🚩 The depth of soil freezing directly depends on the type of soil, climatic conditions of the area, groundwater level, vegetation, snow cover level, terrain, soil moisture and other factors. The parameters and features of freezing must be known and taken into account when drilling wells in different areas of the Moscow region.
Soil freezing depth- this is a random variable that cannot be constant, because some of the factors above the above factors practically do not change over time - this is the type of soil, the terrain, while others, on the contrary, are constantly changing - this is the height of the snow cover, soil moisture, duration and the intensity of sub-zero temperatures, groundwater levels and others.
Map of soil freezing of the Moscow region
You can download a program to calculate the depth of soil freezing. download...
Soil freezing calculator (screenshot)
Video instructions for the program
Values of soil freezing in the Moscow region
It should be noted that the amount of soil freezing in different areas of the Moscow region ranges from half a meter to one meter and eighty centimeters. Naturally, such a gap is associated with completely different soil densities. Of course, the denser the soil and the stronger the frost, the more it freezes. Also, dry soil freezes less than soil saturated with moisture. There is no average freezing value in the Moscow region as such, but the calculated value is usually considered to be one meter and forty centimeters. But this takes into account extremely harsh conditions - very severe frosts, high groundwater levels and the absence of any snow cover. But this is only normative data. In fact, the actual freezing depth, as practice shows, differs quite greatly from the standard data and often does not exceed one meter. According to some reports, in the west of the Moscow region, the soil freezes somewhere up to sixty-five centimeters, and in the south, north and east of the Moscow region up to seventy-five centimeters. In very cold winters with little snow cover, the depth of soil freezing can reach up to one meter and fifty centimeters.
Soil freezing in the Moscow region
As a rule, sandy soils freeze to a greater depth than clay soils. This is due to the fact that the porosity of sand is less than the porosity of clay. In the Moscow region, coarse soils, sandy soils, loams, sandy loams and peat soils mainly predominate. For example, coarse soils, which consist of pieces of rocky and semi-rocky soils, begin to freeze already at zero temperature. Therefore, only specialists can determine the depth of soil freezing as accurately as possible in a specific area of the Moscow region and in a certain place, who take into account all possible influencing factors when making calculations.
Standard soil freezing depth SNIP
The condition of soil with high moisture content at negative temperatures and positive
The dotted line shows the soil freezing boundary
Of course, such properties of water contained in the soil are extremely dangerous for foundations, so this must always be taken into account during any construction, placing the base of the foundation below the frost line!
Soil freezing in central Russia
Standard freezing depths (according to SNiP data) in centimeters for different cities and soil types are presented in the table.
| City | clay, loams | sands, sandy loams |
| Arkhangelsk | 160 | 176 |
| Astrakhan | 80 | 88 |
| Bryansk | 100 | 110 |
| Volgograd | 100 | 110 |
| Vologda | 140 | 154 |
| Vorkuta | 240 | 264 |
| Voronezh | 120 | 132 |
| Ekaterinburg | 180 | 198 |
| Izhevsk | 160 | 176 |
| Kazan | 160 | 176 |
| Kemerovo | 200 | 220 |
| Kirov | 160 | 176 |
| Kotlas | 160 | 176 |
| Kursk | 100 | 110 |
| Lipetsk | 120 | 132 |
| Magnitogorsk | 180 | 198 |
| Moscow | 120 | 132 |
| Naberezhnye Chelny | 160 | 176 |
| Nalchik | 60 | 66 |
| Naryan Mar | 240 | 264 |
| Nizhnevartovsk | 240 | 264 |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 140 | 154 |
| Novokuznetsk | 200 | 220 |
| Novosibirsk | 220 | 242 |
| Omsk | 200 | 220 |
| Eagle | 100 | 110 |
| Orenburg | 160 | 176 |
| Orsk | 180 | 198 |
| Penza | 140 | 154 |
| Permian | 180 | 198 |
| Pskov | 80 | 88 |
| Rostov-on-Don | 80 | 88 |
| Ryazan | 140 | 154 |
| Salekhard | 240 | 264 |
| Samara | 160 | 176 |
| Saint Petersburg | 120 | 132 |
| Saransk | 140 | 154 |
| Saratov | 140 | 154 |
| Serov | 200 | 220 |
| Smolensk | 100 | 110 |
| Stavropol | 60 | 66 |
| Surgut | 240 | 264 |
| Syktyvkar | 180 | 198 |
| Tver | 120 | 132 |
| Tobolsk | 200 | 220 |
| Tomsk | 220 | 242 |
| Tyumen | 180 | 198 |
| Ufa | 180 | 198 |
| Ukhta | 200 | 220 |
| Chelyabinsk | 180 | 198 |
| Elista | 80 | 88 |
| Yaroslavl | 140 | 154 |
In order to draw up a project for the foundation support of your house, you first need to assess the characteristics of the soil on your site. Thus, the degree of depth of strip foundations is directly affected by the level of soil freezing. In addition, soil of different compositions may increase in size differently when frozen. This characteristic is called “heaving”. Also, the level of groundwater rise also influences the design of the future foundation.
The characteristics of the soil on the site directly affect both the design of the future foundation of the house and the material for its manufacture. In order to understand which house and the foundation for it can be built on your site and which cannot, first of all it is necessary to carry out survey work.
Some of the soil characteristics of the site can be taken from widely used tables. These features include, for example, the depth of soil freezing SNiP.
Geological survey work was once carried out throughout the entire territory of the former USSR, which determined at what depth water in the ground freezes in winter in a particular region. Based on the data obtained, maps were compiled that make it easy to determine the depth of winter soil freezing in a particular region.
Based on the specific amount of soil freezing on the site, the Building Codes and Rules (or, in short, SNiPs) prescribe the possibility of using one or another option for constructing a foundation and building.
Currently, the following standards are in force in our country, describing the rules for the construction of buildings and structures:
- -SNiP 2.02.01-83* “Foundations of buildings and structures”, there are also a number of manuals for it, which describe the process of designing buildings.
- In addition, the influence of climate on the construction of buildings is described in SNiP 01/23/99.
- The essence of the rules in these documents regulating the depth of the foundation foundation is as follows:
- - when building foundations, it is necessary to carefully consider the purpose and design of the structures being designed, and the maximum loads on the foundation.
- - the depth of the foundation foundations also depends on the characteristics of adjacent structures, and the extent to which engineering structures are buried in the ground.
- - also when preparing a foundation project, it is necessary to evaluate the topography of the construction site.
- - a major role in determining the depth of the foundation is played by the physical characteristics of the soil and its internal structure (presence of voids and aquifers),
- -hydrogeology also affects the depth of foundations. Groundwater can make a significant difference to your building design.
- - and of course, the depth of the foundation, according to the current SNiPs, will be affected by the seasonal depth of soil freezing.
How to calculate the depth of soil freezing, guided by SNiP
There is a special formula according to which you can calculate the depth of soil freezing in your area yourself.
The freezing depth will be: the square root taken from the sum of average monthly negative temperatures, multiplied by the coefficient for a specific soil.
- -0.23 for clay and loam,
- -0.28 for sand and sandy loam,
- -0.3 for coarse sands,
- -0.34 for soil consisting of large fragments.
You can take indicators of negative temperatures from meteorological reference books or from SNiP 23-01-99, which describes climatic conditions.
To simplify the calculation, let’s assume that in your region negative temperatures are recorded for four months, “-10” degrees in each month. The total sum of negative temperature indicators will be “40”. The square root of this value will be “6.32”. We multiply the coefficient for clay soil “0.23” and get the freezing depth of clay soil in this region of 1.45 meters.
Frost heaving of soil and its effect on the foundation
Another important characteristic of the soil that affects the design of the foundation structure is its heaving. This term determines the degree of expansion of soils during winter freezing of moisture in them. As you know, when water freezes, it increases significantly in volume, so soil containing a large amount of moisture will expand and swell when freezing.
