Mechanical Behaviour of Artificially Frozen Ground: Experimental Observations and Modelling

The applications of artificial ground freezing in construction cover the formation of frozen earth walls to support deep
excavations, structural underpinning for foundation improvement, and temporary control of ground water. The growing
awareness of the merits of artificial ground freezing as a temporary ground improvement system with minimal
environmental impact is directly related to progress in the understanding of the mechanical behaviour of frozen soils.
However, a solid framework has yet to be established for the fully coupled thermo-hydromechanical behaviour of
frozen/unfrozen soil and there is need for fundamental research to be carried out on experimental characterisation and
constitutive modelling. The proposed project will develop, set-up and use innovative laboratory equipment to investigate
experimentally the behaviour of soil on freezing and thawing. The project will provide valuable insight into the mechanical
behaviour of frozen soils, drawing upon multi-disciplinary knowledge at the interface between soil mechanics,
thermodynamics, soil physics, material science, and industry. The results will then be carried forward to calibrate
constitutive models and validate existing hypothesis on artificially frozen ground behaviour.