Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of freeze–thaw on hydraulic conductivity and microstructure of soft soil in Shanghai area

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The artificial ground freezing method is a good reinforcement method and has been widely used in underground construction of China’s southeast coastal areas, where the soft soil is widespread. However, it also brings several problems, such as frost heave, thawing settlement, differential settlement and structural leakage. The study material of this paper is remolded Shanghai forth layer soil, which is gray-black muddy clay soil. Several laboratory tests were carried out, such as freeze–thaw tests, hydraulic conductivity tests, MIP tests and SEM tests, to find out the effect of freeze–thaw on the hydraulic conductivity and microstructure of the study material. It is found that after freeze–thaw, the void ratio and specific pore area have decreased, while the average pore diameter has increased, which leads to the increase of hydraulic conductivity. The increase ratios of hydraulic conductivity and control pore diameter have the same variation trend. This study can provide some theoretical guidance for the application of artificial ground freezing method.

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
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Al-Omari A, Brunetaud X, Beck K et al (2014) Effect of thermal stress, condensation and freezing–thawing action on the degradation of stones on the Castle of Chambord, France. Environ Earth Sci 71:3977–3989

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benson CH, Othman MA (1993) Hydraulic conductivity of compacted clay frozen and thawed in situ. ASCE J of Geotech Eng 119:276–294

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cárdenes V, Mateos FJ, Fernández-Lorenzo S (2014) Analysis of the correlations between freeze–thaw and salt crystallization tests. Environ Earth Sci 71:1123–1134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chamberlain EJ, Gow AJ (1979) Effect of freezing and thawing on the permeability and structure of soils. Eng Geol 13:73–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen YL, Ni J, Jiang LH et al (2014) Experimental study on mechanical properties of granite after freeze–thaw cycling. Environ Earth Sci 71:3349–3354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cui ZD (2008) Study of the land subsidence caused by the dense high-rise building group in the soft soil area, Dissertation. Tongji University, Shanghai

  • Cui ZD, Tang YQ (2011) Microstructures of different soil layers caused by the high-rise building group in Shanghai. Environ Earth Sci 63:109–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Czurda KA, Hohmann M (1997) Freezing effect on shear strength of clayey soils. Appl Clay Sci 12:165–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding JW, Hong ZH, Liu SY (2011) Microstructure study of flow-solidified soil of dredged clays by mercury intrusion porosimetry (in Chinese). Rock Soil Mech 32:3591–3596

    Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fang JH, Zhang ZH, Zhang JY (2009) Application of artificial freezing to recovering a collapsed tunnel in Shanghai metro NO.4 line (in Chinese). China Civ Eng J 8:18–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Guinea J, Recio-Vazquez L, Almendros G et al (2013) Petrophysical properties, composition and deterioration of the Calatorao biogenic stone: case of the sculptures masonry of the Valley of the Fallen (Madrid, Spain). Environ Earth Sci 69:1733–1750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gong SL, Li C, Yang SL (2009) The microscopic characteristics of Shanghai soft clay and its effect on soil body deformation and land subsidence. Environ Geol 56:1051–1056

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kingsbury CM, Moore TR (1987) The freeze-thaw cycle of a subarctic fen, northern Quebec, Canada. Arct Alp Res 19:289–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lapierre C, Leroueil S, Locat J (1990) Mercury intrusion and permeability of Louiseville clay. Can Geotech J 27:761–773

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li R, Zhao L, Wu TH et al (2014) The impact of surface energy exchange on the thawing process of active layer over the northern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China. Environ Earth Sci 72:2091–2099

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu DX, Wu WN, Cheng ZL et al (2013) Improvement test on frost resistance of vegetation-concrete and engineering application of test fruitage. Environ Earth Sci 69:161–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lv HB, Wang R, Zhao YL et al (2003) Study of structure characteristics evolution of soft clay by pore size distribution test (in Chinese). Rock Soil Mech 24:573–578

