Abstract
Numerous engineering projects have been completed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and with continued economic growth, additional important engineering projects are being planned. Major transportation construction is largely restricted to the Qinghai-Tibet Engineering Corridor, which is as narrow as a few hundred meters in some places. In this narrow corridor, projects such as the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway can influence the stability of the permafrost. We use a numerical model to investigate the individual thermal disturbance caused by the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, and the planned Qinghai-Tibet Expressway. To simulate an upper limit of disturbance under current climate we use the most unfavorable combination of engineering design practices, with unprotected embankments, a traditional ballast embankment for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, and traditional asphalt pavement embankments for the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and the Qinghai-Tibet Expressway. The lateral thermal disturbance extent of the three projects increases linearly with embankment height. Under the same embankment heights, the lateral extent of thermal disturbance is smallest for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and is largest for the full Qinghai-Tibet Expressway. The model results provide guidance for minimum distances between the transportation projects to prevent thermal interaction, as a function of embankment height and design. In future research it is important to evaluate the thermal disturbance scopes of other engineering structures, such as tunnels, bridges, and oil pipelines, and to evaluate the thermal interaction and cumulative impact of multiple structures under current and future climate scenarios.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
An WD (1990) Interaction among temperature, moisture and stress fields in frozen soil. Lanzhou University Press, Lanzhou
Bonacina C, Comini G, Fasano A, Primicerio M (1973) Numerical solution of phase-change problems. Int J Heat Mass Transf 16:1825–1832
Chen JB, Liu ZY, Jin L (2012) Maximum design height of Qinghai-Tibetan highway embankment. J Xi’an Univ Sci Technol 32(2):198–203
Cheng GD (2002) Interaction between Qinghai-Tibet railway engineering and permafrost and environmental effects. Bull Chin Acad Sci 1:21–25
Cheng GD (2005) A roadbed cooling approach for the construction of Qinghai–Tibet Railway. Cold Reg Sci Technol 42(2):169–176
Cheng GD, Sun ZZ, Niu FJ (2008) Application of the roadbed cooling approach in Qinghai-Tibet railway engineering. Cold Reg Sci Technol 53(3):241–258
Gu W, Yu QH, Qian J, Jin HJ, Zhang JM (2010) Qinghai-Tibet Expressway experimental research. Sci Cold Arid Reg 2(5):396–404
Guo KL, Kong XQ, Chen SN (1999) Computational heat transfer. University of Science and Technology of China Press, Hefei
Jin HJ, Yu QH, Wang SL, Lü LZ (2008) Changes in permafrost environments along the Qinghai-Tibet engineering corridor induced by anthropogenic activities and climate warming. Cold Reg Sci Technol 53:317–333
Kong XY (1999) Advanced mechanics of fluids in porous media. University of Science and Technology of China Press, Hefei
Kong XY, Wu JB (2002) A bifurcation study of non-Darcy free convection in porous media. Acta Mech Sin 34(2):177–185
Lai YM, Zhang LX, Zhang SJ, Mi L (2003) Cooling effect of ripped-stone embankments on Qing-Tibet railway under climatic warming. Chin Sci Bull 48(6):598–604
Lai YM, Zhang MY, Li SY (2009a) Theory and application of cold regions engineering. Science Press, Beijing
Lai YM, Guo HX, Dong YH (2009b) Laboratory investigation on the cooling effect of the embankment with L-shaped thermosyphon and crushed-rock revetment in permafrost regions. Cold Reg Sci Technol 58(3):143–150
Ma W, Niu FJ, Mu YH (2012) Basic research on the major permafrost projects in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Adv Earth Sci 11(27):1185–1191
Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China (2006) Design specification for highway alignment. China Communications Press, Beijing
Mu YH, Ma W, Wu QB, Sun ZZ, Liu YZ (2012) Cooling processes and effects of crushed rock embankment along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in permafrost regions. Cold Reg Sci Technol 78:107–114
Nield DA, Bejan A (1992) Convection in porous media. Springer, New York
Niu FJ, Ma W, Wu QB (2011) Thermal stability of roadbeds of the Qinghai-Tibet railway in permafrost regions and the main freezing-thawing hazards. J Earth Sci Environ 33(2):196–206
Peng H, Ma W, Mu YH, Jin L, Yuan K (2015) Degradation characteristics of permafrost under the effect of climate warming and engineering disturbance along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Nat Hazards 75:2589–2605
Qin DH, Yao TD, Ding YJ, Ren JW (2014) Glossary of cryosphere science. China Meteorological Press, Beijing
Railway Ministry of the People’s Republic of China (2003) Temporary code for engineering construction of railway in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Beijing, China
Song Y, Jin L, Zhang JZ (2013) In-situ study on cooling characteristics of two-phase closed thermosyphon embankment of Qinghai-Tibet Highway in permafrost regions. Cold Reg Sci Technol 93:12–19
Wang SJ, Huo M, Zou WJ (2004) Subgrade failure of Qinghai-Tibet highway in permafrost area. Highway 5:22–26
Wu QB, Tong CJ (1995) Permafrost change and stability of Qinghai-Tibet highway. J Glaciol Geocryol 17(4):350–355
Wu ZW, Cheng GD, Zhu LN, Liu YZ (1988) Roadbed engineering in permafrost region. Lanzhou University Press, Lanzhou
Wu QB, Shi B, Liu YZ (2003) Interaction study of permafrost and highway along Qinghai-Xizang Highway. Sci China (Ser D) 46(2):97–105
Wu JJ, Ma W, Sun ZZ, Wen Z (2010) In-situ study on cooling effect of the two-phase closed thermosyphon and insulation combinational embankment of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Cold Reg Sci Technol 60:234–244
Xi JM, Zhang SL, Chen JB, Jin L, Dong YH (2014) Analysis of the cooling effect of block stone embankment at Wudaoliang section of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. China J Highw Transp 27(7):17–23
Yang YP, Wei QC, Zhou SH, Zhang LX (2005) Thermosyphon technology and its application in permafrost. Chin J Geotech Eng 27(6):698–706
Zhang MY, Liu DR, Li SY, Zhao AG (2009) Experimental study of the ventilation drag parameters in a railway ballast layer. J Glaciol Geocryol 31(2):372–376
Zhang MY, Lai YM, Dong YH (2010) Three-dimensional nonlinear analysis for the cooling characteristics of crushed-rock interlayer embankment with ventilated duct along the Qinghai-Tibet Expressway in permafrost regions. J Cold Reg Eng 24(4):126–141
Zhao ZN (2002) Heat transfer. Higher Education Press, Beijing
Zhou YW, Guo DX, Qiu GQ, Cheng GD, Li SD (2000) Geocryology in China. Science Press, Beijing
Zhu LN (1988) Study of the adherent layer on different types of ground in permafrost regions on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. J Glaciol Geocryol 10(1):8–14
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the CAS Action-Plan for West Development (Grant No. KZCX2-XB3-19), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41471063), the 100-Talent Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Granted to Dr. Mingyi Zhang), the National key Basic Research Program of China (973 Program Grant No. 2012CB026102), the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. KZCX2-EW-QN301), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, M., Pei, W., Zhang, X. et al. Lateral thermal disturbance of embankments in the permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Engineering Corridor. Nat Hazards 78, 2121–2142 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1823-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-015-1823-6