Some results of experimental determination of the kind of dependence of strength properties of frozen fine and silty sands from their total moisture (the ice content) and temperature

Abstract

The article presents the results of experimental studies of the dependence of the strength properties of frozen sands from the moisture and temperature. Strength for uniaxial compression of frozen fine sand was determined at temperatures of minus 1, 3, 5, 7 oC in the range of the moisture from 6 to 90%. The experimental results used to create the diagrams of the dependence of the frozen sand»s strengths from the moisture and temperature under uniaxial compression. Our experiments have shown that the greatest influence on the strength of frozen sand have total moisture (the ice content) and the density of dry sand (skeleton density). These parameters have the greatest impact on the strength of sand at its full water saturation. The strength of frozen sands also depends on the degree of filling of their pores with unfrozen water and ice. The experiments revealed important features of the dependence of the strength properties of frozen sands on their total moisture (the ice content). In particular, it was found that there is a narrow range of «optimal» moisture (the ice content) frozen fine and silty sands, within which their strength varies significantly, reaching its maximum value here. This effect must be taken into account in engineering research and design of engineering structures in the Extreme North of Russia.