TM 5-822-5/AFM 88-7, Chap. 1
CHAPTER 18
SEASONAL FROST CONDITIONS
compaction, development of permanent roughness,
18-1. General.
restriction of drainage by the frozen strata, and
This chapter presents criteria and procedures for the
cracking and deterioration of the pavement surface.
design and construction of pavements placed on
Hazardous operating conditions, excessive
subgrade or base course materials subject to
maintenance, or pavement destruction may result.
seasonal frost action. The most prevalent modes of
Except in cases where other criteria are specifically
distress in pavements and their causes are listed in
established, pavements should be designed so that
table 18-1. The detrimental effects of frost action in
there will be no interruption of traffic at any time
subsurface materials are manifested by nonuniform
due to differential heave or to reduction in load-
heave of pavements during the winter and by loss of
supporting capacity. Pavements should also he
strength of affected soils during the ensuing thaw
designed so that the rate of deterioration during
period. This is accompanied by a corresponding
critical periods of thaw weakening and during cold
increase in damage accumulation and a more rapid
periods causing low-temperature cracking will not
rate of pavement deterioration during the period of
be so high that the useful life of the pavements will
weakening. other related detrimental effects of frost
be less than that assumed as the design objective.
and low temperatures are possible loss of
18-1
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