Modeling and optimization of ground freezing in tunneling

Abstract: In geotechnical applications of the artificial ground freezing (AGF) technique, safe and economic design and execution of the method require a reliable prediction of the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of soils subjected to freezing. In the context of thermo-poro-plasticity, a three-phase Finite Element model of freezing soils is presented, considering solid particles, liquid water and crystal ice as separate phases, and mixture temperature, liquid pressure, and solid displacement as primary field variables.