Abstract
The frost heaving pressure can be a problem for weakening of the railway roadbed material. This study was initiated to investigate the soils frost heaving pressure and physical characteristics(Liquid limit, permeability, SEM analysis) resulting from freezing and freezing-thawing cycle process. Therefore, upon freezing a saturated soil in a closed-system from the top, a considerable pressure was developed. Weathered granite soils, sandy soil were used in the laboratory freezing test which sometimes subjected to thermal gradients under closed-systems. The frost heaving pressure arising within the soil samples and the temperature of the samples inside were monitored with elapsed time. The degree of saturation versus heaving pressure curve is also presented for weathered granite soil and the maximum pressure is closely related to this curve. Based on the laboratory test results, fine-grained soils with strong attractive forces between soil grains md water molecules, and additional water is attracted into the pores leading to further volume changes and ice segregation.
