A Model for the Electrical Resistivity of Frozen Soils and an Experimental Verification of the Model

- A model for the electrical resistivity of frozen soils was established.
- Frozen soil resistivity is inversely proportional to the content of unfrozen water.
- Frozen soil resistivity is a complex function of the initial moisture content.
- Frozen soil resistivity is an exponential function of soil temperature.
- Frozen soil resistivity is inversely proportional to the dry density of the soil.

A fraction of the pore water of a soil body undergoes a phase change during the freezing process. Therefore, the electrical resistivity properties of frozen soils are different from those of unfrozen soils. To thoroughly investigate the conductive properties of frozen soils, a theoretical model for the electrical resistivity of frozen soils was deduced and established, and the factors that affect the electrical resistivity of frozen soils were analyzed. Through experiments performed on frozen clay, the characteristics of the effects of the unfrozen water content, initial water content, soil temperature and dry density on the electrical resistivity of a frozen soil were analyzed. The model for the electrical resistivity of frozen soils indicates that the electrical resistivity exhibits a temperature-dependent inverse proportionality with the unfrozen water content of the soil body; the electrical resistivity of a frozen soil exhibits a complex temperature-related functional relationship with the initial water content; the electrical resistivity of a frozen soil is exponentially related to the soil temperature; and the electrical resistivity of a frozen soil is inversely proportional to the dry density of the soil body. The results of the experiments performed on frozen clay verify the reasonableness of the proposed model for the electrical resistivity of frozen soils.