The thermal degradation of permafrost beneath Alaskan roads leads to expensive maintenance and repair costs. The project evaluated three methods to stabilize the thaw. Snow sheds were built along two sections of roadways to shade the ground during summer and prevent snow from acting as an insulating blanket during winter. The second method consisted of removing snow during the winter months to reduce surface temperature. Third, thermosyphon devices were installed along two roadway sections to extract heat over the winter season. The results show that the snow sheds were most effective in decreasing the ground surface temperature and, as such, the concept should be further developed.
展开▼