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell JK (1993) Fundamentals of soil behavior, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York, pp 131–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Othman MA (1992) Effect of freeze-thaw on the structure and hydraulic conductivity of compacted clays. Dissertation, University of Wisconsin

  • Othman MA, Benson CH (1993a) Effect of freeze-thaw on the hydraulic conductivity and morphology of compacted clay. Can Geotech J 30:236–246

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Othman MA, Benson CH (1993b) Effect of freeze-thaw on the hydraulic conductivity of three compacted clays from Wisconsin. Transp Res Rec 1369:118–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Perfect E, Williams PJ (1980) Thermally induced water migration in frozen soils. Cold Reg Sci Tech 3:101–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiao WG, Li DY, Wu XZ (2003) Survey analysis of freezing method applied to connected aisle in metro tunnel (in Chinese). Rock Soil Mech 24:666–669

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang YQ, Hong J, Yang P et al (2009a) a). Frost-heaving behaviors of mucky clay by artificial horizontal freezing method (in Chinese). Chinese J Rock Mech Eng 31:772–776

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang YQ, Zhang XH, Zhao SK, Yang P (2009b) Correlatability of microstructure Change and macroscopical deformation of soft clay under subway load (in Chinese). J Tongji Univ Nat Sci 37:872–877

    Google Scholar 

  • Tang YQ, Zhou J, Hong J et al (2012) Quantitative analysis of the microstructure of Shanghai muddy clay before and after freezing. Bull Eng Geol Environ 71:309–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trenhaile AS, Rudakas PA (1981) Freeze-thaw and shore platform development in Gaspé. Québec. Geogr phys Et Quat 35(2):171–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang JF, Wu QB (2013) Annual soil CO2 efflux in a wet meadow during active layer freeze–thaw changes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Environ Earth Sci 69:855–862

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang DY, Ma W, Niu Y et al (2007) Effects of cyclic freezing and thawing on mechanical properties of Qinghai-Tibet clay. Cold Reg Sci Tech 48:34–43

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang JY, Song CC, Hou AX et al (2014) Effects of freezing–thawing cycle on peatland active organic carbon fractions and enzyme activities in the Da Xing’anling Mountains, Northeast China. Environ Earth Sci 72:1853–1860

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xiao ZY, Hu XD, Zhang QH (2006) Application of limited depth freezing method with four-row freeze-tubes to recovering collapse tunnel in Shanghai Metro (in Chinese). Rock Soil Mech 27:300–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu XZ, Wang JC, Zhang LX (2010) Frozen ground physics. Science Press of China, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan CL, Tang YQ, Liu YT (2013) Study on fractal dimensions of the silty soil around the tunnel under the subway loading in Shanghai. Environ Earth Sci 69:1529–1535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZQ, He C (2005) Study on construction of cross connection of shield tunnel and connecting aisle by freezing method (in Chinese). Chinese J Rock Mech Eng 24:3211–3217

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XW, Kong LW, Guo AG et al (2012) Evolution of microscopic pore of structured clay in compression process based on SEM and MIP test (in Chinese). Chinese J Rock Mech Eng 31:406–412

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The work presented in this paper was supported by the National Key Technologies R&D Program of China through Grant No. 2012BAJ11B04 and the research grant (41072204) from National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Geotechnical and Underground Engineering of Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Yi-qun Tang

  2. Department of Geotechnical Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Yi-qun Tang & Jing-jing Yan

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Geohazard Prevention (CICGP), Chengdu, Sichuan, 610059, China

    Yi-qun Tang

  4. Joint Research Center of Urban Environment and Sustainable Development, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, 200092, China

    Yi-qun Tang

Authors
  1. Yi-qun Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jing-jing Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yi-qun Tang or Jing-jing Yan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tang, Yq., Yan, Jj. Effect of freeze–thaw on hydraulic conductivity and microstructure of soft soil in Shanghai area. Environ Earth Sci 73, 7679–7690 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3934-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3934-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation