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Numerical analysis on thermal regime of wide embankment in permafrost regions of Qinghai−Tibet Plateau

  • Geological, Civil, Energy and Traffic Engineering
  • Published:
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Abstract

This study investigated the temperature field and thawing depth of wide embankment for expressway in permafrost regions based on numerical analysis by using finite element method (FEM). According to specific embankment section of Qinghai−Tibet highway, computational region for numerical analysis was defined. And numerical model was developed through FEM software named as ABAQUS and was verified by field observed data. The effects by width and height of embankment on the thermal regime of computational region were analyzed based on FEM modeling. Numerical analysis showed that embankment construction has serious disturbance on the thermal stability of ground permafrost showing as annual average ground temperature and the maximum thawing depth keeps increasing with service time increasing. And larger embankment width leads to poorer thermal stability and more serious uneven temperature field of embankment. Raising embankment height can improve the thermal stability; however, the improvement is restricted for wide embankment and it cannot change the degradation trend of thermal stability with service life increasing. Thus, to construct expressway with wide embankment in permafrost regions of Qinghai−Tibet Plateau, effective measures need to be considered to improve the thermal stability of underlying permafrost.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China

    Tao Ma  (马涛), Tao Tang  (汤涛) & Xiao-ming Huang  (黄晓明)

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Jersey, NJ, 08854, USA

    Hao Wang  (汪浩)

Authors
  1. Tao Ma  (马涛)
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  2. Tao Tang  (汤涛)
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  3. Xiao-ming Huang  (黄晓明)
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  4. Hao Wang  (汪浩)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tao Ma  (马涛).

Additional information

Foundation item: Project(2014BAG05B04) supported by the National Science and Technology Support Program, China; Project(51378006) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Project(2242015R30027) supported by the Excellent Young Teacher Program of Southeast University, China

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Ma, T., Tang, T., Huang, Xm. et al. Numerical analysis on thermal regime of wide embankment in permafrost regions of Qinghai−Tibet Plateau. J. Cent. South Univ. 23, 3346–3355 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-016-3400-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-016-3400-x

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