Laboratory investigation on the mechanical behavior of ice-saturated frozen loess

To investigate the mechanical properties of ice-saturated frozen soil, a series of triaxial tests under various confining pressures（0.5 to 9.0 MPa） on ice-saturated frozen loess with ice content of 23.7% were carried out at a temperature-6 °C, and at 1.25 mm/min of loading rate. The triaxial tests include two loading modes, one with monotonic loading（i.e., triaxial compression）, and another with static cycle loading. The test results under triaxial compression show that the strength and deformation behaviors of ice-saturated frozen loess are affected by confining pressure. According to the test results of triaxial loading-unloading cycle test, the elastic modulus evolution with the number of cycles under different confining pressures are analyzed.     

Characteristics of dynamic strain and strength of frozen silt under long-term dynamic loading

The dynamic strain and strength of frozen silt under long-term dynamic loading are studied based on creep tests. Three groups of tests are performed (Groups I, II, and III). The initial deviator stresses of Groups I and II are same and the dynamic stress amplitude of Group II is twice as that of Group I. The minimum value of dynamic stress in Group III is near zero and its dynamic stress amplitude is larger than those of Groups I and II. In tests of all three groups there are similar change trends of accumulative strain, but with different values. The accumulative strain curves consist of three stages, namely, the initial stage, the steady stage, and the gradual flow stage. In the tests of Groups I and II, during the initial stage with vibration times less than 50 loops the strain amplitude decreased with the increase of vibration times and then basically remained constant, fluctuating in a very small range. For the tests of Group III, during the initial and steady stages the strain amplitude decreased with the increase of vibration times, and then increased rapidly in the gradual flow stage. The dynamic strength of frozen silt decreases and trends to terminal dynamic strength as the vibration times of loading increase.     

Compressive strength and frost heave resistance of different types of semi-rigid base materials after freeze-thaw cycles

Freeze-thaw damage is the most common disease of semi-rigid bases in cold regions, which may greatly affect the durability of roadways. In this study, the compressive strength and frost resistance of four different types of semi-rigid bases (lime-fly ash-stabilized sand, cement-stabilized sand, lime-fly ash-stabilized gravel, and cement-stabilized gravel) are assessed by varying the materials content. Based on freeze-thaw and compressive strength tests, this paper presents the performance of the different materials, each having different physical properties, and the optimal amounts of materials contents are proposed.     

Simulated effect of soil freeze-thaw process on surface hydrologic and thermal fluxes in frozen ground region of the Northern Hemisphere

Soil freeze-thaw process is closely related to surface energy budget,hydrological activity,and terrestrial ecosystems.In this study,two numerical experiments(including and excluding soil freeze-thaw process)were designed to examine the effect of soil freeze-thaw process on surface hydrologic and thermal fluxes in frozen ground region in the Northern Hemisphere based on the state-of-the-art Community Earth System Model version 1.0.5.Results show that in response to soil freeze-thaw process,the area averaged soil temperature in the shallow layer(0.0175?0.0451 m)decreases by 0.35℃in the TP(Tibetan Plateau),0.69℃in CES(Central and Eastern Siberia),and 0.6℃in NA(North America)during summer,and increases by 1.93℃in the TP,2.28℃in CES and 1.61℃in NA during winter,respectively.Meanwhile,in response to soil freeze-thaw process,the area averaged soil liquid water content increases in summer and decrease in winter.For surface heat flux components,the ground heat flux is most significantly affected by the freeze-thaw process in both summer and winter,followed by sensible heat flux and latent heat flux in summer.In the TP area,the ground heat flux increases by 2.82 W/m2(28.5%)in summer and decreases by 3.63 W/m2(40%)in winter.Meanwhile,in CES,the ground heat flux increases by 1.89 W/m2(11.3%)in summer and decreases by 1.41 W/m2(18.6%)in winter.The heat fluxes in the Tibetan Plateau are more susceptible to the freeze-thaw process compared with the high-latitude frozen soil regions.Soil freeze-thaw process can induce significant warming in the Tibetan Plateau in winter.Also,this process induces significant cooling in high-latitude regions in summer.The frozen ground can prevent soil liquid water from infiltrating to deep soil layers at the beginning of thawing;however,as the frozen ground thaws continuously,the infiltration of the liquid water increases and the deep soil can store water like a sponge,accompanied by decreasing surface runoff.The influence of the soil freeze-thaw process on surface hydrologic and thermal fluxes varies seasonally and spatially.     

