Modeling of Coupled Heat-Moisture Transfer and Deformation Behavior of Frozen Soil

Resumo

In this paper, the momentum equilibrium equation, the continuity equation, and the energy equation for the coupled heat and moisture transfer-deformation model are improved for frozen soil conditions through the introduction of the Clapeyron equation to describe moisture migration in a freezing zone under a temperature gradient. The AFEM program for the coupled model under plane strain conditions is established for engineering problems in cold regions. The results of calculations for Penner’s lab heaving test conditions are analyzed to validate the proposed model's rationality and reliability. The predicted frost heave deformations, temperature, and moisture distribution are consistent with experimental data, and it is demonstrated that the presented approach is valid for studying coupled heat-mass-transfer and deformation behavior of freezing soils with phase transitions.