation ducts to enhance the cooling effect of crushed-rock interlayer on embankments in permafrost regions.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 62(1), 76–82.
Esch, D. (1988). “Roadway embankments on warm permafrost: Problems and remedial treatments.” Proc., 5th Int. Conf. on Permafrost, International Permafrost Association, Potsdam, Germany, 1223–1228.
Esch, D. (1995). Long term evaluation of insulated roads and airfields in Alaska, Alaska Dept. of Transportation, Juneau, AK.
Esch, D. (1996). “Road and airfield design for permafrost conditions.” Roads and airfields in cold regions, T. S. Vinson, J. W. Rooney and W. H. Haas, eds., Technical Council on Cold Regions Engineering, New York, 121–149.
Feng, W. J., Ma, W., and Sheng, Y. (2007). “Effect analysis of awning in highway engineering of cold regions.” Proc., 10th Conf. of Geomechanics and Geoengineering, Publishing Company of Chongqinq Univ., Chongqing, China, 101–106 (in Chinese).
Feng, W. J., Ma, W., Zhang, Z., Wen, Z., Sun, Z., and Yu, W. (2012). “A review of the sunshading (awning) method in embankment engineering on the Qinhai-Tibet Plateau in China.” Proc., 10th Int. Conf. on Permafrost, Vol. 4, International Permafrost Association, Potsdam, Germany, 639–640.
Feng, W. J., Wei, M., Dongqing, L., and Luxin, Z. (2006). “Application investigation of awning to roadway engineering on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 45(1), 51–58.
Ferrell, S. M. (2009). “Maintaining stability beneath cold region transportation infrastructure with special emphasis on railroads.” M.Sc. thesis, Michigan Technological Univ., Houghton, MI.
Hayley, D. W. (1988). “Maintenance of railway grade over permafrost in Canada.” Proc., 5th Int. Conf. on Permafrost, International Permafrost Association, Potsdam, Germany, 43–48.
Horvath, J. S. (2001). “Concepts for cellular geosynthetics standards with an example for EPS-block geofoam as lightweight fill for roads.”, Manhattan College, Bronx, NY.
Huzeyong, C., and Qianzeyu, D. (2006). “Yin-Yang slope problem along Qinghai-Tibetan Lines and its radiation mechanism.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 44(3), 217–224.
Jin-ping, L., and Yu, S. (2008). “Analysis of the thermal stability of an embankment under different pavement types in high temperature permafrost regions.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 54(2), 120–123.
Jørgensen, A. S. (2009). “Assessment of three mitigation techniques for permafrost protection—Roads and airfields in the Arctic.” Ph.D. thesis, Technical Univ. of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jørgensen, A. S., Doré, G., Voyer, É., Chataigner, Y., and Gosselin, L. (2008). “Assessment of the effectiveness of two heat removal techniques for permafrost protection.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 53(2), 179–192.
Jørgensen, A. S., Klemmensen, R. L., Ingeman-Nielsen, T., Doré, G., and Malenfant-Lepage, J. (2012). “Assessment of different heat drain materials for protection of permafrost under road and airfield embankments.” Proc., 10th Int. Conf. on Permafrost, Vol. 4, International Permafrost Association, Potsdam, Germany, 243–244.
Lai, Y., Guo, H., and Dong, Y. (2009). “Laboratory investigation on the cooling effect of the embankment with L-shaped thermosyphon and crushed-rock revetment in permafrost regions.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 58(3), 143–150.
Lepage, J. M., and Doré, G. (2010). “Experimentation of mitigation techniques to reduce the effects of permafrost degradation on transportation infrastructures at Beaver Creek experimental road side (Alaska Highway, Yukon).” Proc., 63rd Canadian Geotechnical Conf., Canadian Geotechnical Society, Richmond, BC, Canada.
Lepage, J. M., Doré, G., Fortier, D., and Murchison, P. (2012). “Thermal performance of the permafrost protection techniques at Beaver Creek experimental road site, Yukon, Canada.” Proc., 10th Int. Conf. on Permafrost, Vol. 1, International Permafrost Association, Potsdam, Germany, 261–266.
Li, G., et al. (2008). “Study on design optimization of a crushed stone layer with shading board placed on a railway embankment on warm permafrost.” Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 54(1), 36–43.
Lin, Z., Niu, F., Luo, J., Lu, J., and Liu, H. (2011). “Changes in permafrost environments caused by construction and maintenance of Qinghai-Tibet Highway.” J. Cent. S. Univ. Tech., 18(5), 1454–1464.
Liu, J., and Tian, Y. (2002). “Numerical studies for the thermal regime of a roadbed with insulation on permafrost.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 35(1), 1–13.
Ma, W., Qi, J., and Wu, Q. (2008). “Analysis of the deformation of embankments on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.” J. Geotech. Geoenviron. Eng., 134(11), 1645–1654.
