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https://hdl.handle.net/11681/22909| Title: | The influence of insulation upon frost penetration beneath pavements |
| Authors: | Eaton, Robert A. Dukeshire, Daniel E. |
| Keywords: | Frost heaving Insulating materials Pavements--Frost damage |
| Publisher: | Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (U.S.) |
| Series/Report no.: | Special Report;76-6 |
| Abstract: | Frost action in soils causes pavement structures to heave because of ice lenses growth during the freezing season. The loss of structural support in the spring caused by melting of the ice lenses can precipitate pavement failure. In order to minimize differential frost heaving caused by variable in-situ soil condition granular material is placed on top of the frost-susceptible sub grade. This creates a uniform layer to bridge sub surface irregularities in soil properties. The thickness of uniform granular material depends on the depth of frost penetration and desired protection. This method of protecting the pavement structure from differential (uneven) heaving can be costly depending on the amount of granular material required and its availability. A method of reducing the amount of granular material is the use of a thermal insulating layer beneath all or part of the base course which prevents freezing temperatures from reaching the non-uniform subgrade. A test road which includes Styrofoam board insulated test sections was constructed at CRREL in 1973. A transition section was built between a control section and an insulated section to minimize the drastic difference in frost penetration and resultant differential frost heave. Despite a mild winter (average freezing index), large temperature differences were measured between the insulated and conventional sections, frost penetrations were one-third as deep beneath the insulated section, differences in frost heave were negligible, and pavement deflections were approximately the same on the two sections. Surface differential icing did occur between the control and insulated sections. |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/11681/22909 |
| Appears in Collections: | Special Report |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Report 76-6.pdf | 3.67 MB | Adobe PDF |  View/Open |