Wind tunnel simulation of the effects of freeze–thaw cycles on soil erosion in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Intense freezing and thawing actions occur in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau because of its high elevation and cold temperature. The plateau's unique environment makes it easy to generate wind erosion under dry, windy weather conditions, resulting in the emergence of desertification. As a major form of freeze–thaw erosion, freeze–thaw and wind erosion is displayed prominently on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Therefore, in this study, soil samples were collected from the surface of the plateau to undergo freeze–thaw and wind erosion simulation experiments. Results show that wind erosion strength increases with an increasing number of freeze–thaw cycles, water content in the freezing–thawing process, and the difference in freeze–thaw temperatures. Therefore, in the conditions of water participation, the main reason for the freeze–thaw and wind erosion in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is the damage to the soil structure by repeated, fierce freeze–thaw actions, and the sand-bearing wind is the main driving force for this process. The research results have theoretical significance for exploring the formation mechanism of freeze–thaw and wind erosion in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and provide a scientific basis for freeze–thaw desertification control in the plateau.     

A study on dynamic shear strength on frozen soil-concrete interface

Using newly developed dynamic shearing devices, the dynamic shearing strength of frozen soil-concrete interface was studied experimentally. By placing concrete blocks in the lower half of the shear box and frozen soil sample in the upper part, a series of dynamic shear tests on their interfaces were carried out. The obtained results are summarized and the main influencing factors are revealed.     

Effect of cryostructures on the uniaxial compressive strength of frozen clay

Unconfined uniaxial compressive tests were performed to study the influence of cryostructure on frozen clay's behavior,such as strain-stress,compressive strength,and failure characteristics,at temperatures varying from-10 to-2°C and strain rates varying from 1.0×10-5to 1.0×10-3s-1.Artificial samples were prepared of three types:(1)integral structure,(2)laminar structure,and(3)reticular structure.The impact of temperature,strain rate,and cryostructure on the mechanical properties is discussed.In general,frozen clay with various cryostructures shows strain-softening behavior in the range of testing temperatures and strain rates.For frozen clay of different cryostructures,the ultimate compressive strength increases with increasing strain rate and decreasing temperature.Under the same testing conditions,the ultimate compressive strengths from high to low are in integral samples,laminar samples,and reticular samples.Failure strain of frozen clay generally increases with increasing temperature and does not indicate any correlation with cryostructure or strain rate.The failure mode of integral and reticular samples was shear failure,while laminar samples showed tensile failure.     

The influence of freeze-thaw cycles on the granulometric composition of Moscow morainic clay

The freeze-thaw cycling process considerably changes the composition,structure,and properties of soils.Since the grain size is the most important factor in determining soil characteristics,our current research primarily aims to investigate dynamic changes of the soil fraction when exposed to freeze-thaw conditions.We observed two series of Moscow morainic clayey specimens(g QmII):(I) the original series,and(II) the remolded series.We subjected each series of soil specimens to different frequencies of freeze-thaw cycles(3,6,20,and 40 cycles),and we used granulometric tests to analyze both series before and after exposure to freeze-thaw conditions.As a result of our experiments,the granulometric compositions tended to be distributed evenly after 40 freeze-thaw processes(i.e.,content of fraction for 0.1–0.05 mm was increased after 40 freeze-thaw cycles) because the division of coarse grains and the aggregation of fine grains were synchronized during the freeze-thaw process.The soil grains in both series changed bi-directionally.In the original series,changes of the sand grains were conjugated with the clay grains,and in the remolded series,changes of the sand grains were conjugated with the silt grains,because potential energy difference caused the division and aggregation processes to relate to the counteraction process.The even distribution of soil grain size indicated the state of equilibrium or balance.The granulometric compositions were altered the most during the sixth freeze-thaw cycle,because the coefficient of the intensity variation of the grain fineness(Kvar) had its maximum value at that time.     

