SLAB FLOORS ON PERMAFROST. A MODEL STUDY

• Main Author: STEPHENSON,J.M.
• Other Authors: NAVAL CIVIL ENGINEERING LAB PORT HUENEME CALIF
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1960
• Subjects: *FLOORS; *PERMAFROST; *PREFABRICATED BUILDINGS; *REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; CONSTRUCTION; COOLING; FREEZING; SOILS; STABILITY; permafrost
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0250647; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0250647

ON PERMAFROST TO KEEP THE SOIL FOUNDATION PERMANENTLY FROZEN WAS INVESTIGATED. BUILDING FOUNDATIONS WHICH WILL REMAIN STABLE FOR THE LIFEOF THEIR SUPERSTRUCTURE ARE DIFFICULT TO CONSTRUCT IN PERMAFROST AREAS. AT PRESENT, AS ONE EXAMPLE OF PRODUCING STABILITY, BUILDINGS ARE RAISED SEVERAL FEET ON PILES SET IN THE PERMAFROST. CONVENTIONAL SLAB FLOORS WERE STUDIED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PILES IN A MODEL TEST ENVIRONMENT BUILT TO SIMULATE A PERMAFROST AREA AND ITS SEASONAL SOIL AND AIR CHANGES. DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS APPROPRIATELY SCALED THE TIME, TEMPERATURE, AND LINEAR DIMENSIONS. A SMALL REFRIGERATION COIL, PLACED UNDER THE SLAB OF THE MODEL BUILDING, ATTEMPTED TO KEEP CONSTANTLY FROZENSOIL BENEATH THE MODEL. THE TEST WAS MAINTAINED FOR 43.5 DAYS, EQUIVALENT TO 3 YEARS OF FULL SCALE SLAB, AND SOIL TEMPERATURES WERE TAKEN UNDER AND AROUND THE MODEL FLOOR. THE RESULTS SHOWED TOO MUCH THAWINGOF THE SOIL AND A SLIGHT RISE IN FLOOR ELEVATION. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT FURTHER TESTING BE DONE USING DIFFERENT BRINE TEMPERATURES AND A MODIFIED SLAB COIL DESIGN.