In many cases, preventing permafrost from further thaw due to human activities might be the first choice for embankment design in permafrost regions. 2-D finite element analysis was conducted in this paper, in which phase change was taken into consideration to simulate the thermal regime of the Qinghai-Tibetan Railway with Expandable Polystyrene (EPS). Based on the predicted maximum thaw depth in the following 50 year, the best position for insulation was presented and the relationship between the thickness of insulation and the height of embankment was analyzed. Besides, the applicable range of insulation in embankment engineering of the Qinghai-Tibetan Railway in terms of Mean Annual Air Temperature (MAAT) was suggested and the influence of geothermal field of permafrost on the applicable range of the insulation was discussed.
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