Ice lensing in layered soils

The ice lensing phenomenon in layered soils, a condition that simulates the process of ice growth in varved soils, has been studied experimentally. Under the limited conditions of layer thicknesses, soils used, freezing rates, and moisture conditions, ice lenses formed at the face of the fine-textured (clay) layer when it was encountered by the freezing plane. Only minor heaving occurred in the coarse-textured (silt) layer when its thickness was increased. Key words: frost action, ice lensing, frost heaving, varved soils, layered soils.