Seismic Response of Frozen Ground

Field data on the behavior of frozen ground during the Alaska earthquake of 1964 are reviewed. It is shown that fully frozen ground behaves well during earthquakes and that most engineering problems are encountered in frozen ground when saturated cohesionless soils are trapped beneath the frozen surface layer. A procedure for the dynamic effective stress response analysis of this case is presented. Existing data on stress-strain properties of frozen ground are reviewed critically. Use of seismic refraction techniques in frozen ground, both onshore and offshore, are considered. Freezing phenomena essential for understanding experimental data and field conditions are described.