Experimental research on acoustic wave velocity of frozen soils during the uniaxial loading process

Ultrasonic P-wave tests of frozen silt and frozen sand were conducted during uniaxial loading by using an RSM^®-SY5(T) nonmetal ultrasonic test meter to study the velocity characteristics of P-waves. The experimental results indicate that the P-wave velocity is affected by soil materials, temperature, and external loads, so the P-wave velocity is different in frozen silt and frozen sand, but all decrease with an increase of temperature and increase at first and then decrease with strain during the loading process. There is an exponential relationship between uniaxial compressive strength and P-wave velocity, and the correlation between them is very good. The characteristic parameters of acoustic waves can, to some extent, reflect the development of internal cracks in frozen soils during loading.     

Neumann stochastic finite element method for calculating temperature field of frozen soil based on random field theory

To study the effect of uncertain factors on the temperature field of frozen soil, we propose a method to calculate the spatial average variance from just the point variance based on the local average theory of random fields. We model the heat transfer coefficient and specific heat capacity as spatially random fields instead of traditional random variables. An analysis for calculating the random temperature field of seasonal frozen soil is suggested by the Neumann stochastic finite element method, and here we provide the computational formulae of mathematical expectation, variance and variable coefficient. As shown in the calculation flow chart, the stochastic finite element calculation program for solving the random temperature field, as compiled by Matrix Laboratory (MATLAB) software, can directly output the statistical results of the temperature field of frozen soil. An example is presented to demonstrate the random effects from random field parameters, and the feasibility of the proposed approach is proven by comparing these results with the results derived when the random parameters are only modeled as random variables. The results show that the Neumann stochastic finite element method can efficiently solve the problem of random temperature fields of frozen soil based on random field theory, and it can reduce the variability of calculation results when the random parameters are modeled as spatially random fields.     

古尔班通古特沙漠季节性冻土入渗特性试验研究

以古尔班通古特沙漠南缘融雪期冻结土壤入渗试验为依据,分析了沙漠地区季节性冻土水分入渗特性及主要影响因素.结果表明:沙漠地区季节性冻土具有较高的入渗能力,沙漠冻结风沙土的稳渗率为0.26～0.30 mm/min,是田间冻结壤土的10～20倍,可以保证融雪水及时入渗进入土壤,为融雪水的高效储存创造了有利条件.入渗能力随着土壤含水率的升高而减小.沙地土壤初始的低含水率、土壤大孔隙结构特征是沙地冻结土壤具有较高入渗能力的主要原因.研究结果为进一步研究春季融雪水在沙地的再分配过程奠定了基础.     

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.     

Numerical simulations on cutting of frozen soil using HJC Model

Numerical simulation is known as an effective method for mechanical properties during frozen soil excavation. In order to reveal the development of cutting force, effective stress and cutting fragments in frozen silt during the cutting process, we introduce an explicit finite element program LS-DYNA to establish a two-dimensional numerical model of the frozen soil cut. We also use the Holmquist-Johnson-Cook(HJC) damage constitutive model for simulating the variation of soil mechanical properties according to the strong dependence between the cutting tool and frozen silt during the process with different cutting depths, angles and velocities. Meanwhile, a series of experimental results are acquired of frozen silt cutting to prove the application of the HJC model during simulation of cutting force variations. The result shows that the cutting force and fragment size are strongly influenced by cutting depths and cutting velocities increased, and the maximum effective stress at points where the tool contacts frozen soil during the cutting process. In addition, when the cutting angle is 52°, the cutting force is the smallest, and the cutting angle is optimum. Thus, the prediction of frozen soil mechanical properties on the cutting process by this model is conducive to selecting machinery equipment in the field.     

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.     

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.     

An experimental study on the relationship between acoustic parameters and mechanical properties of frozen silty clay

To study the influence of temperature and water content on ultrasonic wave velocity and to establish the relationship between ultrasonic wave velocity and frozen silty clay strength, ultrasonic tests were conducted to frozen silty clay by using RSM-SY5(T) nonmetal supersonic test meter, and the tensile strength and compressive strength of silty clay were measured under various negative temperatures. Test and analysis results indicate that, ultrasonic wave velocity rapidly changes in the temperature range of 1 °C to 5 °C. Ultrasonic wave velocity increased with an increase of water content until the water content reached the critical water content, while decreased with an increase of water content after the water content exceeded the critical water content. This study showed that there was strong positive correlation between the ultrasonic wave velocity and the frozen soil strength. As ultrasonic wave velocity increased, either tensile strength or compressive strength increased. Based on the experimental data, the relationship between ultrasonic wave velocity and frozen silty clay strength was obtained through regression analysis. It was found that the ultrasonic test technique can be used to test frozen soils and lay the foundation for the determination of frozen soil strength.     

Study on potential evapotranspiration and wet-dry condition in the seasonal frozen soil region of northern Tibetan Plateau

This study was based on the CEOP/CAMP-Tibet observed data at AWS (Automatic Weather Station) of MS3478 in the seasonal frozen soil region of northern Tibetan Plateau from March 2007 to February 2008. The variation characteristics of PE (potential evapotranspiration) were analyzed based on the Penman-Monteith method recommended by FAO (the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). The contributions of dynamic, thermal and water factors to PE were discussed, and the wet-dry condition of the plateau region was further studied. The results indicated that daily PE was between 0.52 mm and 6.46 mm for the whole year. Monthly PE was over 107 mm from May to September, but decreased to less than 41 mm from November to February. Annual PE was 1,037.8 mm. In the summer, thermal PE was significantly more than dynamic PE, but conversely in the winter. Annual variation of thermal PE was of sine wave pattern. In addition, drought and semi-drought climate lasted for a long time while semi-humid climate was short. The effect of water and dynamic factors on PE varied considerably with the seasons. Annual variation of thermal PE was of sine wave pattern.     

Anomaly feature of seasonal frozen soil variations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The seasonal frozen soil on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has strong response to climate change, and its freezing-thawing process also affects East Asia climate. In this paper, the freezing soil maximum depth of 46 stations covering 1961–1999 on the plateau is analyzed by rotated experience orthogonal function (REOF). The results show that there are four main frozen anomaly regions on the plateau, i.e., the northeastern, southeastern and southern parts of the plateau and Qaidam Basin. The freezing soil depths of the annual anomaly regions in the above representative stations show that there are different changing trends. The main trend, except for the Qaidam Basin, has been decreasing since the 1980s, a sign of the climate warming. Compared with the 1980s, on the average, the maximum soil depth decreased by about 0.02 m, 0.05 m and 0.14 m in the northeastern, southeastern and southern parts of the plateau, but increased by about 0.57 m in the Qaidam Basin during the 1990s. It means there are different responses to climate system in the above areas. The spectrum analysis reveals different change cycles: in higher frequency there is an about 2-year long cycle in Qaidam Basin and southern part of the plateau in the four representative areas whereas in lower frequency there is an about 14-year long cycle in all the four representative areas due to the combined influence of different soil textures and solutes in four areas.     

Anomaly feature of seasonal frozen soil variations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The seasonal frozen soil on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has strong response to climate change, and its freezing-thawing process also affects East Asia climate. In this paper, the freezing soil maximum depth of 46 stations covering 1961-1999 on the plateau is analyzed by rotated experience orthogonal function (REOF). The results show that there are four main frozen anomaly regions on the plateau, i.e., the northeastern, southeastern and southern parts of the plateau and Qaidam Basin. The freezing soil depths of the annual anomaly regions in the above representative stations show that there are different changing trends. The main trend, except for the Qaidam Basin, has been decreasing since the 1980s, a sign of the climate warming. Compared with the 1980s, on the average, the maximum soil depth decreased by about 0.02 m, 0.05 m and 0.14 m in the northeastern, southeastern and southern parts of the plateau, but increased by about 0.57 m in the Qaidam Basin during the 1990s. It means there are different responses to climate system in the above areas. The spectrum analysis reveals different change cycles: in higher frequency there is an about 2-year long cycle in Qaidam Basin and southern part of the plateau in the four representative areas whereas in lower frequency there is an about 14-year long cycle in all the four representative areas due to the combined influence of different soil textures and solutes in four areas.     

Seasonally frozen soil effects on the dynamic behavior of highway bridges

Frozen ground is significantly stiffer than unfrozen ground. For bridges supported on deep foundations, bridge stiffness is also measurably higher in winter months. Significant changes due to seasonal freezing in bridge pier boundary conditions require additional detailing in order to ensure a ductile performance of the bridge during a design earthquake event. This paper reports the latest results obtained from a project that systematically investigated the effects of seasonally frozen soil on the seismic behavior of highway bridges in cold regions. A bridge was chosen and was monitored to study its seismic performance and assess the impact of seasonally frozen soil on its dynamic properties. A Finite Element (FE) model was created for this bridge to analyze the impact of seasonal frost. It was found that when frost depth reaches 1.2 m, the first transverse modal frequency increases about 200% when compared with the no-frost case. The results show that seasonal frost has a significant impact on the overall dynamic behavior of bridges supported by pile foundations in cold regions, and that these effects should be accounted for in seismic design.     

