Abstract:
Frost heaving in clayey soils with a low coefficient of permeability raises a lot of
questions regarding the cryosuction, surface tension forces, and accompanying phase
transfer of water. The freeze-thaw laboratory test results were considered in this work in
terms of temperature and volumetric parameters change, dry density, and water mass
transfer. The article presents a model for calculating the mass transfer of water (vapour)
in the gas state under the influence of cryogenic forces. Findings include the improved
understanding of the heat and mass transfer phenomenon during the unidirectional
freezing of soils in an open system. Most of the tests for engineering properties registered
a slight reduction in relation to strength, cohesion, and angle of internal friction.
However, there was a significant increase in the coefficient of permeability after the
freeze-thaw cycles with initially dense compacted soil samples, which was due to
loosening and moistening of the soil samples during the heave at sub-zero temperatures.
The conceptual model for frost heave in soils was developed based on the vapour mass
transfer. There was presented algorithm of vapour flow calculation in unsaturated soils
using fundamental thermodynamic equations.
