by A.A.

Kolesov
CONSTRUCTION OF FOUNDATIONS ON THAWING PERMAFROST
The f r ozen f oot i ngs under heat ed bui l di ngs and ot her s t r u c t u r e s i n
permafrost r egi ons thaw when t he s e s t r u c t u r e s a r e i n use, and t h e thawing i s
accompanied by changes i n physicomechanical pr ope r t i e s of s o i l s . Thawing of
permafrost r e s u l t s i n s et t l ement s i n exces s of t h e amounts per mi s s i bl e f o r
convent i onal bui l di ngs and s t r uc t ur e s .
A t t h e i n i t i a l s t a ge i n t h e development of mechanics of f r ozen and
thawing s o i l s and f oundat i on engi neer i ng (1950-1960), t h e uneven s et t l ement s
of t he thawing f oot i ngs were prevent ed by bui l di ng f oundat i ons of a s p e c i a l
desi gn, such as cased-i n r ei nf or ced concr et e p l a t e s , cont i nuous f oot i ngs i n
t h e form of g i r d e r wal l s , cr os s s t r i p f oot i ngs , e t c . A t t h a t t i me t he r e
were no s t andar d r u l e s concerni ng t h e s u i t a b i l i t y of cons t r uct i on methods
f o r thawing f oot i ngs . Thi s l e d t o a s i t u a t i o n , where s uper s t r uct ur es were
er ect ed on s o i l s wi t h s et t l ement s s e ve r a l times i n exces s of per mi s s i bl e
amounts. Speci al f oundat i on desi gns were a l s o used t o prevent d i f f e r e n t i a l
s e t t l i n g of t h e f oot i ngs .
The next t r end i n f oundat i on engi neer i ng was t o bui l d a r t i f i c i a l
f oot i ngs from thawed-out e a r t h mat er i al s . The method of pr e- const r uct i on
thawing makes i t pos s i bl e t o bui l d even on i ce- r i ch permafrost .
The thawing i s done wi t h e l e c t r i c i t y , st eam o r wat er .
The f oot i ngs and foundat i ons desi gned f o r a r ei nf or ced concr et e
manufact uri ng pl a nt a r e shown i n Fig. 1 and may s er ve a s a n example of t h e
above. The bui l di ng i s l ocat ed i n a t e r r a i n composed of i ce- r i ch coar s e
gr a ve l beds wi t h a sandy loam f i l l e r , which s e t t l e i n t h e pr ocess of
t h a wi ~g . I n t h i s pr oj e c t i t was deci ded t o thaw out t h e ground p r i o r t o
cons t r uct i on. The thawing was done wi t h wat er i n j e c t e d t hrough needl es
arranged a t 4 m i n t e r v a l s and sunk t o a dept h of 8 m. Water w a s s uppl i ed
from t h e r i v e r , where a pumping s t a t i o n w a s b u i l t , and wa s dr ai ned of f
t hrough a dr ai nage syst em i n t h e form of a t r ench i n t h e thawed-out pebbl e
bed t h a t was graded towards t h e r i v e r and had a l ower e l e va t i on t han t h e
f oot of t h e thawed-out s o i l mass.
Thawing was schedul ed f o r t he t hr e e summer months. Hydrothawing makes
i t pos s i bl e not onl y t o thaw out t h e ground, but a l s o t o wash away t h e f i n e
f r a c t i on. Thi s compl et el y el i mi nat es heavi ng of t h e thawed-out s o i l even i f
t h e gr a ve l pad is i nvaded by ground wat er. To reduce d i f f e r e n t i a l
s et t l ement s dur i ng t h e thawing of t h e ground, t h e whole bui l di ng wa s di vi ded
i n t o s epar at e bl ocks by s et t l ement j o i n t s a t t h e bas e of t h e thawed-out s o i l
mass.
I n r ecent year s t h e us e of cons t r uct i on pr i nc i pl e s on thawing f oot i ngs
has been s t r i c t l y r egul at ed (SNIP 11-18-76). Wherever t h e s et t l ement s of
t he thawing f oot i ng exceed t he admi ssi bl e amounts, i t i s i mper at i ve t o work
out a program f o r pr epar i ng t h e s o i l of t h e f oot i ng, i ncl udi ng t h e methods
of pr e- const r uct i on thawing and rei nforcement of t he ground.
I n some cases a rocky l edge o r st oney s o i l s t h a t do not set t l e dur i ng
thawing may be encount ered a t some dept h. It i s advi s abl e t o u s e t h a t ki nd
of ground a s a f oot i ng f o r deep s uppor t s o r p i l e s c u t t i n g t hrough t he upper
s t r a t a of f r ozen s o i l s t h a t a r e s ubj e c t t o s e t t l i n g . Fi gur e 2 shows an
example of such a s ol ut i on. I n desi gns of t h a t ki nd, t h e suppor t s a r e made
t o bear l a r g e l oads t o t ake maximum advant age of t h e bear i ng capaci t y of t h e
rocky ground.
For t hos e cas es , where l o c a l thawing zones form underneat h t h e
s uper s t r uct ur es r e l e a s i ng s i g n i f i c a n t amounts of heat , t he Fundamentproekt
proposed i n 1968, a va r i a nt of p i l e foundat i ons sunk t o a dept h below t he
est i mat ed zone of thawing. In t h a t cas e t h e bear i ng capaci t y i s det ermi ned
by t he amount of adf r eeze of t he p i l e s i n t he zone of f r ozen ground below
t h e thawing zone, and wi t h al l owances made f o r t h e warming up of t he f r ozen
f oot i ng.