Impacts of snow cover and frozen soil in the Tibetan Plateau on summer precipitation in China

This paper presents an analysis of the mechanisms and impacts of snow cover and frozen soil in the Tibetan Plateau on the summer precipitation in China, using RegCM3 version 3.1 model simulations. Comparisons of simulations vs. observations show that RegCM3 well captures these impacts. Results indicate that in a more-snow year with deep frozen soil there will be more precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin and central Northwest China, western Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang, but less precipitation in Northeast China, North China, South China, and most of Southwest China. In a less-snow year with deep frozen soil, however, there will be more precipitation in Northeast China, North China, and southern South China, but less precipitation in the Yangtze River Basin and in northern South China. Such differences may be attributed to different combination patterns of melting snow and thawing frozen soil on the Plateau, which may change soil moisture as well as cause differences in energy absorption in the phase change processes of snow cover and frozen soil. These factors may produce more surface sensible heat in more-snow years when the frozen soil is deep than when the frozen soil is shallow. The higher surface sensible heat may lead to a stronger updraft over the Plateau, eventually contributing to a stronger South Asia High and West Pacific Subtropical High. Due to different values of the wind fields at 850 hPa, a convergence zone will form over the Yangtze River Basin, which may produce more summer precipitation in the basin area but less precipitation in North China and South China. However, because soil moisture depends on ice content, in less-snow years with deep frozen soil, the soil moisture will be higher. The combination of higher frozen soil moisture with latent heat absorption in the phase change process may generate less surface sensible heat and consequently a weaker updraft motion over the Plateau. As a result, both the South Asia High and the West Pacific Subtropical High will be weaker, hence causing more summer precipitation in northern China but less in southern China.     

A pseudo-coupled numerical approach for stability analysis of frozen soil slopes based on finite element limit analysis method

To simplify the stability analysis of frozen soil slope, a pseudo-coupled numerical approach is developed. In this approach, the coupled heat transfer and water flow in frozen soils are simulated first, and based on the computed thermal-hydro field, the stability of frozen soil slope is evaluated. Although the shear strength for frozen soil is very complicated and is usually represented by a nonlinear MC failure criterion, a simple linear MC yield criterion is utilized. In this method, the internal friction angle is expressed as a function of volumetric ice content and the cohesion is fitted as a simple bilinear expression of T and volumetric water content. To assess slope stability, the limit analysis is employed in conjunction with the recently developed α-section search algorithm. A frozen soil slope example is used to examine the proposed pseudo-coupled numerical approach, and numerical studies validate its effectiveness. Based on numerical results, it is seen that slope stability may be remarkably influenced by warming air (or ground surface) temperature. With increasing ground surface temperature, slope stability indicated by FOS may reduce to 1.0, implying that warming air temperature could be a trigger of frozen soil slope failure.     

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。     

Laboratory test on the combined cooling effect of L-shaped thermosyphons and thermal insulation on high-grade roadway construction in permafrost regions

With the completion of the Qinghai-Tibetan Railway,economic development of related areas has been greatly accelerated.This,in return,calls for building or upgrading more roadways,especially high-grade roadways.In cold regions,the thawing of permafrost can induce settlement damage of and even failure to railway (or roadway) embankments.Thermosyphons (self-powered refrigera-tion devices that are used to help keep the permafrost cool) have proved effective in mitigating thaw settlement by maintaining the thermal stability of the embankments.However,for high-grade roadway embankments of great width,stabilizing or cooling ef-fects of traditional geotechnological measures may be limited.To enhance the cooling effect of thermosyphons,an L-shaped thermosyphon was designed.A laboratory test was carried out to study the combined cooling effect of the L-shaped thermosyphon and thermal insulation applying to roadbed construction.The angle between the evaporator and condenser sections of the L-shaped thermosyphon is 134 degrees,and the L-shaped thermosyphon was inserted into the soil at an angle of 5 degrees with the road surface.The tested results show that the L-shaped thermosyphon is effective in removing heat from a roadway in winter.When the ambient air temperature is lower than the soil temperature,the thermosyphon is active and extracts the heat in the soil around it.When the ambient air temperature is higher than the soil temperature,the thermosyphon is inactive,and no heat is in-jected into the soil through the L-shaped thermosyphon.Compared to embankments with straight thermosyphons,the inner parts of the embankments with L-shaped thermosyphons were significantly cooled.It is hoped that the present study would be useful to the application of L-shaped thermosyphons in the construction of high-grade roadways in cold regions.     

