Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of Soils

Abstract The soil freezing characteristic curve (SFCC) plays a crucial role in investigating the soil freezing‐thawing process. Due to the challenges associated with measuring the SFCC, there is a shortage of high‐quality or rigorous test results with sufficient metadata to be effectively used for a...

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Main Authors: Jidong Teng, Antai Dong, Sheng Zhang, Xiong Zhang, Daichao Sheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2024-07-01
Series:Water Resources Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037280
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author Jidong Teng
Antai Dong
Sheng Zhang
Xiong Zhang
Daichao Sheng
author_facet Jidong Teng
Antai Dong
Sheng Zhang
Xiong Zhang
Daichao Sheng
author_sort Jidong Teng
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The soil freezing characteristic curve (SFCC) plays a crucial role in investigating the soil freezing‐thawing process. Due to the challenges associated with measuring the SFCC, there is a shortage of high‐quality or rigorous test results with sufficient metadata to be effectively used for applications. Current researchers typically conduct freezing tests to measure the SFCC and assume a singular SFCC when studying the freezing‐thawing process of soils, although limited studies indicated that there is a hysteresis during the freezing and thawing process. In this paper, a series of freezing‐thawing tests were performed to assess the SFCC, utilizing a precise nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus. The test results reveal a hysteresis between the SFCC obtained from the freezing process and that from the thawing process. Through analyzing the test results, the hysteresis mechanism of the SFCC is attributed to supercooling. Supercooling inhibits initial pore ice formation during freezing, causing a drastic liquid water‐ice phase change once supercooling ends. Despite being considered closely related, the hysteresis of the SFCC differs from the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC), and the models used to simulate the hysteresis of SWCC cannot directly be used. To address the impact of supercooling on soil freezing‐thawing hysteresis, a novel theoretical model is proposed. Comparisons between the measured and predicted results affirm the validity of the proposed model.
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issn 0043-1397
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publishDate 2024-07-01
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spelling doaj-art-9fa9c30289094dc2a8a7372741c5709c2025-08-20T02:36:39ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-07-01607n/an/a10.1029/2024WR037280Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of SoilsJidong Teng0Antai Dong1Sheng Zhang2Xiong Zhang3Daichao Sheng4School of Civil Engineering Central South University Changsha ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering Central South University Changsha ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering Central South University Changsha ChinaCivil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla MO USASchool of Civil Engineering Central South University Changsha ChinaAbstract The soil freezing characteristic curve (SFCC) plays a crucial role in investigating the soil freezing‐thawing process. Due to the challenges associated with measuring the SFCC, there is a shortage of high‐quality or rigorous test results with sufficient metadata to be effectively used for applications. Current researchers typically conduct freezing tests to measure the SFCC and assume a singular SFCC when studying the freezing‐thawing process of soils, although limited studies indicated that there is a hysteresis during the freezing and thawing process. In this paper, a series of freezing‐thawing tests were performed to assess the SFCC, utilizing a precise nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus. The test results reveal a hysteresis between the SFCC obtained from the freezing process and that from the thawing process. Through analyzing the test results, the hysteresis mechanism of the SFCC is attributed to supercooling. Supercooling inhibits initial pore ice formation during freezing, causing a drastic liquid water‐ice phase change once supercooling ends. Despite being considered closely related, the hysteresis of the SFCC differs from the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC), and the models used to simulate the hysteresis of SWCC cannot directly be used. To address the impact of supercooling on soil freezing‐thawing hysteresis, a novel theoretical model is proposed. Comparisons between the measured and predicted results affirm the validity of the proposed model.https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037280hysteresissoil freezing characteristic curvesupercoolingnuclear magnetic resonancefreezing and thawing
spellingShingle Jidong Teng
Antai Dong
Sheng Zhang
Xiong Zhang
Daichao Sheng
Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of Soils
Water Resources Research
hysteresis
soil freezing characteristic curve
supercooling
nuclear magnetic resonance
freezing and thawing
title Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of Soils
title_full Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of Soils
title_fullStr Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of Soils
title_full_unstemmed Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of Soils
title_short Freezing‐Thawing Hysteretic Behavior of Soils
title_sort freezing thawing hysteretic behavior of soils
topic hysteresis
soil freezing characteristic curve
supercooling
nuclear magnetic resonance
freezing and thawing
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2024WR037280
work_keys_str_mv AT jidongteng freezingthawinghystereticbehaviorofsoils
AT antaidong freezingthawinghystereticbehaviorofsoils
AT shengzhang freezingthawinghystereticbehaviorofsoils
AT xiongzhang freezingthawinghystereticbehaviorofsoils
AT daichaosheng freezingthawinghystereticbehaviorofsoils