CE 603 Arctic Engineering Homework 5 Solution

University of Alaska Anchorage

Homework 5 Frozen Ground Engineering

Question 1, Fill in the Blank 10 points

The maximum particle size of silts and clays is smaller than (mm):
0.075
0.075mm
0.075 mm
.075
.075mm
.075 mm

Question 2, Multiple Choice 10 points

Use the graph on Slide 24 to determine the ice content for Fairbanks silt at 10C. The
total water content is 30%.
2.5%
5.0%
27.5%
25.0%

View solution

Question 3, Multiple Answer 10 points

Check all conditions necessary for excessive frost heave to occur:

poor facility maintenance
freezing temperature
frost susceptible soil
available water source

Which one is not one of "the three W's"?

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CE 603 Arctic Engineering Homework 5 Solution
University of Alaska Anchorage

Question 4, Multiple Choice 10 points

Determine mass heat capacity for an unfrozen soil with dry density of 1750 kg/m3 and
water content of 12%.
2.12 MJ/m3C
1.21 kJ/kg-C
1.08 kJ/kg-C
1.87J/kg-C
View solution

Question 5, Multiple Answer 10 points

Check all correct statements about mechanical properties of frozen soil:

Shear strength increases with loading time
Creep may occur at 5% loading level of the soil rupture strength
Secondary creep always leads to failure
Primary creep is often neglected in design

Question 6, Multiple Choice 10 points

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CE 603 Arctic Engineering Homework 5 Solution
University of Alaska Anchorage

See the attached Figure. The permafrost exists at

< 2m
from 2 to 10 m
> 10 m
it does not exist.
The temperature is always below freezing from 2 to 10 m.

Question 7 True/False 10 points

Active layer causes and upward load on piles in fall.

True
False

Question 8, True/False 10 points

Thermo probes only work when air temperature is colder than ground temperature.
True
False

Question 9, Multiple Choice 10 points

Estimate the thaw settlement for low plasticity clay layer with a frozen bulk density of
1500 kg/m3. The thickness of the frozen layer is 2.8m.
0.3 m
0.6 m
0.8 m
1.1 m
View solution

Question 10, Multiple Choice 10 points

Dry density and water content for a unfrozen sand are 1800 kg/m3 and 10% respectively.
Determine the thermal conductivity (W/m-C).
2.7
2.1
1.4
1.3
Read at the left of Figure 4.17 b (Kersten Curves).

Question 11, Multiple Choice 10 points

A saturated soil sample has a volume of 1.64 m3. Moist unit weight is 17 kN/m3, and the
water content is 29%. If all water freezes and expands 9%, what is the final volume of the
sample?

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CE 603 Arctic Engineering Homework 5 Solution
University of Alaska Anchorage

1.64 m3
1.68 m3
1.70 m3
1.74 m3

W = V = 17kN/m3(1.64m3) = 27.88 kN
w=Ww/Ws=(W-Ws)/Ws, Ws=W/(1+w)= 21.61 kN, Ww=W-Ws=6.27 kN, Vw=2.27kN /
9.81 kN/m3=0.64m3

V=[1.64+.09(0.64)]m3 = 1.70m3.

Question 12, Multiple Choice 10 points

Calculate the latent heat that must be removed from 1m3 of soil to freeze the soil. The dry
unit weight of the soil is 17 kN/m3 and water content is 5%. The initial temperature is
0C and it is assumed that all water freezes at this temperature.
284 kJ
29 MJ
122 J
79 kJ

Mw=w =.05(17000 N/m3)/9.81 N/kg= 86.64kg/m3

L = 334 kJ/kg(86.64kg/m3)1m3 =28.9MJ

Question 13, Multiple Choice 10 points

Permafrost may exist if mean annual temperature is less than (C)

5
0
-2
-5

Question 14, Multiple Answer 10 points

Check all phenomena that can stop an individual ice lens from growing (no partial
credit):
thermal equilibrium
cooling temperature
warming temperature
exhausting the water source
Thermal equilibrium will not stop the growth.

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Determine the heat capacity for an unfrozen soil with a dry density of 1,750 kg/m3 and water
content of 12%. 6 3
degC 1 MJ := J 10 kJ := J 10

kg
Given: d := 1750 wc := 12% wc = 0.12
3
m

kg MJ
Assume: w := 1000 Cvw := 4.18 (heat capacity of liquid water)
3 3
m m degC

d MJ
Cvu := ( 0.17 + 1.0 wc) Cvw Cvu = 2.121 (heat capacity of dry soil)
w 3
m degC

Cvu Cvu kJ
Cm = Cm := Cm = 1.082 (heat capacity of wet soil)
d ( 1 + wc) kg degC
Use the graph of slide 24 to determine the ice content for Fairbanks silt at -10 deg C. The total
water content is 30%.

Given: wc := 30%

From graph: wu := 2.5%

wice := wc wu wice = 0.275 wice = 27.5 %

Estimate the thaw settlement for low plasticity clay layer with a frozen bulk density of 1500
kg/m3 . The thickness of the frozen layer is 2.8 m.

kg kg
f := 1500 w := 1000 Hf := 2.8 m
3 3
m m

0.5
f
H := Hf 0.9 0.868 1.15 H = 1.082 m
w