基于GIS的半干旱山区热量资源评估——以晋中市为例

利用1971-2005年气象站观测资料,借助EXCEL建立热量指标空间分析模型,在GIS支持下,生成晋中市50 m×50 m网格上的温度和积温分布数字图像,对该市热量资源的分布进行了系统评估。结果表明,1月极端最低气温的分布受地形因子的影响,较为复杂。年平均气温、7月平均气温以及日平均气温稳定通过0℃、10℃和15℃,期间积温的分布主要受海拔高度的影响,其垂直递减率分别为0.662℃/100 m、0.728℃/100 m以及183.277℃/100 m、200.744℃/100 m和209.393℃/100 m。随着海拔高度的升高,各级界限温度的开始日期推后,结束日期提前,间隔日数缩短,热量资源越显贫乏。在进行热量资源评估的同时,就当地几种主要种植作物的适宜分布进行了分析,最后依据玉米对热量资源的需求,给出玉米种植区划。GIS的成功运用,更好地显示出由于地形地貌特殊造成的热量资源空间分布差异,可为半干旱山区其它农业气候资源的分析研究提供思路,进而为特色农业的合理布局和系统规划提供科学依据。     

A method used to determine the upper thermal boundary of subgrade based on boundary layer theory

In the numerical simulation of long-term subgrade temperature fields, the daily variation of soil temperature at a certain depth h is negligible. Such phenomenon is called the "boundary layer theory."Depth h is defined as the boundary layerthickness and the soil temperature at h is approximately equal to a temperature increment plus the average atmosphere temperature. In the past, the boundary layer thickness and temperature increment were usually extracted from monitored data in the field. In this paper, a method is proposed to determinate the boundary layer thickness and temperature increment. Based on the typical designs of highway or railway, the theoretical solution of boundary layer thickness is inferred and listed. Further, the empirical equation and design chart for determining the temperature increment are given in which the following factors are addressed, including solar radiation, equivalent thermal diffusivity and convective heat-transfer coefficient. Using these equations or design charts, the boundary layer thickness and temperature increment can be easily determined and used in the simulation of long-term subgrade temperature fields. Finally, an example is conducted and used to verify the method. The result shows that the proposed method for determining the upper thermal boundary of subgrade is accurate and practical.     

Possible controlling factors in the development of seasonal sand wedges on the Ordos Plateau,North China

Wedge-like structures filled with silty sand penetrate Quaternary fluvial and aeolian sediments and, in places, Tertiary bedrock on the Ordos Plateau, North China. The wedges reflect thermal contraction cracking of either permafrost or seasonal frost during the Late Pleistocene and early Holocene. Wedges of about 1 m in depth form polygonal nets of 2-3 m in diameter(type B). They contrast with wedges of 3-4 m in depth that form polygons of 10-15 m in diameter(type A).This review focuses upon the highly variable size of the inferred polygon nets and discusses the problem of differentiating between seasonally and perennially frozen ground, or between seasonal frost and permafrost.     

Vertical distribution of soil moisture and surface sandy soil wind erosion for different types of sand dune on the southeastern margin of the Mu Us Sandy Land, China

Soil moisture is a critical state affecting a variety of land surface and subsurface processes. We report investigation results of the factors controlling vertical variation of soil moisture and sand transport rate of three types of dunes on the southeastern margin of the Mu Us Sandy Land. Samples were taken from holes drilled to a depth of 4 m at different topographic sites on the dunes, and were analyzed for soil moisture, grain-size distribution and surface sediment discharge. The results show that: (1) The average soil moisture varies in different types of dunes, with the following sequences ordered from highest to lowest: in the shrubs-covered dunes and the trees-covered dunes the sequence is from inter-dunes lowland to windward slope to leeward slope. The average moisture in the bare-migratory sand dunes is sequenced from inter-dunes lowland to leeward slope to windward slope. (2) Vegetation form and surface coverage affect the range of soil moisture of different types of dunes in the same topographic position. The coefficient of variation of soil moisture for shrubs-covered dunes is higher than that of other types of dune. (3) The effect of shrubs on dune soil moisture is explained in terms of the greater ability of shrubs to trap fine-grained atmospheric dust and hold moisture. (4) The estimated sand transport rates over sand dunes with sparse shrubs are less than those over bare-migratory dunes or sand dunes with sparse trees, indicating that shrubs are more effective in inhibiting wind erosion in the sandy land area.