Laying the Foundations for the Development of an Extension to the Theory of Thaw Consolidation

AbstractFollowing a palaeoclimatic outline of the Late Quaternary, the paper reviews the periglacial and slope processes which have most effect on engineering works, particulary with regard to relic forms of such features in Britain. The first topics covered are; frost heave and thaw consolidation, thermokarst and periglacial mass movements, with particular attention to periglacial solifluction and slope development. Ground water discharge features, comprising pingos, anomalous depressions in the London Basin and perforated clay feather edges, are then discussed, as are superficial valley disturbances in various geological settings. The paper concludes by exploring theoretical and geological approaches to the determination of the former depths of permafrost in Britain.

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Thaw-consolidation tests on undisturbed finegrained permafrost

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts ◽

10.1016/0148-9062(74)91818-x ◽

1974 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. A164

Author(s):

J.F. Nixon, ◽

N.R. Morgenstern

Keyword(s):

Thaw Consolidation

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Pore Water Pressure Distribution and Dissipation During Thaw Consolidation

Transport in Porous Media ◽

10.1007/s11242-016-0782-z ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 116 (2) ◽

pp. 435-451 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Xiaoliang Yao ◽

Jilin Qi ◽

Mengxin Liu ◽

Fan Yu

Keyword(s):

Pressure Distribution ◽

Pore Water ◽

Pore Water Pressure ◽

Water Pressure ◽

Thaw Consolidation

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One-dimensional large-strain thaw consolidation using nonlinear effective stress – void ratio – hydraulic conductivity relationships

Canadian Geotechnical Journal ◽

10.1139/cgj-2017-0221 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 414-426 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Simon Dumais ◽

Jean-Marie Konrad

Keyword(s):

Heat Transfer ◽

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Effective Stress ◽

Void Ratio ◽

Moving Boundary ◽

Initial Conditions ◽

Large Strain ◽

One Dimensional ◽

Consolidation Theory ◽

Thaw Consolidation

A one-dimensional model for the consolidation of thawing soils is formulated in terms of large-strain consolidation and heat-transfer equations. The model integrates heat transfer due to conduction, phase change, and advection. The hydromechanical behaviour is modelled by large-strain consolidation theory. The equations are coupled in a moving boundary scheme developed in Lagrangian coordinates. Finite strains are allowed and nonlinear effective stress – void ratio – hydraulic conductivity relationships are proposed to characterize the thawing soil properties. Initial conditions and boundary conditions are presented with special consideration for the moving boundary condition at the thaw front developed in terms of large-strain consolidation. The proposed model is applied and compared with small-strain thaw consolidation theory in a theoretical working example of a thawing fine-grained soil sample. The modelling results are presented in terms of temperature, thaw penetration, settlements, void ratio, and excess pore-water pressures.

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An Analysis of the Performance of a Warm-oil Pipeline in Permafrost, Inuvik, N.W.T.

Canadian Geotechnical Journal ◽

10.1139/t75-024 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 199-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Norbert R. Morgenstern ◽

John F. Nixon

Keyword(s):

Case History ◽

Natural Variability ◽

Test Facility ◽

Actual Performance ◽

Oil Pipeline ◽

Documented Case ◽

Thaw Consolidation ◽

Theoretical Predictions ◽

History Of ◽

Thawing Permafrost

The data collected at a warm-oil test pipeline at Inuvik. N.W.T. are analyzed making use of the theory of thaw–consolidation proposed by Morgenstern and Nixon. The observed pore pressures, settlements, and rate of melting in the thawing permafrost foundation have been compared with their corresponding theoretical predictions. Bearing in mind the natural variability of ice-rich permafrost deposits, the agreement between prediction and observation is extremely encouraging. As the data collected at this test facility form the only completely documented case history of a thawing foundation in permafrost published to date, this comparison between theory and actual performance is valuable in establishing a level of confidence in the application of the theory of thaw–consolidation.

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