Justification of the feasibility of adaptation measures for permafrost degradation in the foundations of transport structures

In the context of climate change, ensuring the sustainable operation of transport infrastructure located in permafrost zones has become particularly urgent. For structures operated according to Principle I (maintaining the frozen state of the ground), rising average annual temperatures create the conditions for permafrost degradation. This leads to the development of cryogenic deformations and reduction in the reliability and safety of the structures. This article presents the results of geocryological modeling of the "structure-foundation" system on the Chum-Labytnangi railway section in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, conducted using specialized software packages. The possibility of extending the basic geocryological model to other sections of transport infrastructure was confirmed by comparing numerical modeling results with engineering-geocryological monitoring data; including temperature measurements in boreholes not exceeding 0.1°C. Based on the analysis of temperature fields and deformations, a criterion for the feasibility of adaptation measures is substantiated. The obtained results have practical significance for substantiating a long-term strategy for adapting transport infrastructure to climate change.

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