The influence of thermophysical properties of frozen soil on the temperature of the cast-in-place concrete pile in a negative temperature environment

Thermophysical properties of frozen soil have a great influence on the quality of cast-in-place concrete piles. In this paper, the embedded concrete temperature monitoring system is used to test the variation law of the concrete temperature during the construction of the bored pile. Thermophysical properties of permafrost around piles are tested. Based on the theory of three-phase unsteady heat conduction of soil, the influence of specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and latent heat of phase transformation on the temperature change of a concrete pile is systematically studied. The thermal parameter is obtained which exerts the most significant influence on the temperature field. According to the influence degree of frozen soil on pile temperature, the order from high to low is thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, latent heat of phase change, and specific heat capacity. The changes in pile wall temperature caused by the change of these properties range between 2.60–10.97◦C, 1.49– 9.39◦C, 2.16–2.36◦C, and 0.24–3.45◦C, respectively. The change percentages of parameters vary between 35.77–47.12%, 12.22–40.20%, 12.46–32.25%, and 3.83–20.31%, respectively. Therefore, when designing and constructing concrete foundation piles, the influence of the thermal conductivity of frozen soil on concrete pile temperature should be considered first. The differences between the simulated and measured temperature along the concrete pile in the frozen soil varying with the respective thermal properties are: –2.99– 7.98◦C, –1.89–4.99◦C, –1.20–1.99◦C, and –1.76–1.27◦C. Polyurethane foam and other materials with small thermal conductivity can be added around the pile to achieve pile insulation.