Experimental Study on Temperature Variation in Saturated Warm Frozen Soil Under Dynamic Triaxial Conditions

The influence of cyclic loading on frozen soil may be reflected by the variation of soil temperature. To uncover this process, dynamic triaxial tests were performed in this study on saturated warm frozen soil, during which the temperature changes inside the specimens were monitored. The effects of initial dry density, test temperature, dynamic stress amplitude and vibration frequency on temperature change were studied. The results universally manifested a rise in specimen temperature under cyclic loading. The higher dynamic stress, vibration frequency, testing temperature and initial dry density was responsible for the faster heating rate. The mechanism controlling the temperature variation inside the specimens could be explained by the heat production as a result of friction and extrusion between soil grains when subjected to dynamic loading. This temperature rise could be compromised by the heat transfer with the thermal environment where the specimen was in. A colder environment would cause the specimen temperature to drop back. This study provides an experimental foundation for deeply understanding how the mechanical behavior of frozen soil degrades under dynamic loading.