Frost heaving of soils at two locations in Southern Ontario,Canada

Frost-heave measurements conducted over two winters in frost-susceptible soil at two adjacent Canadian locations, one near Guelph, and the other near Elora, Ontario, are examined in the light of supporting environmental data. The trend in the penetrating frost line, and the total depths achieved in each season at the Guelph site were similar, but surface displacement during 1976–1977 was less than half that recorded in 1975–1976. This disparity is attributed to seasonal variations in the proximity of the water table with respect to the soil freezing level. When the former is deep, closed-system conditions prevail, and frost heave is severely curtailed. The importance of access to water is also demonstrated at the Elora site where frost heaving was sustained by a water table close to the surface despite the presence of a snow cover.