Snow Compaction - Investigation of Metamorphism of Snow

Although processing and compacting increase the density and bearing capacity of surface snow for use as roads and trails, these processes have not been able to achieve the degree of densification that occurs naturally as snow slowly metamorphoses to glacier ice. A study was made at the Naval Civil E...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Stehle, N. S.
Other Authors: NAVAL CIVIL ENGINEERING LAB PORT HUENEME CA
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1970
Subjects:
Snow
Ice and Permafrost
Civil Engineering
*SNOW
DENSITY
PARTICLE SIZE
TEMPERATURE
PERMEABILITY
LOADS(FORCES)
PRESSURE
NAVAL RESEARCH
ROADS
SOLAR RADIATION
RUNWAYS
TRAFFICABILITY
*SNOW COMPACTION
Ice
permafrost
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0716417
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0716417
Description
Summary:Although processing and compacting increase the density and bearing capacity of surface snow for use as roads and trails, these processes have not been able to achieve the degree of densification that occurs naturally as snow slowly metamorphoses to glacier ice. A study was made at the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory of the processes and influences of the major mechanisms that control snow metamorphism--grain size, pressure, temperature and solar radiation--in order to provide a basis for developing better techniques for higher strength snow pavements. It was concluded that maximum snow strengths are achieved at or near a critical density of 60 gm/cu cm, followed by bond growth, or age hardening, at temperatures between -12C and -7C. In addition, as distribution of applied loads with depth is essential to the development of operational criteria for such pavements, it is recommended that research be conducted to develop this knowledge.

Similar Items