Numerical modelling of unsaturated frozen soil using OpenGeoSys

The proposed research project addresses the critical issue of the ground responses of frozen soils in cold regions, specifically focusing on the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of frozen soils during freeze-thaw actions. During the ground freezing process, the freezing front penetrates progressively downward in soils and frost heave can be generated. Frost heave is a common cause of engineering disasters in cold regions (e.g., pipe rupture and foundation damage). Upon ground thawing, geo-disasters like large ground settlements or landslides may be triggered. Reliable models are needed to quantify the freeze–thaw actions in soils as a porous media containing solid soil particles, ice, liquid water, and air. However, most previous numerical tools have a limited capacity for simulating large-scale problems. The application to a field-scale geo-engineering problem is limited. Thus, the codes are subject to be implemented through a high-performance platform. We propose to collaborate with the hosting supervisor Prof. Thomas Nagel from Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany to implement our previous FEM code through OpenGeoSys. The developed numerical package using OpenGeoSys will be applied to simulate a ground response under ground-source heat pump (GSHP) operations in a permafrost region of Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Biao Li

Student:

Partner:

Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Sustainability & the Environment; Green/Alternative Energy; Construction

University:

Concordia University

Program: