Development of centrifugal model test facility for frost-heave of channels

Frost-heave damage is the main reason for the channels in seasonal frozen regions. A new device is developed for simulating the frost-heave phenomenon of channels. It mainly includes the freeze-thaw model container, the circulating cooling water system and the measurement control system. The freeze-thaw model container consists of internal and external structures, and thermal insulation materials are filled between them. The circulating cooling water system adopts 12 groups of semiconductor chilling plates, and cooling or heating is accomplished by the Peltier effects. The high-pressure pump combined with the air cooling radiator realizes a continuous cooling for the system without hydraulic rotating joints. The installation device for the direct rebound displacement sensors is developed to ensure the accurate measurement. The whole device is used to study the frost-heave damage of a channel. The test results show a good regularity with correct simulation of both the temperature and displacement fields, indicating that this facility is effective for the simulation tests on frost-heave of channels.