Numerical Model for Thaw Consolidation of Ice-Rich Permafrost Using the Finite Volume Approach

This paper presents an implicit numerical model for one-dimensional thaw consolidation of saturated permafrost using finite volume approach. The model couples heat transfer with consolidation deformation and accounts for conduction, advection, phase change in heat transfer, and large strain in consolidation. The Crank–Nicolson method is used to obtain transient solutions. The overall approximation of the numerical scheme is of second-order accuracy. Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the thaw consolidation behaviors in a finite soil layer. Numerical results indicate that, in a finite soil layer, thaw penetration and settlement have nonlinear relationships with the square root of time with decreasing rate. The excess pore water pressure and void ratio at the thaw front decrease with time. Thaw consolidation behaviors can be strongly influenced by the thermal conductivity of soil grains. The advection heat-transfer mechanism has a negligible effect on thaw consolidation in low-permeability soil.