On-Demand Webinars

FROST HEAVE:
What it is, Why it's a problem, and What to do about it

In northern climates frost heave is an omnipresent destructive force that costs millions of dollars in repairs to roads, buildings, and other structures every year.

Frost heave is a form of frost action, a physical weathering process involving the cyclic freezing and thawing of water in soil or rock. Heave in this context refers to the upward movement of the ground surface that occurs in response to the seasonal formation of ice in the underlying soil.

The dynamics of this ostensibly simple process are exceedingly complex; yet despite its intricacies, the incidence of frost heave is dependent on just three things: besides freezing temperatures, it only requires the right kind of soil and an abundant, readily available water supply. Successful mitigation of the detrimental effects of frost heave requires an understanding of how these factors influence the mechanisms that control the formation and behavior of ice in the shallow subsurface.

In this webinar we will:

• Discuss the causes of frost heave
• Learn why it is generally at its worst in spring
• Examine the results of frost heave on transportation networks, buildings, and other man-made structures
• Explore preventive measures to eliminate or minimize damage caused by frost heave
• Look at the effects of frost heave on the landscape

Average depths of seasonally frozen ground in the United States Credit: Neil Davis