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Impact of permafrost degradation on embankment deformation of Qinghai-Tibet Highway in permafrost regions

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Abstract

Based on long-term monitoring data, the relationships between permafrost degradation and embankment deformation are analyzed along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway (QTH). Due to heat absorbing effect of asphalt pavement and climate warming, permafrost beneath asphalt pavement experienced significant warming and degradation. During the monitoring period, warming amplitude of the soil at depth of 5 m under asphalt ranged from 0.21 °C at the XD1 site to 0.5 °C at the KL1 site. And at depth of 10 m, the increase amplitude of ground temperature ranged from 0.47 °C at the NA1 site to 0.07 °C at the XD1 site. Along with ground temperature increase, permafrost table beneath asphalt pavement decline considerably. Amplitude of permafrost table decline varied from 0.53 m at the KL1 site to 3.51 m at the NA1 site, with mean amplitude of 1.65 m for 8 monitoring sites during the monitoring period. Due to permafrost warming and degradation, the embankment deformation all performed as settlement at these sites. At present, those settlements still develop quickly and are expected to continue to increase in the future. The embankment deformations can be divided into homogeneous deformation and inhomogeneous deformation. Embankment longitudinal inhomogeneous deformation causes the wave deformations and has adverse effects on driving comfort and safety, while lateral inhomogeneous deformation causes longitudinal cracks and has an adverse effect on stability. Corresponding with permafrost degradation processes, embankment settlement can be divided into four stages. For QTH, embankment settlement is mainly comprised of thawing consolidation of ice-rich permafrost and creep of warming permafrost beneath permafrost table.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Frozen Soil Engineering, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Hui Peng  (彭惠), Wei Ma  (马巍) & Yan-hu Mu  (穆彦虎)

  2. Key Laboratory of Highway Construction & Technology in Permafrost Regions, Ministry of Transport, CCCC First Highway Consultants Co., Ltd., Xi’an, 710065, China

    Hui Peng  (彭惠) & Long Jin  (金龙)

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, 100049, China

    Hui Peng  (彭惠)

Authors
  1. Hui Peng  (彭惠)
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  2. Wei Ma  (马巍)
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  3. Yan-hu Mu  (穆彦虎)
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  4. Long Jin  (金龙)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Ma  (马巍).

Additional information

Foundation item: Project(2012CB026106) supported by National Basic Research Program of China; Project(2014BAG05B01) supported by National Key Technology Support Program China; Project(51Y351211) supported by West Light Program for Talent Cultivation of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Project(2013318490010) supported by Ministry of Transport Science and Technology Major Project, China

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Peng, H., Ma, W., Mu, Yh. et al. Impact of permafrost degradation on embankment deformation of Qinghai-Tibet Highway in permafrost regions. J. Cent. South Univ. 22, 1079–1086 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-015-2619-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-015-2619-2

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