Improved analytical prediction of ground frost heave during tunnel construction using artificial ground freezing technique

The reasonable prediction of ground frost heave provides guiding significance for tunnel construction that uses artificial ground freezing technique. Single-pipe freezing theory, which considers the freezing point of soil and assumes the constant surface temperature of a freezing pipe, is suggested for solving the radius of the freezing front before the closure of the frozen wall. By contrast, the radius of the freezing front after the closure of the frozen wall can be calculated using flat-panel freezing theory, which considers the freezing point of soil and determines the average temperature of the freezing pipe circle. On the basis of these suggestions and the analytical prediction proposed by Cai et al. (2014), an improved analytical prediction of ground frost heave was established by the stochastic medium theory according to the formation process of the frozen wall. The improved analytical prediction was applied to an actual tunnel freezing project. Then, the heaving and horizontal displacements of the ground surface are obtained, which agree well with the field-measured data. The effectiveness and practicality of the improved analytical prediction are verified in this study.