Thermal Behavior of Road Embankments and impact of Snow in Ditches
Temperatur i vägar under vintern och inverkan av snö i vägdiken
Candidate: Zahra Motamedi, LTU
Supervisors: Profs. Jan Laue, Hans Mattsson & Johan Casselgren
Summary:
Snow accumulation in road ditches can cause differential frost heave and formation of cracks in pavements due to its insulating properties. When snow is deposited, a temperature gradient develops, initiating metamorphic processes altering thermal conductivity.
Two experimental field sites were established. One to study the thermal regime of a natural undisturbed snow cover and one having a mixture of natural snow and plowed snow from a road. At both sites, the thermal regime and changes in snow cover were continuously monitored. Analysis are performed and conclusions drawn. For depths where melting occurred, a method to estimate unfrozen water content in snow was developed.
A practically useful, empirical relation is proposed to estimate thermal conductivity of snow in a road ditch, at similar climatic conditions.
Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering
Division of Mining and Geotechnical Engineering
Faculty opponent: Professor II, Elena Scibilia
NTNU, Trondheim, Norge
Venue: Luleå University of Technology Room: E632
Date: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025Time: 10.00
The thesis can be found on:
https://ltu.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:2007521/FULLTEXT02.pdf
The dissertation can be followed on distance:
https://ltu-se.zoom.us/j/66735073313