READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING THIS WEBSITE. https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/copyright
Vous avez des questions? Nous pouvons vous aider. Pour communiquer directement avec un auteur, consultez la
première page de la revue dans laquelle son article a été publié afin de trouver ses coordonnées. Si vous n’arrivez pas à les repérer, communiquez avec nous à PublicationsArchive-ArchivesPublications@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.
Questions? Contact the NRC Publications Archive team at
PublicationsArchive-ArchivesPublications@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca. If you wish to email the authors directly, please see the first page of the publication for their contact information.
NRC Publications Archive
Archives des publications du CNRC
This publication could be one of several versions: author’s original, accepted manuscript or the publisher’s version. / La version de cette publication peut être l’une des suivantes : la version prépublication de l’auteur, la version acceptée du manuscrit ou la version de l’éditeur.
Access and use of this website and the material on it are subject to the Terms and Conditions set forth at
Frost heaving pressures in particulate materials
Penner, E.
https://publications-cnrc.canada.ca/fra/droits
L’accès à ce site Web et l’utilisation de son contenu sont assujettis aux conditions présentées dans le site
LISEZ CES CONDITIONS ATTENTIVEMENT AVANT D’UTILISER CE SITE WEB.
NRC Publications Record / Notice d'Archives des publications de CNRC:
https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=8a467067-f16e-4d8b-bc66-a8f69712f03c
https://publications-cnrc.canada.ca/fra/voir/objet/?id=8a467067-f16e-4d8b-bc66-a8f69712f03c
F R O S T HEAVING PRESSURES IN P A R T I C U L A T E M A T E R I A L S E . P e n n e r - D i v i s i o n of Building R e s e a r c h N a t i o n a l R e s e a r c h C o u n c i l of C a n a d a Ottawa A B S T R A C T M e a s u r e m e n t s of e q u i l i b r i u m i c e l e n s h e a v i n g p r e s s u r e s i n c l o s e - p a c k a r r a y s of u n i f o r m s i z e g l a s s b e a d s ( P e n n e r , 1966) i n r e l a t i o n t o b e a d s i z e a r e i n a g r e e m e n t with t h e t h e o r y of E v e r e t t and H a y n e s (19 65). S i m i l a r heaving p r e s s u r e m e a s u r e m e n t s w e r e d e t e r m i n e d on f r a c t i o n s of f r a g m e n t a l p a r t i c l e s i n t h e s i l t and f i n e s a n d r a n g e ( P e n n e r , 1967 and 1968). I t i s d e m o n s t r a t e d t h a t t h e s m a l l e r p a r t i c l e s within a g i v e n r a n g e h a v e a p r e d o m i n a n t i n f l u e n c e on t h e e q u i l i b r i u m i c e l e n s heaving p r e s s u r e s g e n e r a t e d . F r o m t h i s i t i s c o n c l u d e d t h a t t h e p r e s e n t c r i t e r i a b a s e d on p a r - t i c l e s s i z e
- -
with l i m i t s on t h e a m o u n t of f i n e s p e r m i t t e d- -
i s a n a c c e p t a b l e a p p r o a c h t o defining t h e f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y of e a r t h m a t e r i a l s f o r s o i l e n g i n e e r i n g p u r p o s e s . T h e s m a l l e s t p a r t i c l e s i n a p a r t i c u l a t e p o r o u s s y s t e m p l a y a n i m p o r t a n t r o l e i n d e t e r m i n i n g t h e m a g n i t u d e of i c e l e n s h e a v i n g p r e s s u r e s g e n e r a t e d . T h e s u p p o r t i n g t h e o r y l e n d s c r e d e n c e t o using p a r t i c l e s i z e a s a v a l i d f r o s t - s u s c e p t i b i l i t y c r i t e r i o n f o r n a t u r a l l y o c c u r r i n g m a t e r i a l s . T h i s n o t e r e v i e w s i n b r i e f t h e t h e o r y of i c e l e n s g r o w t h , t h e n a t u r e of f r o s t a c t i o n p r o b l e m s i n e a r t h s t r u c t u r e s , t h e i m p o r t a n c e of a c c u r a t e l y p r e d i c t i n g t h e f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y of e a r t h m a t e r i a l s , t h e e x p e r i m e n t a l m e a s u r e m e n t s of i c e l e n s heaving p r e s s u r e s i n s i m p l e s y s t e m s t o t e s t t h e t h e o r y , a n d t h e m e a s u r e d r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e i c e l e n s h e a v i n g p r e s s u r e a n d t h e s i z e of f r a g m e n t a l p a r t i c l e s i n m o r e c o m p l e x p o r o u s s y s t e m s .THEORY AND P R A C T I C E : P A S T AND P R E S E N T
Following t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h e t h e o r y o n i c e l e n s g r o w t h under i d e a l i z e d c o n d i t i o n s i n p o r o u s m e d i a ( E v e r e t t , 1961), a m o r e c o m p r e h e n s i v e and g e n e r a l i z e d t r e a t m e n t applying t o r e a l p o r o u s s y s t e m s w a s p u b l i s h e d f o r p o r e g e o m e t r i e s of g r e a t e r c o m p l e x i t y ( E v e r e t t and Haynes, 1965). T h e s e widely-quoted t h e o r e t i c a l p a p e r s h a v e g r e a t l y s t i m u l a t e d f r o s t a c t i o n r e s e a r c h i n r e c e n t y e a r s , l a r g e l y b y p r o v i d i n g a sound and convincing t h e o r e t i c a l b a s i s . T h e t h e o r y , h o w e v e r , w a s not a c o m p l e t e l y n e w concept, n o r w a s t h i s c l a i m e d b y t h e a u t h o r s ( E v e r e t t , 1961; E v e r e t t and Haynes, 1965). A s p e c t s of the t h e r m o d y n a m i c s of f r e e z i n g p o r o u s s y s t e m s had b e e n d e a l t with i n s o m e d e t a i l e a r l i e r b y E d l e f s o n and A n d e r s o n (1943), W i n t e r k o r n (1955), J u m i k i s (1956), P e n n e r (1957), and Gold (1957). E x t e n s i v e l a b o r a t o r y t e s t i n g of s o i l s f o r f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y had b e e n c a r r i e d out m u c h e a r l i e r b y B e s k o w (1935), T a b e r (1929). C a s a g r a n d e (1932), a n d l a t e r b y t h e U. S. C o r p s of E n g i n e e r s . T h i s l a s t study, d e s c r i b e d b y Line11 and K a p l a r (1959), p r o v i d e d w o r k a b l e e m p i r i c a l r e l a t i o n s h i p s b e t w e e n t h e g r a i n - s i z e c o m p o s i - tion of s o i l s a n d f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y t h a t could b e a p p l i e d
d i r e c t l y t o s o i l e n g i n e e r i n g p r o b l e m s .
T H E N E E D FOR IMPROVED F R O S T ACTION PREDICTIONS
D e s p i t e c h a n g e s i n d e s i g n a p p r o a c h e s , e. g . , the u s e of t h e r - m a l b a r r i e r s , t h e n e e d f o r f u r t h e r i m p r o v e m e n t s i n t h e a s s e s s m e n t of f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y f o r e a r t h s t r u c t u r e s h a s b e c o m e e v e n m o r e c r i t i c a l i n r e c e n t y e a r s . T h e d e m a n d f o r h i g h e r q u a l i t y highways, r a i l w a y s and a i r p o r t r u n w a y s is a r e s u l t of t h e i n c r e a s e d t r a i n a n d v e h i c l e s p e e d s and t h e h i g h e r take-off and landing s p e e d s of a i r c r a f t . R o a d s and a i r p o r t s m u s t now h a v e a y e a r - r o u n d c a p a - b i l i t y t o s u p p o r t l a r g e r l o a d s a n d l a r g e unheated s t r u c t u r e s s u c h a s p a r k i n g g a r a g e s and w a r e h o u s e s r e q u i r e s t a b l e foundations. On t h e o t h e r hand, r e a d i l y a v a i l a b l e s o u r c e s of good q u a l i t y e a r t h m a t e r i a l s , s u c h a s s a n d s a n d g r a v e l s , a r e b e i n g r a p i d l y d e p l e t e d i n m a n y r e g i o n s . E n g i n e e r i n g f a i l u r e s t h a t r e s u l t f r o m f r o s t a c t i o n a r e n o t only e x p e n s i v e t o r e p a i r , b u t c a u s e m u c h inconven- i e n c e when t h e t e m p o r a r y l o s s i n t h e u s e of t h e s t r u c t u r e is a l s o 3 80
involved. I t i s i m p e r a t i v e , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t w h e r e f r e e z i n g i s p e r m i t t e d , t h e p e r f o r m a n c e of e a r t h m a t e r i a l s t h a t a r e b o r d e r l i n e with r e s p e c t t o f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y a r e p r o p e r l y a s s e s s e d s o t h a t good m a t e r i a l s w i l l n o t b e excluded and p o o r q u a l i t y m a t e r i a l s will b e r e c o g n i z e d a n d p r o c e s s e d o r r e j e c t e d t o avoid c o s t l y m i s t a k e s .
