Analysis of Freeze–Thaw Response and Pore Characteristics of Artificially Frozen Soft Soil under Combined Formation Seepage

Abstract

Artificial ground freezing (AGF) is a widely used method in coastal tunnel construction and reinforcement. With more and more underground construction in coastal areas, clay–sand combined formation, which is common in coastal areas, brings more challenges to AGF. In this paper, the frost–thaw characteristics of soft clay during AFG under the construction of combined formation seepage were studied by model test. It was found that the shape of the freezing curtain changed under the condition of seepage, and the water content of the upper soft soil layer decreased markedly after settlement. Subsequently the micro characteristics of melted soil by CT were also conducted for further mechanism analysis, and it was indicated that the distribution of CT number had obvious segmentation characteristics along the height. Finally, the 3D structure of melted clay was reconstructed, and a method was proposed to calculate freeze–thaw settlement through CT numbers.