MEASUREMENT AND PREDICTION OF FROST PENETRATION IN HIGHWAYS

Knowledge of the depths of frost penetration in highway roadbeds is essential to determining the safe location of structural foundations, sewers, pipelines, and water mains. Most of the current knowledge of frost penetration is limited to sparsely documented information gained from studying boreholes and excavations, even though a method exists for predicting the relationship of frost penetration to air freezing index. Through a 5-year program of measuring frost depth by use of frost depth indicators at 62 locations in Ontario, a body of data has been acquired and used to make the relationship between frost penetration and air freezing index more appropriate to Ontario. To further assist the user of this relationship, a freezing index map of the province has been created from published temperature data observed at 224 locations during the period from 1941 to 1970. The map was prepared by using a method recently developed by the National Research Council of Canada that calculates the air freezing index from mean monthly temperatures. Although the method is simple to use, local factors such as soil type and moisture content influence the actual depth of frost penetration. To enable such effects to be evaluated and to provide the capability of examining the effects of insulation and frost retaining layers, a computer program to solve the heat flow relationships was developed for the Ministry by Carleton University. The program can predict the maximum frost penetration and ground temperatures from information that is, in most cases, readily available. Computer predictions at several sites have been favorably compared with measurements of actual frost penetration and time profiles. (Author)

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1983/918/918-001.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=MEASUREMENT+AND+PREDICTION+OF+FROST+PENETRATION+IN+HIGHWAYS&author=R.+Chisholm&author=W.+Phang&publication_year=1983
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/030903561
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Frost Action. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Chisholm, R A
  • Phang, W A
• Conference:
  • 62nd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1983-1-17 to 1983-1-21
• Publication Date: 1983

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-10
• Monograph Title: FROST ACTION ON TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 918
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Computer programs; Depth; Forecasting; Frost; Mapping; Measuring instruments; Moisture content; Pavement subgrade; Soil types; Temperature
• Uncontrolled Terms: Frost penetration; Soil classification
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Pavements; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00381780
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 030903561
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 30 1984 12:00AM