Predicting Unfrozen Water Contents in Frozen Soils

Abstract

A relationship between temperature and certain soil properties including specific surface area, activity ratio, and the expandable clay lattice, is presented for predicting the unfrozen water content of frozen soils. Data on experimental calorimetric determinations for ice content of two frozen clays and a frozen silty clay are given. Predicted unfrozen water contents are compared with experimental values for eleven soils with good agreement in all cases. Temperatures close to and above the freezing point depression of the soil are excluded. Knowledge of the unfrozen water content in frozen soils permits a more realistic approach to a variety of problems in frozen soil mechanics.