BASIS FOR FROST-SUSCEPTIBILITY CRITERIA
A c o m m o n l y u s e d a p p r o a c h is t o d e t e r m i n e f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y e x p e r i m e n t a l l y , o r t o e s t i m a t e i t on t h e b a s i s of h e a v e r a t e . A c c e p t a n c e o r r e j e c t i o n i s b a s e d on t h e a m o u n t of h e a v e , o v e r a w i n t e r p e r i o d , t h a t c a n b e t o l e r a t e d without d e t r i m e n t a l e f f e c t s . C h a n g e s i n t h e r i d i n g q u a l i t y r e s u l t i n g f r o m d i f f e r e n t i a l h e a v e t h a t i s p e r m i t t e d and p o s s i b l y t h e l o s s of s t r e n g t h on thawing, would b e the l i m i t i n g p e r f o r m a n c e f a c t o r s f o r highways, s t r e e t s and a i r p o r t r u n w a y s . T h e a m o u n t of d i f f e r e n t i a l h e a v e t h a t c a n b e s a f e l y a c c o m m o d a t e d without d a m a g e to t h e foundation and s u p e r - s t r u c t u r e would b e t h e d e t e r m i n i n g f a c t o r f o r unheated s t r u c t u r e s . Heaving p r e s s u r e s t h a t a r e g e n e r a t e d d u r i n g the f r e e z i n g of e a r t h m a t e r i a l s d u e to t h e i c e - w a t e r p h a s e c h a n g e c a n a l s o b e used t o a s s e s s f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y . T h i s c r i t e r i o n h a s n o t found a c c e p t a n c e i n p r a c t i c e although i t i s d i r e c t l y a p p l i c a b l e t o h e a v - ing p r o b l e m s involving f o u n d a t i o n s of b u i l d i n g s . T h e m e a s u r e m e n t of heaving p r e s s u r e s r e s u l t i n g f r o m i c e l e n s - ing, h o w e v e r , h a s b e e n m o s t u s e f u l t o t e s t t h e v a l i d i t y of f r o s t h e a v e t h e o r i e s m a i n l y b e c a u s e the heaving p r e s s u r e i s o n e of t h e v a r i a b l e s i n t h e r m o d y n a m i c equations t h a t c a n b e m e a s u r e d e x p e r i m e n t a l l y .
THEORY O F I C E LENS GROWTH T E S T E D WITH UNIFORM GLASS BEADS
T h e equation b y E v e r e t t and H a y n e s (1965) r e l a t i n g the e q u i - l i b r i u m i c e l e n s h e a v i n g p r e s s u r e t o t h e r a d i u s of u n i f o r m g l a s s s p h e r e s i n a c l o s e - p a c k a r r a y w a s t e s t e d ( P e n n e r , 1966). T h e equation t h a t a p p l i e s t o t h i s p a r t i c u l a r g e o m e t r y i s a s follows:
w h e r e Ap i s t h e heaving p r e s s u r e , r i s t h e r a d i u s of t h e s p h e r e , B' i s a c o n s t a n t e q u a l t o 5. 6, 0 i s the c o n t a c t a n g l e a n d
u .
i s t h e in- 1 W w a t e r i n t e r f a c i a l e n e r g y t e r m (35 e r g s ~ m - ~ ) ( H e s s t e v e d t , 1964). T h e a g r e e m e n t t h a t w a s shown t o e x i s t b e t w e e n t h i s e q u a t i o n and t h e m e a s u r e m e n t s c a r r i e d out by t h e a u t h o r f o r two s i z e s of b e a d s , 1 9 . 4 and 12 m i c r o n s d i a m e t e r , i s b e l i e v e d t o v e r i f y e x p e r i m e n t a l l y t h e equation.HEAVING PRESSURES IN FRAGMENTAL MATERIALS
T h e l a b o r a t o r y e q u i p m e n t developed f o r t h e e a r l i e r s t u d i e s o n g l a s s b e a d s w a s a l s o u s e d t o d e t e r m i n e t h e heaving p r e s s u r e i n s i z e d f r a c t i o n s of f r a g m e n t a l p a r t i c l e s . Two s t u d i e s h a v e b e e n published on t h i s a s p e c t by t h e a u t h o r ( P e n n e r , 1967; P e n n e r , 1968). E l u t r i a t i o n t e c h n i q u e s w e r e u s e d i n b o t h c a s e s
- -
p o t t e r 1 s f l i n t and P F R A s i l t--
t o s e p a r a t e t h e p a r t i c l e s i n t o n a r r o w s i z e r a n g e s . T h e p a r t i c l e s i z e s f o r a l l f r a c t i o n s w a s d e t e r m i n e d b y p r e p a r i n g s m e a r s of t h e s e p a r a t e s on g l a s s s l i d e s a n d m e a s u r i n g t h e p a r t i c l e s i z e s on e n l a r g e d m i c r o p h o t o g r a p h s . T h e s i z e a s s i g n e d t o e a c h p a r t i c l e w a s t h e a v e r a g e of t h e l a r g e s t and the s m a l l e s t p a r t i c l e d i a m e t e r ; i n t h i s way t h e c o m p l e t e s i z e d i s t r i b u t i o n w a s e s t a b - l i s h e d by m e a s u r i n g s o m e 500 p a r t i c l e s f r o m e a c h s a m p l e . T h e a u t h o r 1 s s t u d i e s r e f e r r e d t o w e r e f o r s i z e f r a c t i o n s l a r g e r t h a n c l a y s i z e b e c a u s e t h e s i z e of p a r t i c l e s in t h e c l a y r a n g e could n o t b e d e t e r m i n e d r e a d i l y with t h e s a m e a c c u r a c y . S e d i - m e n t a t i o n a n a l y s e s w e r e n o t c o n s i d e r e d t o b e s u f f i c i e n t l y p r e c i s e t o e s t a b l i s h t h e p a r t i c l e s i z e s f o r t h e s e s t u d i e s . T h e solid l i n e i n F i g . 1 i s t h e p l o t of t h e E v e r e t t and Haynes (1965) equation. T h e i c e l e n s p r e s s u r e - d i a m e t e r v a l u e s f o r t h e u n i f o r m - s i z e g l a s s b e a d s a r e shown a s open s q u a r e s . T h e s o l i d c i r c l e s y m b o l s a r e t h e r e s u l t s f o r the v a r i o u s f r a c t i o n s of P F R A s i l t . T h e open c i r c l e s a r e f o r t h e f r a c t i o n s of p o t t e r s flint. In e a c h c a s e t h e m e a s u r e d i c e l e n s heaving p r e s s u r e i s plotted a g a i n s t t h e m e a s u r e d d i a m e t e r of the s m a l l e s t s i z e p a r t i c l e i n e a c h f r a c t i o n . T h e r a n g e in p a r t i c l e s i z e f o r e a c h f r a c t i o n i s g i v e n on t h e F i g u r e n e a r t h e plotted point.The v a l u e s f a l l both above and below the t h e o r e t i c a l line but i t i s believed that the m e a s u r e of a g r e e m e n t achieved d r a w s a t t e n - tion to the p r e d o m i n a n t influence of the s m a l l e s t p a r t i c l e s in e s t a b l i s h i n g the heaving p r e s s u r e s . Deviations in the m e a s u r e - m e n t s f r o m the t h e o r y a r e thought to b e a t t r i b u t a b l e to the f r a g - m e n t a l n a t u r e of the p a r t i c l e s , v a r i a t i o n s in s a m p l e density, l o c a l non-homogeneity, and e r r o r s i n p r e s s u r e m e a s u r e m e n t s . I t i s believed t h a t a t e q u i l i b r i u m ( s t a t e of non-propagation of i c e ) the i c e l w a t e r boundary positions itself o v e r the m i n i m u m s i z e d p o r e s and to a c h i e v e t h i s t h e b o u n d a r y m u s t have a n undulating configuration. 90 80
-
-
70-
0 POTTERS F L I N T l S O I L ( P . F . R . A . S I L T ) S P H E R I C A L G L A S S BEADS-
I S A M E V A L U E FOR POTTERS F L I N T A N D S O I L-
n-
5 0-
-
W N-
V) w 4 0-
0 - 4 0 - 3 0 0 p-
2 U-
+
2
30-
-
L 20-
-
1 0 - BEADS 1 0 - 3 0 p j 8--
l o - 6 O p 0 . I . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 H E A V I N G P R E S S U R E , k g l c m 2FIGURE 1 Relation Between Heaving P r e s s u r e And S m a l l e s t P a r t i c l e i n F r a c t i o n
CONCLUSIONS T h e r e s u l t s g i v e n in t h i s note s u p p o r t the u s e of p a r t i c l e s i z e a s a v a l i d p r o p e r t y f o r e s t a b l i s h i n g f r o s t s u s c e p t i b i l i t y . T h e i m p o r t a n c e of t h e s m a l l e r p a r t i c l e s i n a s o i l s y s t e m i s b a s e d on a t h e o r y t h a t h a s b e e n s u p p o r t e d b y l a b o r a t o r y m e a s u r e m e n t s and t o which t h e heaving p r e s s u r e s d u e t o i c e l e n s e s i n r e a l p o r o u s s y s t e m s c o n f o r m . T h e r e s e a r c h s t u d i e s i n d i c a t e t h a t c r i t e r i a u s e d b a s e d on g r a i n s i z e could b e i m p r o v e d by i n c r e a s i n g t h e a l l o v ~ a b l e m i n i - m u m s i z e of t h e s m a l l e s t p a r t i c l e s with f u r t h e r l i m i t a t i o n s on the p e r m i s s i b l e a m o u n t of f i n e s . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
T h i s p a p e r i s a c o n t r i b u t i o n f r o m the Division of Building R e s e a r c h , National R e s e a r c h Council of Canada, a n d i s published with the a p p r o v a l of D r . N. B. Hutcheon, D i r e c t o r of t h e Division.
R E F E R E N C E S
Beskow, G. 1935. S o i l f r e e z i n g a n d f r o s t heaving with s p e c i a l a p p l i c a t i o n t o r o a d s and r a i l r o a d s . T r a n s l a t e d by J. 0.
O s t e r b e r g . T e c h n i c a l I n s t i t u t e , N o r t h w e s t e r n U n i v e r s i t y 1947.
C a s a g r a n d e , A., 1932. D i s c u s s i o n on f r o s t heaving. Highway R e s e a r c h B o a r d P r o c . , Vol. 11, P t . 1, p. 168-172. Edlefson, N. E . and A n d e r s o n , A. B. B . , 1943. T h e r m o d y n a m i c s of s o i l m o i s t u r e . H i l g a r d i a , Vol. 15, p. 31-268. E v e r e t t , D. H . , 19 61. T h e t h e r m o d y n a m i c s of f r o s t a c t i o n i n p o r o u s s o l i d s . T r a n s . F a r a d a y S o c . , Vol. 57, p. 1541-51. E v e r e t t , D. H. and H a y n e s , J . M . , 1965. C a p i l l a r y p r o p e r t i e s of s o m e m o d e l p o r e s y s t e m s with r e f e r e n c e to f r o s t d a m a g e . R I L E M B u l l . , New S e r i e s , Vol. 27, p. 31-38.
Gold, L. W., 1957. A p o s s i b l e f o r c e m e c h a n i s m a s s o c i a t e d w i t h t h e f r e e z i n g of w a t e r i n p o r o u s m a t e r i a l s . Highway R e s e a r c h B o a r d Bull. No. 168, p. 65-72. H e s s t v e d t , E., 1964. T h e i n t e r f a c i a l e n e r g y i c e / w a t e r N o r w e g i a n G e o t e c h . I n s t . , P u b . 56, 4p. J u m i k i s , A. R . , 1956. T h e s o i l f r e e z i n g e x p e r i m e n t . Highway R e s e a r c h B o a r d Bull. No 135, p. 150-165. L i n e l l , K. A. and C. W. K a p l a r , 1959. T h e f a c t o r of s o i l and m a t e r i a l t y p e i n f r o s t a c t i o n . Highway R e s e a r c h B o a r d Bull. No. 225, p. 81-128. P e n n e r ,
E.,
1957. S o i l m o i s t u r e t e n s i o n a n d i c e s e g r e g a t i o n . Highway R e s e a r c h B o a r d Bull. NO. 168, p. 50-64.P e n n e r ,
E.,
19 66. P r e s s u r e d e v e l o p e d d u r i n g t h e u n i d i r e c t i o n a l f r e e z i n g of w a t e r s a t u r a t e d p o r o u s m a t e r i a l s . P r o c . , I n t e r n a t . Conf. on L o w T e m p . S c i e n c e , Vol. 1, p a r t 2, p. 1401-1412.P e n n e r , E . , 19 67. Heaving p r e s s u r e i n s o i l s d u r i n g u n i d r e c - t i o n a l f r e e z i n g . Can. Geotech. J o u r n a l , Vol IV, No. 4 p. 398-408.
P e n n e r , E . , 1968. P a r t i c l e s i z e a s a b a s i s f o r p r e d i c t i n g f r o s t a c t i o n i n s o i l s . S o i l s and F o u n d a t i o n s , Vol. 8, No. 4 p. 21-29.
T a b e r , S . , 1929. F r o s t heaving. J o u r n a l of Geology, Vol. 37, No. 1, p. 428-461.
W i n t e r k o r n , H. F . , 1955. D i s c u s s i o n of "Suction f o r c e on s o i l s upon f r e e z i n g " . P r o c . , A m e r . S o c . Civ. E n g i n e e r s , Vo1. 81, S e p a r a t e No. 656, p. 6 - 9 .
