Ground-temperature controlling effects of duct-ventilated railway embankment in permafrost regions

Based on observed data from field-testing embankment of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, ground-temperature controlling effect of duct-ventilated embankment is studied in this paper.The results show that ventilation ducts can effectively cool the soils surrounding the ducts of the embankment, and the heat budget of the ambient soils in a year shows as heat release. Temperature status of the permafrost below the embankment with ducts buried in the relatively high position is similar to that of the common embankment. The permafrost processes warming all along in the two freezing-thawing cycles when the embankment was constructed. However, the temperature of the frozen soils below the embankment, in which the ducts buried in the relatively low position, rises a little in the initial stage. After that, it cools down gradually. At the same time,ventilation ducts can effectively reduce the thermal disturbance caused by the filled soils. The frozen soils below the common embankment and that with high-posited ducts absorb heat all along in the initial two cycles. While the soils below the embankment with low-posited ducts begin to release heat in the second cycle. This phenomenon proves that the ventilation embankment with low-posited ducts shows efficient temperature-controlling effect. Such embankment can actively cool the subgrade soils and therefore keeps the roadbed thermally stable.     

Seasonal differences in seismic responses of embankment on a sloping ground in permafrost regions

Because of its direct influence on the amount of unfrozen water and on the strength of intergranular ice in a frozen soil, temperature has a significant effect on all aspects of the mechanical behavior of the active layer in which temperature fluctuates above and below 0 °C. Hence seismic responses of engineering structures such as embankment on a sloping ground in permafrost regions exhibit obvious differences with seasonal alternation. To explore the distinctive seismic characteristics of a railway embankment on the sloping ground in permafrost regions, a coupled water-heat-dynamics model is built based on theories of heat transfer, soil moisture dynamics, frozen soil mechanics, soil dynamics, and so on. A well-monitored railway embankment on a sloping ground in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is taken as an example to simulate seismic responses in four typical seasons in the 25th service year. The numerical results show that seismic acceleration, velocity and displacement responses are significantly different in four typical seasons, and the responses on October 15 are much higher among the four seasons. When the earthquake is over, there are still permanent differential deformations in the embankment and even severe damages on the left slope on October 15. Therefore, this position should be monitored closely and repaired timely to ensure safe operation. In addition, the numerical model and results may be a reference for maintenance, design and study on other embankments in permafrost regions.     

Numerical analysis for cooling effect of open boundary ripped-rock embankment on Qinghai-Tibetan railway

At present, the Qinghai-Tibetan railway is being built, and it will pass across more than 550-km perma-frost regions. Therefore, the key to the stability of therailway embankment lies in solving the permafrost problem. Because global warming and existence of railway tend to degrade the permafrost in these re-gions[1], more difficulties and problems are induced in the construction and maintenance of railway. In the area where the mean annual air temperature is higher than a certain value, the …     

The application of auto-temperature-controlled ventilation embankment in Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Auto-temperature-controlled ventilation embankment is an effective engineering measure for "cooling roadbed". Practice proves that this new method can sufficiently make use of natural cold energy. It has the advantages of higher efficiency, better cooling effect and feasibility in engineering practice, and wider application in various environment, etc. And also, it is comparatively cheap in project cost. Through practice in the field for half a year, the testing results show that, with the application of auto-temperature-controlled system, the artificial permafrost table has been raised by 65 cm. The artificial permafrost table was basically at the embankment bottom, and the action of freeze-thaw circle on engineering stability was effectively avoided. In the month with highest ground temperature, in the scope with 1-4 m in depth, including the majority of the embankment and the upper part in the original seasonal layer, the ground temperature decreased by 0.7℃. Through thermal flux calculation in the original seasonal layer, in the month with the maximum thermal flux coming into permafrost, it is found that the thermal flux reduces nearly by half. Coming into the cooling period for nearly a month, the ground temperature in entire auto-temperature-controlled embankment is close to zero, and the foundation is at negative temperature. But in a large region in the embankment and foundation the ground temperature was over 0℃ and varied from 0℃ to 0.39℃ in ordinary ventilation embankment.     

Transient and Transition Factors in Modeling Permafrost Thaw and Groundwater Flow

Permafrost covers approximately 24% of the Northern Hemisphere, and much of it is degrading, which causes infrastructure failures and ecosystem transitions. Understanding groundwater and heat flow processes in permafrost environments is challenging due to spatially and temporarily varying hydraulic connections between water above and below the near-surface discontinuous frozen zone. To characterize the transitional period of permafrost degradation, a three-dimensional model of a permafrost plateau that includes the supra-permafrost zone and surrounding wetlands was developed. The model is based on the Scotty Creek basin in the Northwest Territories, Canada. FEFLOW groundwater flow and heat transport modeling software is used in conjunction with the piFreeze plug-in, to account for phase changes between ice and water. The Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) flow model is used to calculate ground temperatures and surface water balance, which are then used as FEFLOW boundary conditions. As simulating actual permafrost evolution would require hundreds of years of climate variations over an evolving landscape, whose geomorphic features are unknown, methodologies for developing permafrost initial conditions for transient simulations were investigated. It was found that a model initialized with a transient spin-up methodology, that includes an unfrozen layer between the permafrost table and ground surface, yields better results than with steady-state permafrost initial conditions. This study also demonstrates the critical role that variations in land surface and permafrost table microtopography, along with talik development, play in permafrost degradation. Modeling permafrost dynamics will allow for the testing of remedial measures to stabilize permafrost in high value infrastructure environments.     

Impact of heat advection on the thermal regime of roads built on permafrost

In northern regions, transportation infrastructure can experience severe structural damages due to permafrost degradation. Water infiltration and subsurface water flow under an embankment affect the energy balance of roadways and underlying permafrost. However, the quantification of the processes controlling these changes and a detailed investigation of their thermal impacts remain largely unknown due to a lack of available long-term embankment temperature data in permafrost regions. Here, we report observations of heat advection linked to surface water infiltration and subsurface flow based on a 9-year (from 2009 to 2017) thermal monitoring at an experimental road test site built on ice-rich permafrost conditions in southwestern Yukon, Canada. Our results show that snowmelt water infiltration in the spring rapidly increases temperature in the upper portion of the embankment. The earlier disappearance of snow deposited at the embankment slope increases the thawing period and the temperature gradient in the embankment compared with the natural ground. Infiltrated summer rainfall water lowered the near-surface temperatures and subsequently warmed embankment fill materials down to 3.6-m depth. Heat advection caused by the flow of subsurface water produced warming rates at depth in the embankment subgrade up to two orders of magnitude faster than by atmospheric warming (heat conduction). Subsurface water flow promoted permafrost thawing under the road embankment and led to an increase in active layer thickness. We conclude that the thermal stability of roadways along the Alaska Highway corridor is not maintainable in situations where water is flowing under the infrastructure unless mitigation techniques are used. Severe structural damages to the highway embankment are expected to occur in the next decade.     

The application of auto-temperature-controlled ventilation embankment in Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Auto-temperature-controlled ventilation embankment is an effective engineering measure for “cooling roadbed”. Practice proves that this new method can sufficiently make use of natural cold energy. It has the advantages of higher efficiency, better cooling effect and feasibility in engineering practice, and wider application in various environment, etc. And also, it is comparatively cheap in project cost. Through practice in the field for half a year, the testing results show that, with the application of auto-temperature-controlled system, the artificial permafrost table has been raised by 65 cm. The artificial permafrost table was basically at the embankment bottom, and the action of freeze-thaw circle on engineering stability was effectively avoided. In the month with highest ground temperature, in the scope with 1–4 m in depth, including the majority of the embankment and the upper part in the original seasonal layer, the ground temperature decreased by 0.7°C. Through thermal flux calculation in the original seasonal layer, in the month with the maximum thermal flux coming into permafrost, it is found that the thermal flux reduces nearly by half. Coming into the cooling period for nearly a month, the ground temperature in entire auto-temperature-controlled embankment is close to zero, and the foundation is at negative temperature. But in a large region in the embankment and foundation the ground temperature was over 0°C and varied from 0°C to0.39°C in ordinary ventilation embankment.     

青藏高等级公路斜插式热棒路基降温效果数值分析

以青海共和至玉树高等级公路中的实际设计断面为模型,通过数值模拟研究斜插式热棒路基和斜插式热棒-XPS复合路基的降温效果。结果表明,在气候变暖背景下,两种路基在一定时期内可以降低其下部多年冻土温度,提高路基下冻土上限,但随着气温逐渐升高,两种路基反压护道下多年冻土中有融化核出现,并且斜插式热棒路基下多年冻土中及斜插式热棒-XPS复合路基填土中有融化核出现;增加XPS保温板,在一定时期内可以提升斜插式热棒路基的降温能力,使斜插式热棒-XPS复合路基降温效果优于斜插式热棒路基,且前者冻土上限始终高于后者,但对于增强其长期降温的效果并不显著。     

青藏高原多年冻土区天然气水合物形成条件模拟研究

基于野外气体地球化学调查研究,以及前人有关冻土表层温度、冻土层内地温梯度、冻土层下地温梯度等的资料,对青藏高原多年冻土区天然气水合物的形成条件开展了模拟研究. 结果显示：研究区冻土条件能够满足天然气水合物形成的基本要求;气体组成、冻土特征（如冻土厚度或冻土表层温度、冻土层内地温梯度、冻土层下地温梯度等）是影响研究区天然气水合物稳定带厚度的最重要因素,其在不同点位上的差异性可能导致天然气水合物分布的不均匀性的主要原因;研究区最可能的天然气水合物为甲烷与重烃（乙烷和丙烷）的混合气体型天然气水合物;在天然气水合物分布的区域,其产出的上临界点深度在几十至一百多米间,下临界点深度在几百至近一千米间,厚度可达到几百米. 与Canadian Mallik三角洲多年冻土区相比,青藏高原多年冻土区除了冻土厚度小些外,其他条件,如冻土层内地温梯度、冻土层下地温梯度、气体组成等条件较为相近,具有一定的可比性,预示着良好的天然气水合物潜力.     

Towards an energy‐based runoff generation theory for tundra landscapes

Runoff hydrology has a large historical context concerned with the mechanisms and pathways of how water is transferred to the stream network. Despite this, there has been relatively little application of runoff generation theory to cold regions, particularly the expansive treeless environments where tundra vegetation, permafrost, and organic soils predominate. Here, the hydrological cycle is heavily influenced by 1) snow storage and release, 2) permafrost and frozen ground that restricts drainage, and 3) the water holding capacity of organic soils. While previous research has adapted temperate runoff generation concepts such as variable source area, transmissivity feedback, and fill‐and‐spill, there has been no runoff generation concept developed explicitly for tundra environments. Here, we propose an energy‐based framework for delineating runoff contributing areas for tundra environments. Aerodynamic energy and roughness height control the end‐of‐winter snow water equivalent, which varies orders of magnitude across the landscape. Radiant energy in turn controls snowmelt and ground thaw rates. The combined spatial pattern of aerodynamic and radiant energy control flow pathways and the runoff contributing areas of the catchment, which are persistent on a year‐to‐year basis. While ground surface topography obviously plays an important role in the assessment of contributing areas, the close coupling of energy to the hydrological cycles in arctic and alpine tundra environments dictates a new paradigm. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

多年冻土区道路工程病害类型及特征研究

多年冻土及多年冻土区恶劣的环境给工程构筑物的建设及维护带来了极大的挑战。以青藏工程走廊内的青藏公路、青藏铁路两大道路工程为研究对象,系统论述了其路基工程、桥梁工程、涵洞工程的主要病害类型及分布特征。现场调查显示,青藏公路80%的路基病害由多年冻土融沉所引起,主要表现为严重的不均匀沉降变形和纵向裂缝,且主要发生在高填方路基上。这两种病害与多年冻土地温及含冰量密切相关,地温越高,含冰量越大,病害越为严重。青藏公路桥梁工程的病害主要集中在附属工程及上部结构上,而涵洞工程病害则主要由冻胀、融沉作用、泥石流淤积、冰塞以及施工原因导致。青藏铁路沿线现场监测及调查结果表明,目前铁路路基病害主要为高温冻土区普通路基的（不均匀）沉降变形、纵向裂缝、路桥过渡段沉降变形、风沙灾害及块碎石材料风化引起的冷却路基结构失效等。此外,青藏工程走廊内广泛分布着包括冻胀丘、冰椎、冰幔、热融湖塘等不良冻土地质现象,当上述不良地质现象与工程接近时,会对道路工程的稳定性造成威胁,严重时可导致一些工程病害的发生。     

Prediction of permafrost distribution on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in the next 50 and 100 years

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)has the highestand largest permafrost coverage in the low-middlelatitudes all over the world.With the progress ofChina’s Western Development,human activities areincreasing significantly on the QTP.For instance,theQinghai-Tibet Railway project started in June2001iscurrently under construction,but permafrost problemwill be one of the critical factors for the engineeringconstruction.Frost heave and permafrost settlementmay destroy engineering construction[1,2]…     

某湖滨路拓宽改造工程的稳定性分析及处理方案研究

针对某湖滨路的拓宽改造工程,选取地基土层最不利的断面进行数值模拟,并采用强度折减法研究其整体稳定性。数值分析结果表明,加宽后的新路基稳定性较差,安全储备不能满足要求,需要采取加固措施。对初步设计提出的仅采用土工格栅和采用土工格栅＋水泥搅拌桩这两种不同加固处理方案进行了数值分析。计算结果表明,相比仅采用土工格栅,采用土工格栅＋水泥搅拌桩进行软基处理可以有效地减小不均匀沉降、提高路堤的整体稳定性。本文的实例研究可供类似工程参考和借鉴。     

Evaluating model of frozen soil environment change under engineering actions

The change of frozen soil environment is evaluated by permafrost thermal stability, thermal thaw sensibility and surface landscape stability and the quantitatively evaluating model of frozen soil environment is proposed in this paper. The evaluating model of frozen soil environment is calculated by 28 ground temperature measurements along Qinghai-Xizang Highway. The relationships of thermal thaw sensibility and freezing and thawing processes and seasonally thawing depth, thermal stability and permafrost table temperature, mean annual ground temperature and seasonally thawing depth, and surface landscape stability and freezing and thawing hazards and their forming possibility are analyzed. The results show that thermal stability, thermal thaw sensibility and surface landscape stability can be used to evaluate and predict the change of frozen soil environment under human engineering action.     

