What the study found
The study found that freeze–thaw cycling changes the shear behavior of concrete–crushed rock–soil interfaces and that a four-parameter modified Duncan–Chang model can describe the observed deformation better than traditional hyperbolic models. The authors also report that interface strength depends on both normal stress and freeze–thaw history.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say interfacial strength characterization is important for evaluating the durability of permafrost infrastructure. They also conclude that better constitutive modeling may help with numerical simulation and theoretical calculation of structures in frozen ground.
What the researchers tested
The researchers carried out laboratory direct shear tests on concrete–crushed rock soil interfaces under freeze–thaw cycles. They analyzed shear stress–displacement behavior across cycle numbers, used nuclear magnetic resonance to measure interfacial pore structure evolution, and developed a modified Duncan–Chang constitutive model with freeze–thaw damage effects.
What worked and what didn't
The proposed four-parameter model, with cubic–hyperbolic cyclic damage corrections, achieved R2 greater than 0.95 in nonlinear least-squares validation. It was reported to capture plastic hardening and incipient strain softening, while traditional one- or two-parameter hyperbolic models were described as less able to represent the freeze–thaw-damaged interface behavior.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe detailed experimental limits beyond the tested interface type and freeze–thaw conditions. It also does not provide information about field validation outside the laboratory setting.
Key points
- Freeze–thaw cycling changes shear behavior at concrete–crushed rock–soil interfaces.
- A modified four-parameter Duncan–Chang model fit the data with R2 greater than 0.95.
- Interfacial shear strength depended on both normal stress and freeze–thaw history.
- Nuclear magnetic resonance showed progressive pore-structure evolution during cycling.
- The authors report a two-stage energy decoupling mechanism for interfacial debonding and friction.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Freeze–thaw cycling alters concrete–soil interface shear behavior
- Authors:
- Baodong Zhang, Liyun Tang, Peiyong Qiu, Huaming Tang, Jianguo Zheng, Wurong Jia, Weiling Zhong, Jingjing He, Zhanju Lin
- Institutions:
- China Railway Group (China), China Railway Group (China), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, PowerChina (China), Qingdao Installation & Construction (China), Urumqi Vocational University, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an University of Science and Technology
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-03
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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