Frost Heave Modeling Using a Modified Segregation Potential Approach

A model to describe the heat transfer and volumetric expansion of soils during the frost heave process is presented. The model is based on the previously established segregation potential (SP) concept with an additional modification. The proposed modification allows the model to account for the dependency of frost heave rate on the frost front advance rate. One-dimensional frost heave tests under both stepped and ramped-freezing conditions were used to evaluate the model. The results indicate that the model is capable of predicting the heave response under step-freezing conditions, while with ramped-freezing conditions the model tends to under-predict the heave. Ultimately, the proposed modification for the segregation potential approach improves the effectiveness of the numerical model when compared to the conventional SP approach.