Review of the influence of freeze-thaw cycles on the physical and mechanical properties of soil

Seasonally frozen soil is a four-phase material and its physical-mechanical properties are more complex compared to the unfrozen soil. Its physical properties changes during the freeze-thaw process; repeated freeze-thaw cycles change the characteristics of soil, which can render the soil from an unstable state to a new dynamic equilibrium state. The freezing process changes the structure coupled between the soil particle arrangements, which will change the mechanical properties of the soil. The method of significance and interaction between different factors should be considered to measure the influence on the properties of soil under freeze-thaw cycles.     

Finite element analysis on deformation of highembankment in heavy-haul railway subjected to freeze-thaw cycles

Finiteelement simulations are increasingly providing a versatile environment for this topic. In this study, a two-dimensional finite element analysis is conducted to predict the deformation of highembankment in Bazhun heavy-haul railway, China. A recently developed nonlinear softening-type constitutive model is utilized to model the behavior of subgrade filling materials subjected to freeze-thaw cycles. For the convenience of practical application, the dynamic loading induced by a vehicle is treated as a quasi-static axle load. The deformation of this embankmentwith different moisture content under freeze-thaw cycles is compared. The results show that when subjected to the first freeze-thaw cycle, the embankmentexperienced significant deformation variations. Maximum deformation was usually achieved after the embankment with optimum moisture content experienced six freeze-thaw cycles, however, the embankment with moisture content of 8.0% and 9.5% deforms continuously even after experiencing almost ten freeze-thaw cycles. Overall, this study provides a simple nonlinear finite element approach for calculating the deformation of the embankmentinchanging climate conditions.     

中国黄土研究进展

1ThedistributionandpaleoenvironmentsignificanceofloessinChinaIn the world, the loess in China has most extensive distribution, the largest thickness and the most complete times. The distribution area is over 448,000 km2 (Liu, 1985), the thickness is about 505 m (Lei, 1995) and the times began from the Tertiary (Zhao, 1989; Ding etal, 2000; Guo etal., 2002). The loess in China is mainly distributed in the middle reaches of the Huanghe (Yellow) River, and concentrated in the east of Gansu p…     

Progress of loess research in China

Progress in Chinese loess research made in recent 15 years was introduced in this paper, including mainly distribution and paleoenvironment significance of Chinese loess, new development of loess formation age, red-brown paleosol types and environmental change, loess-paleosol sequence and climate cycles, monsoon strength change during last interglacial and last glacial periods in the Loess Plateau, climate events, and source areas of loess and material.     

Processes and mechanisms of multi-collapse of loess roads in seasonally frozen ground regions: A review

Usually, the collapsible loess widely distributed across the world can serve as a type of foundation soil that meets its strength requirement after dense compaction and elimination of collapsibility. However, many problems such as cracks and differential settlement still occur in loess roads in the seasonally frozen ground regions after several years of operation. Many studies have demonstrated that these secondary or multiple collapses primarily result from the repeatedfreezing-thawing, wetting-drying, and salinization-desalinization cycles. Therefore, we conducted a research program to (1) monitor the in-situ ground temperatures and water content in certain loess roads to understand their changes, (2) study the effects of freezing-thawing, wetting-drying, and salinization-desalinization cycles on geotechnical properties and micro-fabrics of compacted loess in the laboratory, and (3) develop mitigative measures and examine their engineered effectiveness, i.e., their thermal insulating and water-proofing effects in field and laboratory tests. Our results and advances are reviewed and some further research needs are proposed. These findings more clearly explain the processes and mechanisms of secondary and multiple collapse of loess roads. We also offer references for furtherstudy of the weakening mechanisms of similar structural soils.     

