Formulation and Characterization of Freezing Saturated Soils

Abstract

The writers have derived a unified governing equation for freezing saturated soils. This equation considers the governing mechanisms with respect to individual thermal and hydraulic fields. The writers included coupling effects such as the thermodynamic equilibrium on the water-ice interface. The morphology of the solid matrix and the physical chemistry of the water-ice interface have also been incorporated. The equation is comprised of terms with clear physical meanings. Typical properties that are indicative of freezing soils, e.g., segregation potential, can be derived from this equation. The writers discuss the material properties that are required for implementation of the equation. For the conventional parameters in the equation, i.e., thermal conductivity, heat capacity, and hydraulic conductivity, the corresponding mathematical descriptions were investigated. The functions for prediction of these parameters during the soil freezing process are presented. The writers have also proposed a relationship between the temperature and unfrozen water content for characterization of freezing saturated soils. The writers propose that the measurement of this relationship be conducted with a new technique that uses a thermo–time domain reflectometry (TDR) sensor. The writers have described detailed sensor and experiment designs for measuring this new relationship and have compared the results with data that were measured with a standard method.