The impact of the temperature and humidity state of the road on heat and mass transfer in winter

Abstract

Sharp diurnal temperature fluctuations in Astana, Kazakhstan, in winter, as well as freezing up to 2 or more meters leading to the destruction of the roadway, especially during the spring thaw, prompted a detailed study of the state of roads. In this work, the temperature and humidity of the highway structure layers were monitored in winter, and the mass transfer of water in the gaseous state due to the negative pressure of cryosuction in the frozen layers was also considered. It was determined that mass transfer of water in the form of steam 1.44 10⁻⁴ g/h per 1 dm3 of soil at temperature fluctuations of -5-8 °C. The rate of vapor passage towards the freezing front in the soil was 0.467 m/h. The freezing of the ground base continued for 132 days in the winter period of 2021-2022 in Astana with the formation of 456.72 g of ice due to the migration of water in a gaseous state in every 1 m3 of soil, which increases the humidity by 40 % or more and significantly reduces the bearing road capacity during the spring thaw. As a solution to the problem of water migration in the form of steam, it is proposed to introduce an additional layer of vapour barrier over the soil base at a depth of -60 cm.