Artificial Thawing of Frozen Ground: A Review
Publication: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 4
Abstract
Understanding the freezing and thawing processes in porous media such as soils is important, especially in regions experiencing seasonal frost or permafrost. These processes have a wide range of implications as diverse as how to maintain the structural integrity of roads, railways, pipelines, and buildings, to when to plant seeds during the growth season. Thawing of frozen ground is the opposite process of ground freezing but has not received nearly as much attention as the latter in research studies or field experiments. Accurately predicting thaw depth or thaw rate is a challenging task. Many mathematical models have been proposed to describe the thawing process, with different perspectives and complexity. This paper provides an overview of historical modeling efforts made for predicting heat and mass transfer during thawing. Assumptions and premises for each model are discussed, as well as limitations and some applications. In addition, this paper reviews historical and modern approaches to thawing of frozen ground in cold regions, lists pros and cons of each method, and gives examples of applications. The review shows the need for further research and more accurate models, specifically for predicting thaw depth and thaw rates in frozen ground subjected to artificial thawing.
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Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the Department of Building, Energy and Material Technology, The Arctic University of Norway. The publication fee for this article was covered by the publication fund of UiT-The Arctic University of Norway.
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Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 4 • December 2022
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Received: Jun 13, 2021
Accepted: Apr 11, 2022
Published online: Jul 27, 2022
Published in print: Dec 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Dec 27, 2022
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