Prediction of Temperature and Moisture Changes in Pavement Structures

Although the effects of climate on pavement structures are recognized as major contributors to the deterioration of pavement structures in cold regions, only a few models concerned with both frost heave and thaw settlement have been developed. In this study, a coupled mass and heat transfer model, FROSTB, developed by the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) was tested and evaluated with respect to parameters critical to thaw weakening. With the main focus on soil moisture and temperature, the results were compared with data from an instrumented test road. The results indicate the soil temperature is predicted very well and soil moisture relatively well during freezing and thawing. Although a time lag was observed between observed and predicted start of thaw, the results suggest that the FROSTB model may serve as a good tool for many engineering purposes involving the freezing and thawing of pavement structures in cold regions.