Three-Dimensional Nonlinear Analysis for the Cooling Characteristics of Crushed-Rock Interlayer Embankment with Ventilated Duct along the Qinghai-Tibet Expressway in Permafrost Regions
Publication: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 4
Abstract
The crushed-rock embankment and duct-ventilated embankment have been used as effective cooling measures to protect permafrost underlying the Qinghai-Tibet Railway from thawing in China. These two cooling techniques are not directly applied to the Qinghai-Tibet Expressway, however, due to the large width and higher temperature of pavement surface. Therefore, considering the heat transfer characteristics of crushed-rock interlayer embankments and duct-ventilated embankments, we designed the crushed-rock interlayer embankment with ventilated duct. For cold regions engineering projects, the thermal regime is the most important factor that determines the stability of construction. To investigate the thermal stability of this new type of embankment, a three-dimensional numerical model was developed based on heat and mass transfer theory. The model includes coupled heat transfer between the airflow and the duct wall, air convective heat transfer within the crushed-rock interlayer, and heat conduction with phase change in the soil layer. The computational results indicated that the numerical model can reasonably solve the coupled heat and mass transfer for the crushed-rock interlayer embankment with ventilated duct. Based on an assumption that the mean annual air temperature will increase by in the next 50years, it was determined that in areas where the mean annual air temperature is currently , the crushed-rock interlayer embankment with ventilated duct can be an effective measure to decrease the underlying ground temperature and ensure the stability of the Qinghai-Tibet Expressway in permafrost regions.
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Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the fund of the State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering (Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDSKLFSE-ZY-03), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. NNSFC40601023, NNSFC40730736), the Talent Foundation of the Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, CAS (for Dr. Mingyi Zhang), and the grant of the Western Project Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. UNSPECIFIEDKZCX2-XB2-10). Sincere thanks to the editor-in-chief and two anonymous reviewers for their critical comments to improve this paper.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 24 • Issue 4 • December 2010
Pages: 126 - 141
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Sep 11, 2008
Accepted: Apr 14, 2010
Published online: Apr 16, 2010
Published in print: Dec 2010
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