基于ERA5-LAND的中国东北地区近地表土壤冻融状态时空变化特征

土壤冻融交替是陆地表层极其重要的物理过程,土壤冻融状态的频繁变化对地气能量交换、地表径流、植被生长、生态系统及土壤碳氮循环等均具有重要的影响。本文基于1981—2019年ERA5-LAND逐小时土壤温度数据,借助GIS空间分析功能,利用Python编程处理分析了中国东北地区近地表土壤冻融状态的时空变化特征。结果表明：从不同冻融状态起始日期的空间分布来看,近地表不同阶段的起始日期主要受纬度和地形的影响,具有明显的纬度地带性和垂直地带性。春季冻融过渡期和完全融化期的起始日期由东南向西北均呈逐渐推迟趋势,而秋季冻融过渡期与完全冻结期起始日期则由东南向西北随纬度升高越来越早。就不同冻融状态发生天数的空间分布而言,研究区南部春季冻融过渡期发生天数多于北部,西部多于东部,年均发生天数均在30 d以内;秋季发生冻融的天数空间差异不大,研究区一半以上的地区年均发生天数在10 d以内。完全融化期发生天数最多,从东南向西北呈逐渐减少趋势,年均发生天数主要介于150~240 d之间;完全冻结期发生天数则由南向北日益增多,其空间分布表现为一向南开口的簸箕形,各地年均发生天数集中于90~180 d之间。从时间变化趋势来看,近年来春季冻融过渡期起始日期以提前趋势为主,而秋季冻融过渡期起始日期总体表现为延后,致使完全融化期发生天数以增加趋势为主,年均变化速度高达0.2 d/a;大兴安岭以西、呼伦贝尔高原以北地区及辽河平原春季冻融过渡期发生天数呈减少趋势,其他地区为增加趋势;大兴安岭以西地区、呼伦贝尔高原以北地区完全融化期起始日期明显提前;松嫩平原和长白山区秋季冻融过渡期起始日期推迟显著,发生天数的变化趋势呈北增南减的空间分异特征;不同地区完全冻结期起始日期的变化趋势差异显著,中部广大的平原区呈不显著的推迟趋势,而大、小兴安岭、长白山、辽东半岛和辽西丘陵则提前进入完全冻结状态;研究区完全冻结期发生天数呈减少趋势,研究区中部的季节冻土区完全冻结期明显变短,年均减少速度大于0.2 d/a。     

Acoustic experimental study of two types of rock from the Tibetan Plateau under the condition of freeze-thaw cycles

Under the condition of freeze-thaw cycles, two types of rocks (granite and andesite), used as slope protection for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, were tested according to the special climatic conditions in the Tibetan Plateau, and their various damage processes in appearance were carefully observed. Observation results show that damage of andesite was more serious than that of granite. Using an acoustic instrument, ultrasonic velocity was tested. The changing trends of velocity with the number of freeze-thaw cycles were analyzed, and the freeze-thaw cycle damaging the physical and mechanical properties of rocks can be seen. According to the changing trends of ultrasonic velocity with the number of freeze-thaw cycles, mechanical parameters of rocks, such as dynamic elasticity modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and dynamic bulk modulus were analyzed. It is found that they all have declining trends as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increases, and in particular, when the cycle number reaches a certain extent, the Poisson’s ratio of rocks begins to become negative.     

Strength and stiffness variation of frozen soilsaccording to confinement during freezing

When water between soil particles is frozen, the strength and stiffness behavior of soils significantly change. Thus, numerous experimental studies in the laboratory have been carried out to characterize the strength and stiffness of frozen soils. The goals of this study are to evaluate the strength characteristics of frozen soils, which underwent confinement in freezing and shearing stages, and to estimate the stiffness variation by shear wave velocity during shear phase. The specimens are prepared in a brass cell by mixing sand and silt with 10% degree of saturation at a relative density of 60%. The applied normal stresses as confining stresses are 5, 10, 25 and 50 k Pa. When the temperature of the specimens is lowered up to-5 °C, direct shear tests are carried out. Furthermore, shear waves are continuously measured through bender elements during shearing stage for the investigation of stiffness change. Test results show that shear strength and stiffness are significantly affected by the confining stress in freezing and shearing phases. This study suggests that the strength and stiffness of frozen soils may be dependent on the confining stresses applied during freezing and shearing.     

Experimental study of the dynamic behavior of high-grade highway-subgrade soil in a seasonally frozen area

Regarding the freezing damage of high-grade highway subgrade in seasonally frozen area,the thesis explores the effect on the dynamic behavior of subgrade soil under freeze–thaw cycles and draws the change law of parameters(including dynamic strength,dynamic cohesion,and internal friction angle;and dynamic elastic modulus)of high-grade highway-subgrade soil with the number of freeze–thaw cycles.It aims to provide the reference for operation and maintenance of a high-grade highway.Conclusions:(1)Dynamic strength tends to decline evidently after freeze–thaw cycles,with 60%~70%decline after three cycles,and remains stable after five to seven cycles.(2)With the number of freeze–thaw cycles increasing,the internal friction angle fluctuates within a certain range without an obvious change law,only presenting the tendency of dropping off.The dynamic cohesion declines obviously,about 20%~40%after seven freeze–thaw cycles,and then tends to be stable.(3)With the number of freeze-thaw cycles increasing,the dynamic elastic modulus and maximum dynamic elastic modulus are inclined to decrease distinctly.After five freeze–thaw cycles,the former declines 30%~40%and then remains stable.Meanwhile,the latter falls 20%~40%.     

Characterization of frozen soil-cement mixture for berm construction in cold regions

Lagoon berms in western Alaska are difficult to design and build due to limited resources, high cost of construction and materials, and warm permafrost conditions. This paper explores methods to treat locally available frozen materials and use them for berm construction. The goal is to find an optimized mix ratio for cement and additives that can be effective in increasing the strength and decreasing the thaw settlement of an ice-rich frozen silty soil. Soil of similar type and ice content to the permafrost found at a project site in Eek, Alaska is prepared in a cold room. The frozen soil is pulverized and cement, additives and fibers are added to the samples for enhancing shear strength and controlling thaw settlement. Thaw settlement and direct shear testsare performed to assess strength and settlement characteristics. This paper presents a sample preparation method, data from thaw settlement and direct shear tests, and analyses of the test results and preliminary conclusions.     

Effects of freeze–thaw cycles on soil N_2O concentration and flux in the permafrost regions of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Nitrous oxide(N_2 O) is one of the most important greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; freeze–thaw cycles(FTCs) might strongly influence the emission of soil N_2 O on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau(QTP). However, there is a lack of in situ research on the characteristics of soil N_2 O concentration and flux in response to variations in soil properties caused by FTCs.Here, we report the effect of FTC-induced changes in soil properties on the soil N_2 O concentration and flux in the permafrost region of the higher reaches of the Shule River Basin on the northeastern margin of the QTP. We measured chemical properties of the topsoil, activities of soil microorganisms, and air temperature(AT), as well as soil N_2 O concentration and flux, over an annual cycle from July 31, 2011, to July 30, 2012. The results showed that soil N_2 O concentration was significantly affected by soil temperature(ST), soil moisture(SM), soil salinity(SS), soil polyphenol oxidase(SPO), soil alkaline phosphatase(SAP), and soil culturable actinomycetes(SCA), ranked as SMSSSTSPOSAPSCA, whereas ST significantly increased soil N_2 O flux, compared with SS. Overall, our study indicated that the soil N_2 O concentration and flux in permafrost zone FTCs were strongly affected by soil properties, especially soil moisture, soil salinity, and soil temperature.     

西藏冻融侵蚀的分级和评价

Freeze-thaw erosion is the third largest soil erosion type after water erosion and wind erosion. Restricted by many factors, few researches on freeze-thaw erosion have so far been done at home and abroad, especially those on the assessment method of freeze-thaw erosion. Based on the comprehensive analysis of impact factors of free-thaw erosion, this paper chooses six indexes, including the annual temperature range, annual precipitation, slope, aspect, vegetation and soil, to build the model for relative classification of freeze-thaw erosion using weighted and additive methods, and realizes the relative classification of the freeze-thaw erosion in Tibet with the support of GIS software. Then a synthetic assessment of freeze-thaw erosion in Tibet has been carried out according to the relative classification result. The result shows that the distribution of freeze-thaw eroded area is very extensive in Tibet, accounting for 55.3% of the total local land area; the spatial differentiation of freeze-thaw erosion with different intensities is obvious; and the difference in distribution among different regions is also obvious.