Water expands when it freezes. This simple yet fundamental
fact of nature can lead to cracks in building foundations, crumbling roads and huge
rocks that fall onto canyon roadways from the cliffs above.
Past research into this problem has shown that when
the ground freezes tiny pockets of ice trapped in the soil expands. This can
create what is known as frost-heave in the winter and in the spring, when
ground thaws it creates thaw-weakening settlement. Over time this freeze-thaw
cycle causes damage to the ground and poses major challenges for human made
structures, like bridges, dams, pipelines, buildings, roads and homes. Each
year, the freeze-thaw cycle leads to billions of dollars in mitigation and repair
costs around the world.
Now, a team of scientists and engineers at South Dakota Mines has received $453,000 in funding from
the National Science Foundation to seek solutions to these problems.
“We are trying to understand more about the
fundamentals of ice formation underground and if there are natural methods that
we can use to stop or control the ground from freezing,” says Tejo V. Bheemasetti,
Ph.D., assistant professor in the civil and environmental engineering department
at South Dakota Mines.
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