Experimental Study on Moisture Migration in Unsaturated Loess under Freezing Effect

Test equipments were designed and manufactured for producing moisture migration in unsaturated loess under freezing effect. The results showed that both the amount of freezing-thawing cycles and initial water content of soil samples affect the process of moisture migration. As the freezing front advanced in the sample, the water content in the unfrozen part significantly reduced and the water content in the freezing part significantly increased, with the maximum water content at the freezing front. Comparing to the moisture migration in the unfrozen part, the moisture migration to the freezing front in the freezing part was relatively slow. For soil samples with higher initial water content, the increment of water content at the freezing front was higher and sometimes ice could be formed. During a certain amount of freezing-thawing cycles, the water content at the freezing front kept increasing. However, as the amount of freezing-thawing cycles continued increasing, the freezing front started to move to the part with negative temperature and the maximum water content appears at the end with the lowest temperature.