Thermal and rheological computations for artificially frozen ground construction

Design considerations for frozen retaining structures are summarized including geology and groundwater conditions; ground deformations due to freezing; the strength and deformation of the frozen earth retaining structures; the thermal assumption and methods of computation; and the refrigeration system. Brief case histories of typical construction projects that illustrate the use of mechanical refrigeration and liquid nitrogen for freezing are presented. Emphasis is placed on the constitutive equation for creep deformation of frozen earth structures and the thermal calculations for predicting times to freeze a structure as well as estimating the energy and power required for different stages of freezing.