Study on the resistance to deformation of artificially frozen soil in deep alluvium

The resistance to deformation of artificially frozen soils in deep alluvium is investigated by relation between the secant Youngʹs modulus and the axial strain at different types of soil, loading way, negative temperature and initial confining pressure. It is observed that the stress–strain behavior of frozen soils in deep alluvium is highly nonlinear and the frozen soil secant Youngʹs modulus may decay with increasing strain. The limit of the elastic stage appeared similar for all conditions, and was found to be approximately 0.05% axial strain. On the other hand, the secant Youngʹs modulus of studied frozen soils and its degradation was heavily responsive to the type of soil, loading way, negative temperature and initial confining pressure. Results indicate that the factors which can increase the secant Youngʹs modulus before frozen soils yield would accelerate the rate of degradation of the secant Youngʹs modulus after frozen soils yield.