Experimental studies of thaw consolidation of fine grained frozen soils from the Mackenzie Valley

Abstract

A study was conducted on the thaw consolidation behaviour of fine grained permafrost soils, which are commonly found in the Mackenzie Valley, Canada. In 1971, Morgenstern and Nixon proposed a thaw consolidation theory. A laboratory study has been carried out with a focus on the consolidation behaviour of thawing fine grained permafrost soils for a case where the thawing soil consolidates under its own weight. Numerical modelling was carried out to predict the temperature behaviour and moisture migration observed in the laboratory. The design of the laboratory apparatus is discussed and the results are evaluated in comparison with the numerical and theoretical predictions. The finite element software are proved useful in predicting the soil thermal and hydraulic behaviour. Although the laboratory results and that from the thaw consolidation theory developed by Morgenstern and Nixon (1971) cannot be compared directly due to many uncertainties, the laboratory results are in reasonable agreement.