The cur r ent method of pr e- const r uct i on thawing of t h e ground i s t o thaw
out t h e s o i l underneat h t h e whole a r e a of t he bui l di ng o r ot he r engi neer i ng
s t r u c t u r e s , wi t h i ncr eas e i n t he dimensions i n t he pl an t o 4 thawing dept h.
The Fundamentproekt i n s t i t u t e developed a method f o r thawing out
permafrost onl y a t t he pl aces , where t h e p i l e s a r e sunk ( pat ent No 218741 of
June 11, 1966, "A method of i n s t a l l i n g p i l e f oundat i ons underneat h heat ed
bui l di ngs on thawing permafrost "). Thi s method c o n s i s t of t h e f ol l owi ng
(Fi g. 3):
a ) The ground i s thawed-out t o a dept h of 9-10 m a t t h e pl aces , where
groups of p i l e s and pads f o r t h e equipment a r e t o be i n s t a l l e d . The
dimensions of t he zone t o be thawed-out a r e cal cul at ed i n t he pl an a s equal
t o a t l e a s t s i x di amet er s of a s i n g l e p i l e .
b) The p i l e s a r e sunk t o t he s pe c i f i e d dept h al l owi ng f o r a t l e a s t a
4-5 met re-t hi ck l a y e r of s o i l between t he t i p of t he p i l e s and t h e f o o t of
t he thawed-out zone.
Two t ypes of foundat i ons have been developed f o r t he cas es , where t h e
s o i l s a r e used a s f oot i ngs ( p r i n c i p l e 11) : p i l e f oundat i ons ( t h e main t ype)
and f oundat i ons on n a t u r a l f oot i ngs f o r bui l di ngs p a r t l y sunk i n t o t he
ground.
The l engt h of t he p i l e s i s l i mi t ed (5-6 m) t o ens ur e t h a t t he bear i ng
s o i l l a ye r a t t he base of t h e p i l e s i s a t l e a s t 4-5 m t hi ck. The bear i ng
s t r e ngt h of t he p i l e s i s det ermi ned from t he r e s u l t s of s t a t i c t e s t s i n
thawed-out zones.
P i l e f oundat i ons a r e recommended f o r t he f ol l owi ng cases:
a ) i n t he presence of sandy s o i l s wi t h a g r e a t bear i ng capaci t y below
t h e dept h of 4m ( t h e s eas onal f r e e z i ng l a y e r above t h a t dept h i s composed of
unconsol i dat ed sand) ;
b) when excavat i on of a foundat i on p i t cannot be c a r r i e d out
( p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t he wi nt er ) .
I n t he pr ocess of el abor at i ng t he method proposed by t h e
Fundamentproekt, a t echni que has been developed, i n which t h e s e t t l i n g s o i l s
a r e bored t hrough t o a gr e a t dept h and t he under l yi ng gr avel depos i t s a r e
subsequent l y thawed-out ( f o r some e a r t h s t r u c t u r e s of t he Baikal-Amur
Railway Trunk Li ne) . Af t er t h a t t h e p i l e s a r e sunk i n t o t h e thawed-out
pebbl e depos i t s . Thi s reduces t he amount of thawing, speeds up p i l e
s i nki ng, and enabl es us t o u t i l i z e t h e bear i ng l a y e r t o a cons i der abl e
dept h.
The method of pr e- const r uct i on thawing of f oot i ng s o i l s developed i n
t h e USSR, makes i t pos s i bl e t o bui l d on near l y a l l t h e t ypes of f r ozen
s o i l s . However, t he most accept abl e t ypes of s o i l f o r cons t r uct i on
accor di ng t o pr i nc i pl e I1 a r e sand and gravel l y-pebbl y o r coar s el y
fragment al s o i l s .
Depending on t he geocr yol ogi cal condi t i ons and s o i l s , t he t ypes of
f oundat i ons used i n cons t r uct i on accor di ng t o pr i nc i pl e I1 a r e a s fol l ows:
1. I n t he presence of a rock l edge a t a dept h of 10-20 m o r i n t he
cas e of thawing t o a dept h of 10 m i n low-temperature s o i l s , p i l e
foundat i ons o r deep s uppor t s a r e sunk below t he l a y e r of s e t t l i n g and
thawing s o i l s .
2. P i l e f oundat i on i n thawed-out zones of l i mi t e d dimensions.
3. Fl e xi bl e f oundat i ons i n t h e form of s t r i p s , p l a t e s o r mats l a i d on
thawing f oot i ngs and absor bi ng d i f f e r e n t i a l s et t l ement s of t h e ground.
Figure 1. Diagrammatic representation of hydrothawing of frozen ground
a-Plan of the site; b-Cross-section I-I; c-Plan of the area of
thawing operations; 1-The area undergoing thawing; 2-Water main;
3-Pumping station; 4-Waste water drain; 5-Watercollecting
trench; 6-Distribution hoses; 7-Building under construction;
8-Distribution pipes; 9-Thawed-out soil.
Figure 2. I ns t al l at i on of p i l e foundations on rocky s o i l s a-Zones of
thawing of the ground; b-Construction of the p i l e foundation;
1-Outlines the zone t o be thawed-out over the s pe c i f i e d time;
2-Sand bank; 3-Peat; 4-Gravel bed; 5-Rock; 6-Pi l e s ; 7-Cement-s and
s ol ut i on; 8-Pilework.
gure 3. Methods of installing pile foundations on thawing soils a-The
current scheme of preparing the ground for construction with
allowances made for thawing when the building is in use; b-The
proposed method of installing pile foundations in thawed-out
zones of limited dimensions; 1-Permafrost thawed-out prior to
construction; 2-Estimated zone of thawing over the life of the
building; 3-Permafrost; 4-Local zones of thawed-out soil.