CI-81-13-1 -- Basic Concepts of Frost Heaving ✓ Most Recent

The continual cold temperatures in cold-storage facilities and at the bases of ice-skating rinks create conditions that are conducive to frost heaving of the underlying soil. The consequences can be ruinous because the heaving is usually not uniform, so one part of a structure will be heaved more than other parts, thus severely distorting the structure. An example is provided by a small cold-storage facility in Washington State. The facility was built on ground that is subject to frost heaving and precautions were not taken to prevent heaving. After one year of operation, heaving had distorted the building so badly that a cold-room door could not be closed and seams were opened in the cold-room walls. The damage was so severe that eventually another facility had to be built (1). Occurences such as this can be avoided by (a) choosing a site where heaving will not be a problem, or (b) modifying conditions at a particular site to reduce heaving to an acceptable level. In either case, understanding the processes involved in frost heaving is necessary for making rational decisions. This paper discusses present knowledge and concepts about frost heaving, briefly indicates how this information can be applied, and discusses" several criteria for evaluating the frost susceptibility of soils (their potential for-frost-heaving).