Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
As I mentioned earlier, the 9-% expansion does not normally cause problems. So why do we have frost related problems?
Yep, more water is flowing into the freezing soil that forms ice lenses and expands the soil significantly. The two
phenomena of the frost action are frost heave and thaw weakening.

Page 1 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Let's look at the ice segregation a little bit closer. It occurs when ice lenses start to grow due to the capillary rise of water
to the freeezing front. Lense growth stops, when either air temperature gets warmer or when the air temperature gets
colder, and the freezing front moves to another locations and other ice lense start to grow, or the water source is
exhausted.

Page 2 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
The three Ws for excessive frost heave to occur or ice segregation to occur are winter, that means the freezing
temperature, water, that means available water source, and wick, that is the frost susceptible soil all these things must
occur simultaneously for ice segregation to occur and to prevent frost action you must eliminate one of the Ws.

Page 3 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
On the left you can see frost action remediation measures, and on the right the three conditions for frost action. Think:
Which condition are you eliminating with each measure?

Page 4 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
See the factors and consequences for frost susceptibility of soils given on the slide. There are several other factors, but in
a nut shell this is how it works. Gravel has high permeability and low capillary rise; so lots of water could rise up, but there
is not enough surface tension to draw water up. On the other end of the spectrum, clay has very high capillary rise
potential, but is so impermeable that not enough of water is able to rise up. Gravel and pure clay are non-frost susceptible
soils. Silt, however, has high enough capillary rise and permeability to make it highly frost susceptible. Thus all soils
containing significant amounts of silt are frost susceptible.

Page 5 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
What is then a "significant" amount of silt to make a soil frost susceptible? Hard to say. The capillary rise and permeability
are dependent on several factors other than gradation. For example the specific surface area and mineralogy affect frost
susceptibility, and therefore the frost susceptibility classification methods based on gradation don't always work and actual
frost heave tests are required. These tests tend to be expensive and therefore many agencies use gradation based
classification.

Page 6 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Let's look at the thawing soil. When ice melts thaw settlement occurs. This magnitude of the settlement is needed for:
foundations where thaw cannot be avoided; buried warm pipelines; for water retaining structures; stability of thawing
slopes; and road and enbankments with limited permafrost protection.

Page 7 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
The thaw settlement is small for initially dense soils with little segregated ice. Which means that the settlement is small for
granular soils and normally large for fine soils. The settlement is a result of three factors, first the phase change as ice
thaws, consolidation settlement due to the soils self weight, or over burden pressure, and under the applied structural
loads.

Page 8 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Empirical relationships exist between the bulk or wet density of frozen soils and thaw settlement. Remember that they
only apply for the given soils and the given density relationship range.

Page 9 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
What needs to be known to estimate the soil thermal regime? Surface temperature, soil thermal properties and the
geothermal gradient. Let's have a closer look at the thermal soil properties.

Page 10 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Study the equations for volumetric heat capacities for soil with water and air. The multiplier 0.17 relates to the soil solids,
1.0 to water and 0.5 to ice. Mass heat capacity can be derived from the volumetric heat capacity. Remember to carry
units!

Page 11 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Soil thermal conductivity is obtained from "Kersten curves." Separate curves are given for sandy soil, silt and clay and
peat in frozen and unfrozen condition. Start with water content, draw a vertical line to the proper dry unit weight, and read
the thermal conductivity from left in SI and right in English units.

Page 12 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Latent heat of fusion is needed for heat flow calculations. Note that not all ground water freezes necessarily and only
water that changes phase needs to be considered.

Page 13 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Mechancial properties. The strength of the frozen soil develops from inter particle friction, particle interlocking and
cohesion. The Strength depends on the strain rate, temperature, loading time and overall state of the stress. So what?
Soil creeps under load and settlement and reduction in strength follows, especially for ice-rich soils.

