Experimental determination of the two-parameter temperature criterion for the onset of intensive cryogenic moisture transfer in various types of clayey soils

   A method for creating a capillary barrier in the subgrade soil of railway pavements by injecting waterproofing compounds has been proposed and justified for use in adverse soil and hydrological conditions and deep seasonal freezing of soils. The implementation of this method allows for the elimination of frost heaving in the active zone of the subgrade during seasonal freezing. For more accurate predictions and determining the depth of the capillary barrier during design, the authors aimed to establish a two-parameter criterion (based on temperature and temperature gradient) for the onset of intensive cryogenic moisture transfer in clayey soils, and its dependence on the plasticity index. The paper describes the formulation, implementation, and presents the results of laboratory experiments aimed at solving this relevant problem. Based on the experiment results, exponential functions for the two-parameter temperature criteria for the onset of intensive cryogenic moisture transfer beneath the capillary barrier have been determined and approximated for various types of clayey soils (within the plasticity index range of 0.05 to 0.13). Additionally, the obtained experimental data have been further approximated based on the plasticity index of the clayey soil.

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