Water flow induced by soil freezing

Abstract
A study to observe the effects of overburden pressure and other parameters on the freezing behavior of a saturated soil was undertaken. A linear relationship between effective overburden pressure and the flow of water into or out of a freezing soil was observed. The effective pressure at which no flow occurred was termed the shutoff pressure. At pressures less than the shutoff pressure water was sucked to the freezing front resulting in segregated ice, ice lensing, and heaving. This heaving could significantly exceed the heave due to the volumetric expansion of the in situ porewater. At pressures greater than the shutoff pressure water was expelled from the freezing front thereby reducing the volume of in situ water and resulting in a relatively small amount of heave. Shutoff pressure was observed to depend on soil type, stress history, and freezing temperature. The effects of overburden pressure upon flow of water in a freezing soil and frost heave were recommended as additional criteria for assessing soil frost susceptibility.