ASTM D4083-89(2007)
(Practice)Standard Practice for Description of Frozen Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)
Standard Practice for Description of Frozen Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
This practice is intended primarily for use by geotechnical engineers and technicians and geologists in the field, where the soil profile or samples from it may be observed in a relatively undisturbed (frozen) state.
It may also be used in the laboratory to describe the condition of relatively undisturbed soil samples that have been maintained in a frozen condition following their acquisition in the field.
The practice is not intended to be used in describing unfrozen soils or disturbed samples of frozen soil.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice presents a procedure for the description of frozen soils based on visual examination and simple manual tests.
1.2 It is intended to be used in conjunction with Test Method D 2487 and Practice D 2488, which describe and classify soils, but do not cover their frozen state.
1.3 This procedure is based on "Guide to Field Description of Permafrost for Engineering Purposes," National Research Council of Canada, 1963, and MIL-STD-619.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project's many unique aspects. The word "Standard" in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.
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Standards Content (Sample)
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.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
Designation: D4083 − 89(Reapproved 2007)
Standard Practice for
Description of Frozen Soils (Visual-Manual Procedure)
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D4083; 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 (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope and Construction Purposes (Withdrawn 2011)
D653 Terminology Relating to Soil, Rock, and Contained
1.1 This practice presents a procedure for the description of
Fluids
frozen soils based on visual examination and simple manual
D1452 Practice for Soil Exploration and Sampling byAuger
tests.
Borings
1.2 ItisintendedtobeusedinconjunctionwithTestMethod
D2487 Practice for Classification of Soils for Engineering
D2487 and Practice D2488, which describe and classify soils,
Purposes (Unified Soil Classification System)
but do not cover their frozen state.
D2488 Practice for Description and Identification of Soils
(Visual-Manual Procedure)
1.3 This procedure is based on “Guide to Field Description
2.2 Military Standard:
of Permafrost for Engineering Purposes,” National Research
MIL-STD-619 Unified Soil Classification System for
Council of Canada, 1963, and MIL-STD-619.
Roads, Airfields, Embankments and Foundations
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
3. Terminology
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
3.1 Definitions:
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
3.1.1 Definitions of the soil components of a frozen soil
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
mass, that is, boulders, cobbles, gravel, sand, fines (silt and
1.5 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing
clay), and organic soils and peat shall be in accordance with
one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace Terminology D653.
education or experience and should be used in conjunction
3.1.2 The following terms are used in conjunction with the
with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may description of frozen ground areas (Fig. 1):
be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not
3.1.2.1 annual frost zone (active layer)—the top layer of
intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which ground subject to annual freezing and thawing.
the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged,
3.1.2.2 frost table—thefrozensurface,usuallyirregular,that
nor should this document be applied without consideration of
represents the level, to which thawing of seasonally frozen
a project’s many unique aspects. The word “Standard” in the
ground has penetrated. See Fig. 1.
title of this document means only that the document has been
3.1.2.3 frozen zone—a range of depth within which the soil
approved through the ASTM consensus process.
is frozen. The frozen zone may be bounded both top and
bottom by unfrozen soil, or at the top by the ground surface.
2. Referenced Documents
3.1.2.4 ground ice—a body of more or less clear ice within
2.1 ASTM Standards:
frozen ground.
D420 Guide to Site Characterization for Engineering Design
3.1.2.5 ice wedge—a wedge-shaped mass in permafrost,
usually associated with fissures in polygons.
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D18 on Soil and
Rockand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D18.19 on Frozen Soils and The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on
Rock. www.astm.org.
Current edition approved Sept. 1, 2007. Published September 2007. Originally Available from Naval Publications and Forms Center, 5801 Tabor Ave.,
approved in 1982. Last previous edition approved in 2001 as D4083 – 83 (2001). Philadelphia, PA 19120.
DOI: 10.1520/D4083-89R07. For more complete lists of generally accepted terms used in the description of
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or frozen ground see: Hennion, F., “Frost and Permafrost Definitions,” Bulletin 111,
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Highway Research Board, Washington, DC 1955; and Brown, R. J. E., and Kupsch,
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on W. D., “Permafrost Terminology,” Technical Memorandum No. 111, National
the ASTM website. Research Council of Canada, 1974.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D4083 − 89 (2007)
FIG. 1 Illustration of Frozen Soil Terminology
3.1.2.6 icing—a surface ice mass formed by freezing of 3.1.3.8 ice crystal—a very small individual ice particle
successive sheets of water. visible in the face of a soil mass. Crystals may be present alone
or in combination with other ice formations.
3.1.2.7 permafrost—the thermal condition in soil or rock,
wherein the materials have existed at a temperature below 0°C
3.1.3.9 ice lenses—lenticular ice formations in soil occur-
(32°F) continuously for a number of years. Pore fluids or ice
ring essentially parallel to each other, generally normal to the
may or may not be present.
direction of heat loss, and commonly in repeated layers.
3.1.2.8 permafrost table—the surface that represents the
3.1.3.10 ice segregation—the growth of ice within soil in
upper limit of permafrost.
excess of the amount that may be produced by the in-place
3.1.2.9 polygons (polygonal ground)—more or less regular-
conversion of the original void moisture to ice. Ice segregation
sized surface patterns created by thermal contraction of the
occurs most often as distinct lenses, layers, veins, and masses,
ground. Two types are common: (a) those with depressed
commonly, but not always, oriented normal to the direction of
centers and (b) those with raised centers.
heat flow.
3.1.2.10 residual thaw zone—a layer of unfrozen ground
3.1.3.11 poorly bonded—a condition in which the soil
between the permafrost and the annual frost zone. This layer
particles are weakly held together by the ice so that the frozen
does not exist where annual frost extends to permafrost.
soil has poor resistance to chipping and breaking.
3.1.3 The following terms are used to describe the charac-
3.1.3.12 porous ice—ice that contains numerous voids, usu-
teristics of the frozen earth:
ally interconnected and usually resulting from melting at air
3.1.3.1 candled ice—ice that has rotted or otherwise formed
bubbles or along crystal interfaces from presence of salt or
into long columnar crystals, very loosely bonded together.
other materials in the water, or from the freezing of saturated
3.1.3.2 clear ice—ice that is transparent and contains only a
snow. Though porous, the mass retains its structural unity.
moderate number of air bubbles.
3.1.3.13 thaw stable—the characteristic of frozen soils that,
3.1.3.3 cloudy ice—ice that is translucent or relatively
upon thawing, do not show loss of strength in comparison to
opaque due to the content of air or for other reasons, but which
normal, long-time thawed values nor produce detrimental
is essentially sound and nonpervious.
settlement.
3.1.3.4 excess ice—ice in excess of the fraction that would
be retained as water in the soil voids after thawing.
3.1.3.14 thaw unstable—the characteristic of frozen soils
that, upon thawing, show significant loss of strength in
3.1.3.5 friable—a condition under which the material is
easily broken up under light to moderate pressure. comparison to normal, long-time thawed values or produce
significant settlement, or both, as a direct result of the melting
3.1.3.6 granular ice—ice that is composed of coarse, more
of excess ice in the soil.
or less equidimensional, crystals weakly bonded together.
3.1.3.15 well bonded—a condition in which the soil par-
3.1.3.7 ice coatings on particles—discernible layers of ice
foundonorbelowthelargersoilparticlesinafrozensoilmass. ticles are strongly held together by the ice so that the frozen
soil possesses relatively high resistance to chipping or break-
They are sometimes associated with hoarfrost crystals, which
have grown into voids produced by the freezing action. ing.
D4083 − 89 (2007)
4. Significance and Use designated as Parts I, II, and III. Part I consists of a description
of the soil phase, Part II consists of the addition of soil
4.1 This practice is intended primarily for use by geotech-
characteristics resulting from the frozen state, and Part III
nical engineers and technicians and geologists in the field,
consists of a description of the important ice strata associated
where the soil profile or samples from it may be observed in a
with the soil.
relatively undisturbed (frozen) state.
NOTE 1—In addition to the description of the soil profile at a given site,
4.2 It may also be used in the laboratory to describe the
it is normally advantageous to describe the local terrain features. Particu-
condition of relatively undisturbed soil samples that have been
larlyusefularedescriptionsofthetypeofvegetationcover,depthandtype
maintained in a frozen condition following their acquisition in
of snow cover, local relief and drainage conditions, and depth of thaw.
the field.
One or more photos of the area also can be very helpful. The terminology
given in 3.1.2 should be used to describe any special conditions which can
4.3 The practice is not intended to be used in describing
be recognized. To these should
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