Influence of soil salinity on the bearing capacity of the frozen wall.

This article explores the impact of soil salinity on the strength and bearing capacity of frozen walls in underground structures, specifically in potash mines. The presence of dissolved salt in frozen soils affects the transition of pore water into ice, leading to a decrease in strength and bearing capacity. The study focuses on two types of soils (chalk and clay) and three types of salts (NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2), conducting experiments to analyze the strength properties of frozen soils with different salt concentrations. The results indicate that the presence of dissolved salt reduces the maximum load-bearing capacity of the frozen wall, primarily due to a decrease in wall thickness and an increase in unfrozen water content. The findings suggest that when designing artificial ground freezing projects, the influence of dissolved salt should be considered in determining freezing points and assessing load-bearing capacity. [Extracted from the article]