Hydrothermal characteristics and its long-term evolution of canals in cold regions
Moisture-heat coupling is an important factor for deterioration and instability of canals in cold regions.Taking the typical canal in North Xinjiang as the object,the characteristics of the temperature field and seepage field of the canals were systematically analyzed based on the monitoring results of canals.Then,the water and heat evolution rules of the canals under the wetting-drying-freezing-thawing cycle were calculated through numerical software,and the impact of different running years on the moisture and heat characteristics was discussed.The results showed that the canal foundation soil had experienced significant rise-fall process of temperature and saturated-unsaturated transition every year,and had experienced the coupled process of wetting-drying alternation and freezing-thawing cycle for many years.Its hydrothermal problem often presented the characteristics of wetting-drying-freeze-thaw cycle.In the running process,the moisture field and temperature field of the canal had changed significantly,but this change had become stable after three-years running time of the canal.The saturation increase of shallow foundation soil was the main reason for the frost heaving and thawing settlement of the canal.The research results could provide scientific basis for the construction,operation and maintenance of long-distance water transfer projects in cold regions.