青藏高原冻土带天然气水合物的形成条件与分布预测

冻土带是天然气水合物发育的两个重要地质环境之一.青藏高原平均海拔在4000m以上,多年冻土面积约1.4×106km2.本文根据青藏高原冻土层厚度和地温梯度特征,运用天然气水合物的热力学稳定域预测方法,确定中低纬度高海拔区冻土带天然气水合物的产出特征.青藏高原多年冻土带热成因天然气水合物形成的热力学相平衡反映,水合物顶界埋深约27~560m,底界埋深约77~2070m.初步计算表明,青藏高原冻土带水合物天然气资源约1.2×1011~2.4×1014m3.在冻土层越厚、冻土层及冻土层之下沉积层的地温梯度越小的地区,最有利于天然气水合物的发育.气温的季节性变化对天然气水合物影响不大.在全球气温快速上升的背景下,青藏高原天然气水合物将处于失稳状态,天然气水合物顶界下降、底界上升,与冻土带的退化相似,分布区逐渐缩小,最终将完全消失.     

探地雷达在多年冻土工程地质勘察中的应用效果研究

由于融土和冻土之间存在明显的电性差异,使探地雷达成为研究多年冻土的有效手段之一.本文结合工程实例,对探地雷达在青藏高原多年冻土工程地质勘察中的应用效果进行了现场试验研究.分析了探地雷达探测多年冻土的物理前提条件,总结了多年冻土主要地质要素的雷达图像特征和探地雷达在多年冻土工程地质勘察中的实际应用效果.研究表明融土与冻土的雷达图像特征存在明显差异:融土雷达反射波为低频强宽振幅的稀疏波,波形较杂乱;冻土反射波为高频低振幅细密波,波形较为规则;探地雷达可较为准确地划分地层、识别多年冻土上限、确定多年冻土分布范围,但尚不能有效确定多年冻土的含冰量;另外,探地雷达对细颗粒土的探测效果要明显好于粗颗粒土.文章还指出了现场探测和图像解译分析中需要注意的事项和下一步需要研究解决的问题,建议在开展现场探测工作之前先在有钻探资料或天然地质剖面处进行对比试验,搞清测区内主要地层的物性参数,掌握有效波和干扰波的分布规律,从而提高雷达探测结果的准确性和可靠性.     

多年冻土区桥梁桩基础地震响应的模型振动试验研究

以青藏铁路高温不稳定多年冻土区"以桥代路"工程——清水河特大桥的桩基础为研究目标,在负温条件下对该桥梁桩基础结构的缩尺模型进行了地震荷载作用的模型振动试验,研究了地震荷载作用下桩-冻土相互作用,分析了结构的地震响应特征,明确了桩体动荷响应对桩周冻土地温和应变的影响规律,最后对地震荷载作用下高温不稳定多年冻土区桥梁桩基础的稳定性作出了评价.     

Influences of local factors on permafrost occurrence and their implications for Qinghai-Xizang Railway design

Permafrost is a product of long-term energy ex-change between the atmosphere and the ground. Macro-scale distribution of permafrost is controlled overall by climate. However, site-specific variables such as terrain conditions, snow cover, soil/rock type, and moisture content can significantly modify the ef-fect of climate, resulting in localized anomalies in permafrost distribution[1,2]. These factors cause distur-bances to normal thermal regimes and can determine the presence and absence of p…     

Observation and estimation of evaporation from the ground surface of the cryosphere in eastern Asia

The characteristics of evaporation from the ground surface of Asian cryosphere sites are presented, as estimated by the lysimeter method, a profile method, and a heat budget method. The observation sites were located on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, in the Qilian and Tianshan Mountains of China, and in eastern Siberia. The lysimeter method has been demonstrated to be a reliable observation technique for estimating daily evaporation from the land surface, given suitable experiment design and operation. Daily mean evaporation varied within the range of 0·3 to 3·5 mm on the permafrost surface, and regional differences in evaporation were strongly related to surface soil moisture. Locally, topography, by way of its influence on surface soil moisture, was found to control evaporation systematically. Seasonality of ground evaporation in permafrost regions is dominated by thaw–freeze cycles at the surface; evaporation from the melting permafrost surface is up to four to seven times greater than that from frozen ground. In forested terrain, the interception of precipitation can reduce daily evaporation by 60 to 70%. Sublimation from the snow surface was observed at some sites in the range of 0·2 to 1·0 mm daily; atmospheric conditions, such as wind speed and saturation deficit, were dominant factors in determining snow sublimation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.