Practical Model of Frost Heave in Clay
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132, Issue 1
Abstract
Freezing behavior of clay differs from that of silt. This difference stems primarily from the low permeability or hydraulic conductivity of clay, and the higher water content of saturated clay. Freezing effects include simultaneous heave and consolidation. Six small physical model columns of clay were frozen: one at ; and five on a centrifuge at various scales and with corresponding accelerations, to bring self-weight stresses into similarity with a full scale column of clay in height. The experimental results demonstrated the importance of replicating the prototype stress conditions in a model. They demonstrated the importance of local water content on development of heave in clay, and the relative insensitivity of heave to location of the phreatic surface. Low permeability caused the clay to behave essentially as a closed system with regard to water flow. A simple analytical model was developed to explain observed soil response. Further research is recommended to provide more guidance in selecting input parameters.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported in part by both research and equipment funding from the Terrestrial Sciences Program of the Mechanical and Environmental Sciences Division in the Engineering Sciences Directorate U.S. Army Research Office. Their support is greatly appreciated. Interactions with research engineers at the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Laboratory were also very helpful in this work.USARO
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Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 132 • Issue 1 • January 2006
Pages: 92 - 101
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Feb 25, 2003
Accepted: May 23, 2005
Published online: Jan 1, 2006
Published in print: Jan 2006
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