Soils containing fine sand or clay are most susceptible to such expansion. They absorb moisture extremely effectively, absorbing a large mass of water. As a result, when frozen, their volume can increase by up to 10 percent. This is quite a significant amount. It turns out that with a soil freezing depth of 1.5 meters, when it freezes, its volume will increase by 15 centimeters.
To understand the degree of soil heaving in your area, check out the table below.
Table - soil freezing depth SNIP
The depth of soil freezing is also affected by the thickness of the snow cover. Obviously, the thicker the snow cover, the better the heat is retained in the ground. However, this value is quite unreliable and can fluctuate from season to season.
When constructing buildings, it is necessary to take into account the depth of soil freezing according to SNiP. Without this parameter, it is impossible to accurately calculate how deep the base of the building should be. If this is not taken into account, in the future the foundation may become deformed and damaged due to soil pressure when exposed to low temperatures.
Building regulations
Construction norms and rules (SNiP) are a set of regulations that regulate the activities of builders, architects and engineers. The information contained in these documents allows you to erect a durable and reliable building or correctly lay a pipeline.
The map, with numbers of soil freezing depth marked on it, was created back in the USSR. It was contained in SNiP 2.01.01-82. But later, SNiP 01/23/99 was created to replace this regulatory act; the map was not included in it. Now it is only available on websites.
- the purpose for which the structure was erected;
- depth of communications;
- location of the foundations of neighboring buildings;
- current and future topography of the development area;
- physical and mechanical soil parameters;
- features of overlays and number of layers;
- hydrogeological characteristics of the construction area;
- seasonal depth to which the ground freezes.
It has now been established that the use of SNiP 2.02.01-83 and 23-01-99 to determine the depth of soil freezing gives a more accurate result than using values taken from a map, since they take into account more conditions.
It should be noted that the calculated degree of impact of low temperatures is not equal to the actual one, since some parameters (groundwater level, snow cover level, soil moisture, sub-zero temperature parameters) are not constant and change over time.
Calculation of soil freezing level
Calculation of the depth to which the soil freezes is made according to the model specified in SNiP 2.02.01-83: h=√M*k, where M are the absolute average monthly temperatures added together, and k– an indicator whose value depends on the type of land:
Table - soil freezing depth according to SNIP
- loams or clayey soils – 0.23;
- sandy loam, silty and fine sand – 0.28;
- sands of coarse, medium and gravelly fractions – 0.3;
- coarse clastic type – 0.34.
From the above figures it becomes clear that the degree of soil freezing is directly proportional to the increase in its fraction. When working on clay soils, one more factor must be taken into account, namely the amount of moisture contained in it. The more water there is in the ground, the higher the degree of frost heave.
The foundation of the house must be located below the freezing level. Otherwise, the swelling force will push it up.
When calculating this parameter, it is better not to rely on your own strength, but to turn to specialists who have complete information about all the factors on which the influence of low temperatures on the foundation of a building depends.
The influence of frost heaving of soil
The term “frost heaving” refers to the level of soil deformation during thawing or freezing. It depends on how much liquid is contained in the soil layers. The higher this indicator, the more the soil freezes, since according to physical laws, when freezing, water molecules increase in volume.
Another factor influencing frost heaving is the climatic conditions of the region. The more months with sub-zero temperatures, the more the ground freezes.
Silty and clayey soils are most susceptible to frost heaving; they can increase in size by 10% of their original volume. Sands are less susceptible to heaving; rocky and rocky sands do not have this property at all.
The depth of ground freezing specified in SNiP was calculated taking into account the worst climatic conditions in which snow does not fall. The actual level to which the ground freezes is less, since snowdrifts and ice act as heat insulators.
The ground under the foundations of buildings freezes less, since in winter it is additionally warmed by heating.
To protect the soil from freezing, you can additionally insulate the area at a distance of 1.5–2.5 meters around the perimeter of the base of the house. This way you can arrange a shallow strip foundation, which is also more economical.
Effect of snow cover thickness
In cold months, snow cover acts as a heat insulator and directly affects the degree of soil freezing depth.
Usually, owners clear snow on their property, not realizing that this can lead to deformation of the foundation. The ground on the site freezes unevenly, causing damage to the foundation of the house.
