ASTM D4083-89(2001)e1

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
e1
Designation:D4083–89(Reapproved2001)
Standard Practice for
Description of Frozen Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 4083; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
e NOTE—Editorial changes were made in June 2001.
1. Scope D 2487 Classification of Soils for Engineering Purposes
(Unified Soil Classification System)
1.1 This practice presents a procedure for the description of
D 2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils
frozen soils based on visual examination and simple manual
(Visual-Manual Procedure)
tests.
2.2 Military Standard:
1.2 ItisintendedtobeusedinconjunctionwithTestMethod
MIL-STD-619 Unified Soil Classification System for
D 2487 and Practice D 2488, which describe and classify soils,
Roads, Airfields, Embankments and Foundations
but do not cover their frozen state.
1.3 This procedure is based on “Guide to Field Description
3. Terminology
of Permafrost for Engineering Purposes,” National Research
3.1 Definitions:
Council of Canada, 1963, and MIL-STD-619.
3.1.1 Definitions of the soil components of a frozen soil
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
mass, that is, boulders, cobbles, gravel, sand, fines (silt and
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
clay), and organic soils and peat shall be in accordance with
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
Terminology D 653.
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
3.1.2 The following terms are used in conjunction with the
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
description of frozen ground areas (Fig. 1):
1.5 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing
3.1.2.1 annual frost zone (active layer)—the top layer of
one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace
ground subject to annual freezing and thawing.
education or experience and should be used in conjunction
3.1.2.2 frost table—the frozen surface, usually irregular,
with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may
that represents the level, to which thawing of seasonally frozen
be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not
ground has penetrated. See Fig. 1.
intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which
3.1.2.3 frozen zone—a range of depth within which the soil
the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged,
is frozen. The frozen zone may be bounded both top and
nor should this document be applied without consideration of
bottom by unfrozen soil, or at the top by the ground surface.
a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the
3.1.2.4 ground ice—a body of more or less clear ice within
title of this document means only that the document has been
frozen ground.
approved through the ASTM consensus process.
3.1.2.5 ice wedge—a wedge-shaped mass in permafrost,
2. Referenced Documents usually associated with fissures in polygons.
3.1.2.6 icing—a surface ice mass formed by freezing of
2.1 ASTM Standards:
successive sheets of water.
D 420 Guide to Site Characterization for Engineering, De-
3.1.2.7 permafrost—the thermal condition in soil or rock,
sign, and Construction
wherein the materials have existed at a temperature below 0°C
D 653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
(32°F) continuously for a number of years. Pore fluids or ice
Fluids
may or may not be present.
D 1452 Practice for Soil Investigation and Sampling by
Auger Borings
Available from Naval Publications and Forms Center, 5801 Tabor Ave.,
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and Philadelphia, PA 19120.
Rockand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.19 on Frozen Soils and For more complete lists of generally accepted terms used in the description of
Rock. frozen ground see: Hennion, F., “Frost and Permafrost Definitions,” Bulletin 111,
Current edition approved Feb. 24, 1989. Published October 1989. Originally Highway Research Board, Washington, DC 1955; and Brown, R. J. E., and Kupsch,
published as D 4083 – 82. Last previous edition D 4083 – 83. W. D., “Permafrost Terminology,” Technical Memorandum No. 111, National
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 04.08. Research Council of Canada, 1974.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
D4083
FIG. 1 Illustration of Frozen Soil Terminology
3.1.2.8 permafrost table—the surface that represents the occurs most often as distinct lenses, layers, veins, and masses,
upper limit of permafrost. commonly, but not always, oriented normal to the direction of
3.1.2.9 polygons (polygonal ground)—more or less regular- heat flow.
sized surface patterns created by thermal contraction of the
3.1.3.11 poorly bonded—a condition in which the soil
ground. Two types are common: (a) those with depressed
particles are weakly held together by the ice so that the frozen
centers and (b) those with raised centers.
soil has poor resistance to chipping and breaking.
3.1.2.10 residual thaw zone—a layer of unfrozen ground
3.1.3.12 porous ice—ice that contains numerous voids,
between the permafrost and the annual frost zone. This layer
usuallyinterconnectedandusuallyresultingfrommeltingatair
does not exist where annual frost extends to permafrost.
bubbles or along crystal interfaces from presence of salt or
3.1.3 The following terms are used to describe the charac-
other materials in the water, or from the freezing of saturated
teristics of the frozen earth:
snow. Though porous, the mass retains its structural unity.
3.1.3.1 candled ice—ice that has rotted or otherwise formed
3.1.3.13 thaw stable—the characteristic of frozen soils that,
into long columnar crystals, very loosely bonded together.
upon thawing, do not show loss of strength in comparison to
3.1.3.2 clear ice—ice that is transparent and contains only a
normal, long-time thawed values nor produce detrimental
moderate number of air bubbles.
settlement.
3.1.3.3 cloudy ice—ice that is translucent or relatively
3.1.3.14 thaw unstable—the characteristic of frozen soils
opaque due to the content of air or for other reasons, but which
that, upon thawing, show significant loss of strength in
is essentially sound and nonpervious.
comparison to normal, long-time thawed values or produce
3.1.3.4 excess ice—ice in excess of the fraction that would
significant settlement, or both, as a direct result of the melting
be retained as water in the soil voids after thawing.
of excess ice in the soil.
3.1.3.5 friable—a condition under which the material is
3.1.3.15 well bonded—a condition in which the soil par-
easily broken up under light to moderate pressure.
ticles are strongly held together by the ice so that the frozen
3.1.3.6 granular ice—ice that is composed of coarse, more
soil possesses relatively high resistance to chipping or break-
or less equidimensional, crystals weakly bonded together.
ing.
3.1.3.7 ice coatings on particles—discernible layers of ice
foundonorbelowthelargersoilparticlesinafrozensoilmass.
4. Significance and Use
They are sometimes associated with hoarfrost crystals, which
4.1 This practice is intended primarily for use by geotech-
have grown into voids produced by the freezing action.
nical engineers and technicians and geologists in the field,
3.1.3.8 ice crystal—a very small individual ice particle
where the soil profile or samples from it may be observed in a
visible in the face of a soil mass. Crystals may be present alone
relatively undisturbed (frozen) state.
or in combination with other ice formations.
4.2 It may also be used in the laboratory to describe the
3.1.3.9 ice lenses—lenticular ice formations in soil occur-
condition of relatively undisturbed soil samples that have been
ring essentially parallel to each other, generally normal to the
maintained in a frozen condition following their acquisition in
direction of heat loss, and commonly in repeated layers.
the field.
3.1.3.10 ice segregation—the growth of ice within soil in
excess of the amount that may be produced by the in-place 4.3 The practice is not intended to be used in describing
conversion of the original void moisture to ice. Ice segregation unfrozen soils or disturbed samples of frozen soil.
D4083
5. Apparatus 7. Part I, Description of the Soil Phase
5.1 Required Apparatus: 7.1 The soil phase, whether thawed or frozen, is first
5.1.1 Pocket knife or small spatula. described in accordance with Practice D 2488.
5.1.2 Low-power magnifying hand lens.
8. Part II, Description of the Frozen Soil
5.1.3 Pint-size graduated jars.
8.1 Frozen soils in which ice is not visible to the unaided
5.2 Useful Auxiliary Apparatus:
5.2.1 Camera. eye are designated by the symbol N and are divided into two
main subgroups as shown in Fig. 2.
5.2.2 Small bottle of dilute hydrochloric acid.
5.2.3 Small test tube and stopper. 8.1.1 Poorly bonded or friable material in which segre-
NOTE 1—Frozen soils in the N group may, on close examination, i
...