Model Test Research on Influence of Rainfall Considering Rainwater Sensible Heat on Hydrothermal State of Permafrost Subgrade
This study considered the environmental characteristics and permafrost subgrade structure of the Beiluhe area in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The goal was to explore the impacts of rainfall on the stability of the permafrost subgrade under the effect of the rainwater sensible heat.Based on an indoor simulation chamber with dual-temperature control for the bottom plate and atmosphere,asphalt pavement subgrade model tests were conducted for the permafrost areas.The energy pulse effect of the rainwater sensible heat owing to the environmental potential rainwater temperature was considered.The pavement temperature and radiation,subgrade moisture content,heat flux,and temperature response were analyzed under different rainfall conditions and multiple cycles.The results show that a significant temperature difference exists between the rainwater and air in the permafrost environment in summer.The maximum temperature difference is nearly 3 ℃ and the difference is less than 1 ℃ in spring and autumn.Influenced by the rainwater sensible heat,the summer rainfall significantly reduces the pavement temperature,surface upward radiation flux,and shallow soil heat flux.The subgrade cooling effects caused by the rainfall rank in the order of pavement>shoulder>slope>natural ground and the reduction is positively related to the rainfall.The cooling effect of the autumn rainfall on the permafrost subgrade soil is weakened.The spring rainfall promotes reductions of the soil heat flux and temperature under the pavement and shoulders but causes the temperature to increase in the slope and natural ground.The moisture change of the permafrost subgrade active layer shows similar seasonal characteristics;however,the water content increments rank in the order of shoulder>slope>natural ground>asphalt pavement.The depth of the influence of the rainfall on the soil moisture content under the pavement(<0.25 m)is smaller than that on the shoulder(>0.35 m).Therefore,the periodic average temperature drops of the permafrost subgrade soil in the range of the rainfall infiltration depth rank in the order of shoulder>slope>natural ground;the soil temperature drop under the pavement is significant only at a depth of 0.05-0.15 m.The neglect of the rainwater sensible heat underestimates the reducing effect of the rainfall on the pavement's long-wave radiation and temperature,overestimates the cumulative amount of water,and weakens the cooling effect under the pavement,leading to increases in the soil temperatures of the shoulder,slope,and natural ground.