The application of auto-temperature-controlled ventilation embankment in Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Auto-temperature-controlled ventilation embankment is an effective engineering measure for “cooling roadbed”. Practice proves that this new method can sufficiently make use of natural cold energy. It has the advantages of higher efficiency, better cooling effect and feasibility in engineering practice, and wider application in various environment, etc. And also, it is comparatively cheap in project cost. Through practice in the field for half a year, the testing results show that, with the application of auto-temperature-controlled system, the artificial permafrost table has been raised by 65 cm. The artificial permafrost table was basically at the embankment bottom, and the action of freeze-thaw circle on engineering stability was effectively avoided. In the month with highest ground temperature, in the scope with 1–4 m in depth, including the majority of the embankment and the upper part in the original seasonal layer, the ground temperature decreased by 0.7°C. Through thermal flux calculation in the original seasonal layer, in the month with the maximum thermal flux coming into permafrost, it is found that the thermal flux reduces nearly by half. Coming into the cooling period for nearly a month, the ground temperature in entire auto-temperature-controlled embankment is close to zero, and the foundation is at negative temperature. But in a large region in the embankment and foundation the ground temperature was over 0°C and varied from 0°C to0.39°C in ordinary ventilation embankment.