Physical Simulation Test on Temperature Field Distribution of Artificial Vertical Straight Multirow Freezing Inclined Shaft

This study investigated the temperature field distribution of a freezing inclined shaft. Thus, a three-dimensional physical simulation test system was developed, and the system consists of six parts, which are simulation box and shaft model, loading system, freezing system, external environment simulation system, and data acquisition system. From the results of physical and mechanical property test of artificially frozen sand, in the range of 25°C to -20°C, the heat capacity of sand decreases first, then increases, decreases, and finally tends to be stable; the thermal conductivity of sand gradually increases and finally becomes stable; and the cohesion, internal friction angle, uniaxial compressive strength, and elastic modulus of artificially frozen sand all increase as the freezing temperature decreases. The three-dimensional physical simulation test and field measurement showed that the distance from the freezing pipe is the main factor affecting freezing wall temperature, and the closer to the freezing pipe, the faster the cooling rates. Comparison of theoretical calculation results and field measurement results shows that the calculation formula of freezing wall temperature with time of the inclined shaft can reflect the general law of freezing wall temperature cooling. Therefore, the 3D physical simulation test system is reliable and the test method is feasible.

Analysis of Three-Dimensional Damage Constitutive Model of Frozen Sand Based on the Influence of Intermediate Principal Stress and Temperature

To study the mechanical properties of frozen soil, it is necessary to understand the damage characteristics of frozen soil. Four types of three-dimensional indoor tests of frozen sand were carried out at −5°C, −10°C, and −15°C to study the mechanical damage properties. These include different stress path tests with the principal stress coefficients of 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 while analyzing the entire failure process. First, the three-dimensional compression test of frozen sand was studied to analyze the influence of temperature and intermediate principal stress coefficient on the large principal stress of frozen soil. The damage cost of frozen sand under the influence of different temperatures and intermediate principal stress coefficients was also established. Second, using the characteristics of discreteness and randomness of the distribution of the microelements inside the frozen soil and assuming that the failure of the microelement of the frozen soil obeys the Weibull distribution, the Drucker–Prager strength criterion was used as the statistical distribution variable of the microelement of the frozen soil based on the strain equivalence hypothesis, statistical theory, and continuous damage mechanics. This allows for a constitutive model of frozen sand damage under the three-dimensional stress state to be established. Finally, the model parameter values through low-temperature three-dimensional test data were able to be determined. This model allows for the physical meaning of Weibull distribution parameters F0 and m to be analyzed, and the distribution parameters with temperature and intermediate principal stress coefficient can be modified to obtain a modified frozen sand damage constitutive model. The results show that the modified damage constitutive model can simulate the entire process curve of the large principal stress-strain of frozen sand. It shows that the large principal stress of frozen sand increases with the increase of temperature and intermediate principal stress coefficient. Concurrently, the frozen sand damage constitutive model proposed in this paper can describe the deformation behavior of frozen soil under different temperature and stress paths and can be adapted to various other sediment types.