Experimental Study on Riprap Air-Cooled Roadbed of Qinghai-Tibet Railway

The riprap air-cooled roadbed and common roadbed experimental project were designed and carried on in Qingshuihe test filed, an area of warm permafrost category with the fine frozen soil along Qinghai-Tibet Railway, to decide the temperature field of the roadbed after railway construction. Based on ground temperature variation of natural hole, left and right shoulder’s hole, the maximum thawing depth, and the deformation in these two kinds of roadbed were analysed comparatively. It showed that the riprap air-cooled roadbed had better effect of lowering ground temperature, lifting the maximum frozen-thawing depth obviously and decreasing deformation than that of the common roadbed. Therefore, the riprap air-cooled roadbed was a positive frozen soil protection measure for it effectively decreased ground temperature and protected permafrost.