Page 14 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Why do we need mechanical properities? Well, as in temperate regions, the foundation design in permafrost is based on
bearing capacity and settlement. The bearing capacity comes from the strength of the pile/soil interface for smooth piles.
The settlement is not consolidation settlement due to the frozen ground water, but due to creep of the ground ice.

Page 15 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Shear strength. Which may also be considered as the creep stength is the stress level, after which rupture, instability
leading to rupture, or extremely large deformations without rupture occurs. The shear strength of a given soil depends on
temperature and loading time. So When the temperature decreases, strength increases. However, when time increases,
the strength will decreases due to creep.

Page 16 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
So when frozen soil is loaded, first, instanteous deformation occurs, and then, after that, the time dependent deformation
that is creep. The creep occurs at loading levels at around five to ten percent of the rupture strength. So, even if you
decrease the load from the rupture strength dramatically you still may see creep.

Page 17 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
This graph gives the three phases of creep: primary, secondary and tertiary creep. The primary creep typically represents
less than 10% of the total creep and is often neglected in design. The goal is to assign an allowable structural load that
will never lead to tertiary creep and certain failure.

Page 18 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
To avoid creep use well drained non-frost susceptible material under foundations to spread the load. Placing the
foundations at sufficient depth in the ground so that overburden pressure minimizes foundation induced creep.

Page 19 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Let's have a closer look at foundation issues in frozen ground. The listed goals and challenges apply for seasonal frost
areas and for permafrost areas. Foundation is the foundation for each structure; if foundation fails, the whole structure
fails.

Page 20 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
For seasonally frozen ground you have to consider frost action if the active layer is greater than 150 mm, that is around
six inches. And note: If the frost susceptible material is replaced by non-frost susceptible material you have to re-
determine the depth of the active layer. And the goal is to prevent frost heave, again we have to eliminate one of the Ws.
So, Water, provide drainage, frost susceptible soil, replace that with non-frost susceptible soil; For temperature, you can
use insulation or cut the cold bridge, otherwise the design is the same as for temperate regions.

Page 21 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Frozen ground is hard, which works for our benefit. Therefore, we need to keep it frozen, which means that the
foundations should not accelerate the thawing and preferably they should aid in keeping the ground temperatures cold.
The foundations should carry the applied load without short term failure, which refers to bearing capacity, and foundations
should keep the creep of the ice rich PF small, which refers to the creep displacement, or sometimes the long-term
strength.

Page 22 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
In addition to active refrigeration, there are several ways to prevent the permafrost from thawing. What method to use
depends on factors such as the temperature of the permafrost, possible heat sources near the ground, size of the building
and magnitude of the load.

Page 23 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Thermo probes can function as load carrying piles, or they may be installed within piles or under the highway as horizontal
systems. This system is really cool, literally, low maintenance, low life-time cost and they may make a difference if a
project can be built or not.

Page 24 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
The process works only when the air temperature is colder than the ground temperature. They are used when permafrost
thawing has occured or when reduction in soil temperature is desired.

Page 25 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Review foundation types from any geotechnical text if you need more information. Here are the most typical foundations
used in permafrost.

Page 26 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
Utilidors on grade tend to fail at some point. End result: no water, no nothing that is provided with the utilidor, which is not
good. The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium has been very happy with utilidors and boardwalks on helical piers.

Page 27 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
The Effect of climate warming on foundation in permafrost. Effect of warming permafrost presents a clear danger for
foundation failures in warm and discontinous permafrost. And remember, the climate warming needs to be considered in
design of foundations for all infrastructures in these areas.

Page 28 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
This was an introduction to frozen ground engineering. This and the next slide include references and other resources to
the presentation subject. To learn more, please consider taking the CE 681Frozen Ground Engineering, also offered as
an on-line course at UAA.

Page 29 of 30
 Arctic Engineering Module 5b

Slide script
If you want to get involved with associations dealing with frozen ground, please do so. The listed associations are
recruiting new members. Thank you. See you later.

Page 30 of 30