Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Heat transfer characteristics of gravelly soils with different compactness during unidirectional freezing process

  • Original
  • Published:
Heat and Mass Transfer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

During the construction of clay core rockfill dam in cold regions in winter, the heat transfer characteristics of gravelly soil are important to the anti-freezing control of the core. Laboratory experiment and field test data showed that the frost depth of gravelly soil in unconsolidated state was deeper than that in compacted state at the early period of soil freezing. With the increase of the freezing time, however, the frost depth of compacted soil is deeper than that of unconsolidated soil. Further study showed that this phenomenon was main caused by the change of thermophysical parameters between unconsolidated and compacted soil. Under the same soil temperature, the thermal conductivity of compacted soil was approximately 2.6 times of that of unconsolidated soil, and the volume heat capacity and phase change latent heat of compacted soil was approximately 1.7 times of that of unconsolidated soil. The different thermophysical parameters caused the differences of the heat transfer rate, temperature distribution and heat release by cooling between compacted soil and unconsolidated soil. This study provides a theoretical guidance for freezing process of soil with different compactness and anti-freezing technology of clay core rockfill dam in cold regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Qi J, Vermeer PA, Cheng G (2006) A review of the influence of freeze-thaw cycles on soil geotechnical properties. Permafrost Periglac 17:245–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Lai Y, Xu X, Dong Y, Li S (2013) Present situation and prospect of mechanical research on frozen soils in China. Cold Reg Sci Technol 87:6–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ma W, Wang D (2014) Frozen soil mechanics. Beijing, China

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wang B, Wang Q, Zhou J (1999) Construction of anti-seepage materials of Xiaolangdi dam in winter. Northwest Water Power 70:36–39

    Google Scholar 

  5. Eigenbrod KD (1996) Effects of cyclic freezing and thawing on volume changes and permeability of soft fine-grained soils. Can Geotech J 33:529–537

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Zheng Y, Ma W, Mu Y (2015) Analysis of soil structures and the mechanisms under the Action of freezing and thawing cycles. In: Proceeding of 16th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering. ASCE, Salt Lake City, p 25–33

  7. Liu JK, Chang D, Yu QM (2016) Influence of freeze-thaw cycles on mechanical properties of a silty sand. Eng Geol 210:23–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Miao CY, Chen JF, Zheng XQ (2018) Relationship between air temperatures and soil freezing-thawing process. J Taiyuan Univ Technol 49:412–417

    Google Scholar 

  9. Liu GY, Liu CW, Yang SH (2018) Spatial and temporal variation characteristics on the onset dates of freezing and thawing of active layer and its influence factors in permafrost regions along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. J Glaciol Geocryol 40:1067–1078

    Google Scholar 

  10. Wang QF, Jin HJ, Zhang TJ, Wu QB, Cao B, Peng XQ, Wang K, Li LL (2016) Active layer seasonal freeze-thaw processes and influencing factors in the alpine permafrost regions in the upper reaches of the Heihe River in Qilian Mountains. Chin Sci Bull 61:2742–2756

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Jukneviciute L, Laurinavicius A (2008) Analysis of the change in the depth of frozen ground in different soils under Lithuanian conditions. In: The 7th International Conference Faculty of Environmental Engineering Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, pp 1160–1168

  12. Li R, Zhao L, Ding YJ, Shen YP, Du RJ, Liu GY (2009) The effect of global radiation budget on seasonal frozen depth in the Tibetan Plateau. J Glaciol Geocryol 31:422–430

    Google Scholar 

  13. Hu G, Lin Z, Wu X, Wu T, Li R, Xie C, Zou D (2017) A mathematical investigation of the air-ground temperature relationship in permafrost regions on the Tibetan Plateau. Geoderma 306:244–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Li R, Zhao L, Ding YJ, Shen YP, Du RJ, Liu GY (2009) The climatic characteristics of the maximum seasonal frozen depth in the Tibetan Plateau. J Glaciol Geocryol 31:1050–1056

    Google Scholar 

  15. Zhou Y, Guo D, Qiu G, Cheng G, Li S (2001) Geocryology in China. Beijing, China

    Google Scholar 

  16. Xu X, Wang J, Zhang L (2001) Frozen soil physics[M]. Science Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  17. Zhang Y, Du Y, Sun B (2014) Temperature distribution in roadbed of high-speed railway in seasonally frozen regions. Chin J Rock Mech Eng 33:1286–1296

    Google Scholar 

  18. Yang S, Tao W (2006) Heat transfer. Higher Education Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research (STEP) program (Grant No. 2019QZKK0905), and the Science and Technology Project of Yalong River Hydropower Development Company (Grant No. YLLHK-LHA-2019006).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Zhenyu Zhang, Qihao Yu, Enlong Liu & Xinbin Wang

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China

    Zhenyu Zhang

  3. Yalong River Hydropower Development Company, Ltd, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China

    Jinguo Wang & Pan Yue

  4. State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Water Resources and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, Sichuan, China

    Enlong Liu

Authors
  1. Zhenyu Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qihao Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jinguo Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Pan Yue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Enlong Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Xinbin Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qihao Yu.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, Z., Yu, Q., Wang, J. et al. Heat transfer characteristics of gravelly soils with different compactness during unidirectional freezing process. Heat Mass Transfer 57, 1161–1170 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-021-03022-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-021-03022-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation