course-details-portlet

BA6067 - Design of Roads and Railways in Cold Climate

About

Examination arrangement

Examination arrangement: Aggregate score
Grade: Letter grades

Evaluation Weighting Duration Grade deviation Examination aids
Oral exam 15/100 1 hours D
Assignments 35/100
Home examination 50/100 4 hours

Course content

  • Basic pavement design (strength, stress and structural design)
  • Basic railway design
  • Freezing of soils
  • Heat transfer mechanisms (conduction, convection/advection, radiation)
  • Thaw weakening and related pavement damages
  • Frost mitigation (insulation materials, drainage)
  • Pavement and ballast design with protection against frost heave
  • Materials used in the frost protection layers (crushed rocks, lightweight materials)
  • Roads and railways maintenance and operation
  • Rehabilitation of exisiting roads
  • Laboratory methods (frost heave test)
  • Field investigation methods
  • Modelling: calculation of thermal regime in soils and pavements by using Temp-W from Geoslope
  • Adaptation to climate change

Learning outcome

Knowledge

  • Basic principles of road and railway design

Skills

  • Design a road/railway in cold climate
  • Characterize the climate load for a project
  • Identify deterioration mechanisms and choose appropriate materials
  • Perform thermal modeling
  • Collaborate in an interdisciplinary team of geoscientists and engineers
  • Respond with innovative solutions to cold regions transportation issues
  • Carry out field and lab work related to frost action

General competences

  • Designing a road/railway in cold climate using TEMP/W
  • Good judgment on the best method of mitigation to use

Learning methods and activities

Two online learning modules are mandatory as course preparation and need to be achieved before the course starts to allow more time on practical field aspects of frozen ground science and engineering during the intensive course. These online modules will focus on heat transfer and freezing-thawing soil mechanics.

MODULE 1: HEAT TRANSFER (9 hours of lecture and 9 hours of personal work)

The module introduce the students to the basics of heat transfer in freezing soils. Conduction, convection and radiation heat transfer mechanisms as well as phase change and enthalpy are covered. Thermo-physical properties of soils and construction materials are presented including various prediction models available from the literature. Effects of insulation layers in road structures are also discussed in terms of frost protection and risk of differential surface icing.

MODULE 2: FREEZING-THAWING SOIL MECHANICS (9 hours of lecture and 9 hours of personal work)

This module introduce the students to the mechanics of freezing, frozen and thawing soils. It includes basic information on freezing soils: the mechanics of frost heave and the strength, stiffness and deformation characteristics of frozen soils. The module discuss the movement of water in freezing and frozen soils, with attention given to the unfrozen water content in fine-grained soils (silts and clays) at temperatures below 0 °C and the resulting hydraulic conductivity of these materials. This module also presents the thaw consolidation theory and the settlement behavior of ice-rich soils as frozen ground thaws.

Compulsory assignments

  • Attendance in class

Further on evaluation

Quizzes on the 2 online modules (20%)

Homework (15%)

Oral presentation during the workshop (15%)

Home Exam (50%)

In case of a resit examination, the student will have to repeat the exam. The exam might be changed to an oral (online) examination.

Specific conditions

Admission to a programme of study is required:
Continuing Education, Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology (EVUIVC0)

Course materials

  • Cold Regions Pavement Engineering (Doré and Zubeck)
  • Additional lecture notes for topics not covered in the book
  • TEMP/W software from GEOSLOPE

More on the course

No

Facts

Version: 1
Credits:  7.5 SP
Study level: Further education, higher degree level

Coursework

Term no.: 1
Teaching semester:  AUTUMN 2024

Language of instruction: English

Location: Trondheim

Subject area(s)
  • Highway Engineering
Contact information
Course coordinator: Lecturer(s):

Department with academic responsibility
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Timetable

List view
Calendar view

Examination

Examination arrangement: Aggregate score

Term Status code Evaluation Weighting Examination aids Date Time Examination system Room *
Autumn ORD Home examination 50/100 INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
Autumn ORD Assignments 35/100 INSPERA
Room Building Number of candidates
Autumn ORD Oral exam 15/100 D
Room Building Number of candidates
  • * The location (room) for a written examination is published 3 days before examination date. If more than one room is listed, you will find your room at Studentweb.
Examination

For more information regarding registration for examination and examination procedures, see "Innsida - Exams"

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