Maximum frost heave of unsaturated frost-susceptible soils,in conjunction with a high water table,is an important consideration for the design of foundations in seasonally frozen regions.Therefore,it is necessary to evaluate accurately and efficiently the maximum frost heave for a given soil.For this purpose,a series of one-sided freezing experiments was conducted on unsaturated silty clay in an open system.Multistage cooling of sufficient duration was applied to the soil sample's top,while constant above-zero temperatures were maintained at the bottom.Then,a simple methodology for calculating maximum frost heave at a given cooling temperature was derived utilizing information obtained within the limited time allotted for each stage.On this basis,an empirical equation for defining maximum frost heave as a function of cooling temperature and overburden pressure was determined.Overall,this study provides a simple and practical procedure that is applicable to the evaluation of maximum frost heave of unsaturated frost-susceptible soils.