Shrubs planted around the perimeter of the building can provide additional protection from severe frosts. Snow will accumulate on them, protecting the foundation from low temperatures.
Every day the number of people wanting to buy or build their own country house for a comfortable and relaxing holiday is increasing. In order for the building to be not only cozy, but also quite durable, during its construction it is necessary to take into account various technological nuances, one of which is the depth of soil freezing. Otherwise, violation of certain construction technologies can lead to a large number of problems, which may result in the demolition of low-quality buildings.
Since the basis of any construction is a reliable foundation, the loads of absolutely all structural elements of the building are placed on it. Mistakes made when laying it can serve as the main reason for the destruction of the house in the very near future. Over time, the foundation may sag, as a result of which cracks are likely to appear on the walls. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to take into account one of the most important external natural factors - the depth of soil freezing.
What is soil
Soil is rocks, soils, anthropogenic organizations, which represent a complex geological macrosystem that is subject to constant research. Soil freezing is the transition of soil from a thawed state to a frozen state. Soil that has a negative or zero temperature mark is called frozen soil. Sometimes there are areas of terrain where the soil does not thaw even in spring. These are the so-called permafrost soils.
Why does the soil freeze?
The main conditions for soil freezing are humidity and a decrease in ambient temperature. When water freezes, the volume of water increases by about 10 percent, which, accordingly, leads to rising soil. The amount of ice formed and the degree of ground rise depend on the temperature regime and the level of soil freezing. In other words, during the cold period of time, the earth tries to displace the foundation of the future building as much as possible. In spring the opposite occurs. When ice and snow begin to melt, the soil tries to pull the foundation as deep into itself as possible.
Freezing of the ground in the autumn-winter period is seasonal freezing of the soil. Every year the top layer of soil freezes and thaws. Seasonal soil freezing occurs throughout almost the entire territory of the former USSR.
Soil freezing depth is the maximum depth to which the soil usually freezes in winter.
Standard values for soil freezing
The standard soil freezing depth is the depth that is the average of the highest record levels of annual (seasonal) soil freezing in open and snow-free areas. Typically, calculations of the standard depth of soil freezing are based on observations of indicators of at least ten years of soil freezing in a certain area.
The standard freezing depth of soil is often much different from the actual depth. This happens because the standard data for soil freezing are calculated in conditions of no snow on the ground, and, as a consequence, low soil moisture. Snow and ice are not only a good source of moisture, but also an excellent source of thermal insulation. Conclusion: the more snow cover in the area, the shallower the depth of soil freezing will be. Consequently, when building a living space that is heated in winter, the depth of soil freezing will be significantly reduced. And, conversely, during the construction of a structure in which it is not planned to install heating devices, the depth of soil freezing will increase. It follows that during the construction of a heated room, the level of actual soil freezing is 20–30 percent less than the standard one.
The most common mistake is that some builders are completely convinced that the deeper the foundation is laid, the more stable the structure will be. This opinion is completely wrong. The maximum freezing depth of the soil should not be allowed to be much higher than the basement level of the foundation, because power overvoltage in these areas during severe frosts can be destructive for a country house.
Another fact of foundation deformation is frost heaving, that is, an increase (raising) in the volume of soil at the moment of freezing. The higher the moisture level in the ground, the more its volume increases during freezing. To avoid negative consequences associated with soil heaving (rising), experts recommend pouring the foundation slightly below the seasonal level of soil freezing. To do this, before starting to build a house on heaving soil, you need to find out accurate data on the freezing of the soil in the area.
In many ways, the depth of soil freezing depends on the geographical location of the land plot. For example, the depth of soil freezing in Moscow and the Moscow region ranges from 1.2 to 1.3 m, and in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region from 1.3 to 1.4 m.
It must be remembered that the soil freezes every year. If you do not take into account the depth of its freezing, the condition of the foundation will constantly deteriorate, leading to its distortion or complete destruction.
Before building a permanent residential building, it is imperative to take into account all internal and external natural factors, one of which is seasonal freezing of the soil in the built-up area.
