GEOELECTRICAL METHOD TO DETERMINE THE DEPTH OF PERMAFROST SOIL COMPLEX SUITABLE FOR ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION WORKS

摘要

The invention relates to the field of geophysical sensing of frozen soils and can be utilized to determine the depth of the permafrost soil complex suitable for engineering and construction operations, and study the soils of permafrost zone. The essence of the invention consists in vertical electrical probing of frozen soil masses ranging the transmitting electrodes 5 – 20 cm apart in combination with preliminary longitudinal electric probing at a step of 20 – 60 cm to select study areas with homogeneous vegetation. Using the graphs of specific electric resistance tables one may retrieve the lower boundary of the permafrost soil complex suitable for engineering and construction works. The suggested method differs from the majority of other available techniques in that it enables measuring the thickness of the permafrost soil complex layer suitable for engineering and construction works without destroying mechanically the integrity of soil and vegetation cover. Since one does not need to dig trenches, drill soil or penetrate mechanically the frozen soil mass with a steel probe, the costs for engineering and construction works in frozen soil are reduced significantly. The proposed invention will enable high rate of monitoring the dynamics of the depth of permafrost soil complex suitable for engineering and construction works without penetrating soil and ground mass.