QUASI-STEADY PROBLEMS IN FREEZING SOILS .1. ANALYSIS ON THE STEADY GROWTH OF AN ICE LAYER

The steady growth of a segregated ice layer in freezing soils is studied mathematically under three distinct and representative hypotheses on the properties of the frozen fringe, chosen among many such hypotheses reported in the literature. It was found that the condition of steady growth is determined by the temperature gradient in the unfrozen part of the soil at the 0 (°C) isotherm and the temperature gradient in the ice layer at the interface between the ice layer and the frozen fringe in all three hypothetical models studied. The transport equation of water in the frozen fringe was found to be the major factor determining the condition of steady growth. This is the first of a two-part presentation on the subject; the experimental aspects of the study will be presented in a second paper. © 1990 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved.