Characterization of frozen soils using ultrasonic technique and electrical resistivity tomography

ABSTRACT: The ability to quantitatively and non-invasively characterize complex multiphase geomaterials is still a major challenge to the engineering, construction, and geophysical fields. In the context of accelerating climate change, construction on permafrost requires remedial measures and appropriate characterization of permafrost (e.g., ice content, unfrozen water content, porosity, ice lenses, soil type, and mechanical properties). Current techniques are insufficient for the efficient characterization of permafrost samples. In this paper, we propose an ultrasonic technique coupled with Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) to overcome critical gaps in permafrost characterization. The correlation between ultrasonic measurement, electrical resistivity, and permafrost properties will be investigated experimentally. Our study demonstrated the potential of the ultrasonic techniques for the rapid characterization of permafrost samples. ERT could be used as a supplementary test to improve the resolution and reduce the uncertainty in permafrost characterization at certain temperatures.