Pile Depth and Frost Heaving
Pile Depth and Frost Heaving
(OP)
Hello,
I have a lightweight structure supported by multiple H-piles, and I'm trying to quantify the frost heaving force on an H-pile. I know there's very limited research on this topic, but I was wondering if anyone knows (or knows a geotechnical engineer who knows) how to quantitatively design for such forces. The only equation I've found is Dalmatov's adfreezing equation:
F = L*h*(c-0.5*b*Tm)
where
F = frost heave force on the pile (kgf)
L = perimeter of foundation in contact with the frozen soil (cm)
h = thickness of the frozen soil layer (cm)
c and b = soil parameters (kgf/cm^2)
Tm = minimum soil or surface temperature (C)
While this is very helpful, I can't solve the equation without knowing the site-specific soil parameters 'b' and 'c'. Are they standard terms that a geotechnical report would yield? If anyone has any insight, it would be greatly appreciated!
(Also, I know that frost heave can only occur if the soil has the right porosity, water/moisture is present, and freezing temperatures occur. However, I can't use the typical "cheats" of changing the soil conditions via backfill, or using an expensive type of pile with a collar, or any other technique, as my project budget doesn't allow for it.)
I have a lightweight structure supported by multiple H-piles, and I'm trying to quantify the frost heaving force on an H-pile. I know there's very limited research on this topic, but I was wondering if anyone knows (or knows a geotechnical engineer who knows) how to quantitatively design for such forces. The only equation I've found is Dalmatov's adfreezing equation:
F = L*h*(c-0.5*b*Tm)
where
F = frost heave force on the pile (kgf)
L = perimeter of foundation in contact with the frozen soil (cm)
h = thickness of the frozen soil layer (cm)
c and b = soil parameters (kgf/cm^2)
Tm = minimum soil or surface temperature (C)
While this is very helpful, I can't solve the equation without knowing the site-specific soil parameters 'b' and 'c'. Are they standard terms that a geotechnical report would yield? If anyone has any insight, it would be greatly appreciated!
(Also, I know that frost heave can only occur if the soil has the right porosity, water/moisture is present, and freezing temperatures occur. However, I can't use the typical "cheats" of changing the soil conditions via backfill, or using an expensive type of pile with a collar, or any other technique, as my project budget doesn't allow for it.)






RE: Pile Depth and Frost Heaving
Rule of thumb, to be safe from frost jacking, pile embedment should be 3 times the maximum frost penetration. Search the foundation forum. USACE has various cold region foundation design manuals and research.
This paper refers to Dalmatov method, as well as the USACE method (TM-5).
http://research.iarc.uaf.edu/NICOP/DVD/ICOP%201998...
RE: Pile Depth and Frost Heaving
I'll definitely give the foundation forum a try. Nonetheless, if you or anyone else has any more advice in this thread, please share!
RE: Pile Depth and Frost Heaving
Some other sources:
CRREL Report 88-21regarding frost heaving of H-piles:
http://acwc.sdp.sirsi.net/client/search/asset/1001...
UFC 3-130-04 document on arctic foundations, formerly Air Force manual TM-5:
https://www.wbdg.org/ccb/DOD/UFC/INACTIVE/ufc_3_13...
RE: Pile Depth and Frost Heaving
RE: Pile Depth and Frost Heaving