2025, Vol. 12, No. 4. - go to content...

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DOI: 10.15862/04SATS425 (https://doi.org/10.15862/04SATS425)

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Dobrov E.M., Golishevskiy A.V. Analysis of layer-by-layer excavation methods for thawing soils in permafrost-prone airfield pavement bases. Russian Journal of Transport Engineering. 2025; 12(4). Available at: https://t-s.today/PDF/04SATS425.pdf (in Russian). DOI: 10.15862/04SATS425

Analysis of layer-by-layer excavation methods for thawing soils in permafrost-prone airfield pavement bases

Dobrov Eduard Mikhailovich
Moscow Automobile and Road Construction State Technical University, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: accord37@mail.ru
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=312656
SCOPUS: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.url?authorId=7005947131

Golishevskiy Andrei Vyacheslavovich
State Design, Survey and Research Institute of Civil Aviation “AEROPROJECT”, Moscow, Russia
E-mail: agolishevskiy@yandex.ru
RSCI: https://elibrary.ru/author_profile.asp?id=1311892

Abstract. The authors present an analysis of layer-by-layer excavation technology for thawing permafrost soils in airfield pavement bases in climate zone I (permafrost). The article examines the challenges associated with implementing the classic soft soil replacement method, which requires waiting for the active layer to fully thaw seasonally and then excavating it to its full depth. The limitations of this method for airfield pavement bases are highlighted, including the large volumes of excavation work required, the short construction season typical of climate zone I, and the fact that the active layer reaches its maximum depth at the end of summer.

The article describes an alternative method: layer-by-layer excavation of soil as it naturally thaws under the influence of solar radiation and outside air. The authors present two implementation options for the technology: one with equal thicknesses of the removed layers and one with equal time intervals between thawed soil extractions. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches, numerical modeling was conducted in GeoStudio (GeoSlope module) using the Stefan model to account for phase transitions in the soil. Comparative graphs of the thaw front dynamics and development depth are provided, reflecting the dependence of thaw rate and development on the selected technology.

The obtained results demonstrate that the layer-by-layer development method significantly accelerates the achievement of the design depth without the use of artificial heating, while the option with equal layer thicknesses demonstrates better performance in terms of time and material costs.

Keywords: thawed layer; frozen soil; Stefan problem; permafrost; excavation; thaw process; active layer

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