Physics of Techniques for Roadbuilding on Permafrost

Construction of a safe, adequate and durable road on permafrost brings challenges unique to the construction industry. The law behind physics explains the mechanism behind these tasks and is not surprising. As such, when engineers community experts seek innovative ways to deal with the permanent use of permafrost, they can expand the transport infrastructure north in a safe, efficient and wise manner I will. It is an economical way.

Permafrost is a soil that has been frozen for at least two years throughout the year. The permafrost layer accounts for 24% of the northern hemisphere (Fig. 1), but not so much in the southern hemisphere. The upper layer or permanent layer of permafrost is sometimes melted during the summer. Recently, it has been observed that the active layer of permafrost increases over time, which means that more permafrost will melt every year. This is not unexpected - as the atmosphere keeps warming, high latitudes are expected to be much warmer than low latitudes (Figure 2).

The cold soil is a feature of the coniferous forest area and overlaps the permanent frozen area. Permafrost is a soil or soil substance that is kept below 0 ° C (32 ° F) for at least 2 years. The surface of permafrost or the active layer melts during the warm season and frozen in winter, but the soil under the active layer is continuously frozen. As rooting areas of plants are confined to the active layer, nutrient supply is restricted and there is no secure root fixation. If the active layer is sufficiently deep, some trees of coniferous forests and other plants (especially the North American blackfly and Tamarack and Siberian larch) can grow on permafrost, but some of the permafrost Exclude seeds

The Arctic trees are facing unique challenges. At Scotty Creek in northern Canada, melting of permafrost is destroying trees. In this area, the growth area of ​​trees is limited, the land between the frozen areas of permafrost is mostly wetlands, trees can not grow due to root water. However, as the climate warms up, the ground gradually disappears from the bottom. As a result, trees lose the area where they can grow and are approaching the edge of the Permafrost Plateau, which can cause stress. In addition to the collapse of the edges, "They will collapse and will lose their roots," Anderson - Teiseira said. The availability of water is changing due to the specificity of melting and refreezing in these areas. This means that trees that do not collapse in permafrost are facing some combination of drought and flooding.