Ma, W., Shi, C., Qu, Q., Zhang, L., and Wu, Z. (2006). “Monitoring study on technology of the cooling roadbed in permafrost region of Qinghai-Tibet plateau.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 44(1), 1–11.
McGregor, R. V., Hassan, M., and Hayley, D. (2008). “Climate change impacts and adaptation: Case studies of roads in northern Canada.” Proc., Annual Conf. of the Transportation Association of Canada, Transportation Association of Canada, Ottawa.
Mu, Y., Ma, W., Liu, Y., and Sun, Z. (2010). “Monitoring investigation on thermal stability of air-convection crushed-rock embankment.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 62(2–3), 160–172.
Niu, F., Cheng, G., Xia, H., and Ma, L. (2006). “Field experiment study on effects of duct-ventilated railway embankment on protecting the underlying permafrost.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 45(3), 178–192.
Niu, F., Lin, Z., Liu, H., Lu, J., and Liu, Z. (2012). “Thermal status of traditional roadbed with slopes covered by crushed rocks along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.” Proc., Tenth Int. Conf. on Permafrost, Vol. 1, International Permafrost Association, Potsdam, Germany, 289–293.
Qihao, Y., Fujun, N., Xicai, P., Yang, B., and Mingyi, Z. (2008). “Investigation of embankment with temperature-controlled ventilation along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 53(2), 193–199.
Quan, X., Li, N., and Li, G. (2006). “A new ripraped-rock slope for high temperature permafrost regions.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 45(1), 42–50.
Reimchen, D., Doré, G., Fortier, D., Stanley, B., and Walsh, R. (2009). “Cost and constructability of permafrost test sections along the Alaska Highway, Yukon.” Proc., Annual Conf. of the Transportation Association of Canada, Transportation Association of Canada, Ottawa.
Saboundjian, S. (2008). Evaluation of alternative embankment construction methods, Alaska Dept. of Transportation, Juneau, AK.
Saboundjian, S., and Goering, D. J. (2003). “Air convection embankment for roadways: Field experimental study in Alaska.” Transport. Res. Rec., 1821, 20–28.
Shalaby, A., and Khan, R. A. (2002). “Temperature monitoring and compressibility measurement of a tire shred embankment.” Transport. Res. Rec., 1808, 67–75.
Sheng, Y., Wen, Z., Ma, W., Liu, Y., Qi, J., and Wu, J. (2006). “Long-term evaluations of insulated road in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 45(1), 23–30.
Transportation Association of Canada. (2010). Primer on developing and managing transportation infrastructure in permafrost regions, Ottawa.
Wei, M., Guodong, C., and Qingbai, W. (2009). “Construction on permafrost foundations: Lessons learned from the Qinghai-Tibet railroad.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 59(1), 3–11.
Wen, Z., Sheng, Y., Ma, W., and Qi, J. (2005). “Evaluation of EPS application to embankment of Qinghai-Tibetan railway.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 41(3), 235–247.
Wen, Z., Sheng, Y., Ma, W., and Qi, J. (2008). “In situ experimental study on thermal protection effects of the insulation method on warm permafrost.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 53(3), 369–381.
Wu, J., Ma, W., Sun, Z., and Wen, Z. (2010a). “In-situ study on cooling effect of the two-phase closed thermosyphon and insulation combinational embankment of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 60(3), 234–244.
Wu, Q., Li, M., and Liu, Y. (2010b). “Thermal interaction between permafrost and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.” J. Cold Regions Eng., 24(4), 112–125.
Xu, J., and Goering, D. J. (2008). “Experimental validation of passive permafrost cooling systems.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 53(3), 283–297.
Yu, Q. H., Pan, X. C., Cheng, G. D., and He, N. W. (2008). “An experimental study on the cooling mechanism of a shading board in permafrost engineering.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 53(3), 298–304.
Zhang, B., Sheng, Y., Chen, J., and Li, J. (2011). “In-situ test study on the cooling effect of two-phase closed thermosyphon in marshy permafrost regions along the Chaidaer-Muli Railway, Qinghai Province, China.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 65(3), 456–464.
Zhang, M., Lai, Y., Dong, Y., and Li, S. (2008). “Laboratory investigation on cooling effect of duct-ventilated embankment with chimney in permafrost regions.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 54(2), 115–119.
Zhi, W., Yu, S., Wei, M., Jilin, Q., and Wu, J. (2005). “Analysis on effect of permafrost protection by two-phase closed thermosyphon and insulation jointly in permafrost regions.” Cold Regions Sci. Technol., 43(3), 150–163.
Zhizhong, S., Wei, M., and Dongqing, L. (2005). “In situ test on cooling effectiveness of air convection embankment with crushed rock slope protection in permafrost regions.” J. Cold Regions Eng., 19(2), 38–51.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 27 • Issue 3 • September 2013
Pages: 109 - 131
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 19, 2012
Accepted: Nov 2, 2012
Published online: Nov 5, 2012
Discussion open until: Apr 5, 2013
Published in print: Sep 1, 2013
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.