Video
This video explains why for each region, when laying a foundation, it is important to find out the depth of soil freezing:
From this article you will learn what the concept of soil freezing depth is and why it must be taken into account when designing foundations. We will look at the standard values of GPG for different regions of Russia and learn how to determine the actual and calculated value of the depth of soil freezing in accordance with the current SNiP standards.
Soil freezing depth (SFD)- a normative concept that describes the average depth at which the soil freezes during the cold season.
To calculate the freezing depth, the average statistical indicator of seasonal freezing in a particular region over the past 10 years is taken.
Rice. 1.0
Soil freezing level- one of the main quantities that are taken into account when designing foundations of any type. If the calculations are based on an incorrect GPG indicator, or this factor is not taken into account at all, the designer will not be able to calculate the required foundation depth.
Rice. 1.1: A characteristic sign of incorrectly calculated foundation depth and, as a result, damage to the building under the influence of soil heaving
Frost heaving occurs in frozen layers of soil saturated with moisture. Groundwater, when frozen, tends to increase its volume by 2-9%; as a result of this expansion, the soil saturated with water begins to rise upward and put pressure on the foundation of the building, exerting a buoyant effect on it.
With this arrangement, the base is completely free from the influence of vertical heaving forces (pushing pressure from the soil located under the foundation strip). The foundation is subject to only tangential heaving (as a result of friction between the base walls and the side layers of heaving soil), the influence of which can be eliminated by installing a compacting fill around the perimeter of the foundation walls.
Fig 1.2
Before starting any construction carried out on heaving soils, it is necessary to find out the GPG in a particular region in order to be able to select the optimal foundation depth in the future.
Freezing depth SNIP
PPG- a value that cannot be determined immediately before the start of construction without special equipment, since its calculations require a preliminary analysis of a specific area for more than 10 years. In construction practice, to determine the freezing depth, regulatory data on the freezing point and the basic information for its calculation contained in SNiP documents are used.
Until recently, the main document that provided data on the depth of soil freezing was SNiP No. 20101-82 “Climatology and Geophysics of Construction” and accompanying maps of different regions of the Russian Federation.
These documents provide average statistical indicators of soil freezing depth for specific regions of the Russian Federation, which you can familiarize yourself with in Table 1.1
| City | Seasonal freezing depth of different types of soil (cm) | ||
| Clay soil and loam | Sandy loam and fine dry sand | Coarse and gravelly sands | |
| Yaroslavl | 143 | 174 | 186 |
| Arkhangelsk | 156 | 190 | 204 |
| Chelyabinsk | 173 | 211 | 226 |
| Vologda | 143 | 174 | 186 |
| Tyumen | 173 | 210 | 226 |
| Ekaterinburg | 157 | 191 | 204 |
| Surgut | 222 | 270 | 290 |
| Kazan | 143 | 175 | 187 |
| Saratov | 119 | 144 | 155 |
| Kursk | 106 | 129 | 138 |
| Saint Petersburg | 98 | 120 | 128 |
| Moscow | 110 | 134 | 144 |
| Samara | 154 | 188 | 201 |
| Nizhny Novgorod | 145 | 176 | 189 |
| Ryazan | 136 | 165 | 177 |
| Novosibirsk | 183 | 223 | 239 |
| Rostov on Don | 66 | 80 | 86 |
| Eagle | 110 | 134 | 144 |
| Pskov | 97 | 118 | 127 |
| Permian | 159 | 193 | 207 |
Table 1.1: Standard depth of soil freezing in different cities of Russia
PPG depends on two main factors - average sub-zero temperatures in specific regions and the type of soil.
An indirect factor influencing the HGT is the thickness of the snow cover that covers the soil - the thicker it is, the shallower the freezing depth will be. It is worth considering that the data indicated in the normative tables of SNIP do not take into account the thickness of the snow cover, therefore the actual value of the GGL in the region will always be less than the depth indicated in Table 1.1.
Rice. 1.3
Uneven heaving, which occurs in places where the soil has different freezing depths, has an extremely negative effect on the condition of the foundation - due to various buoyancy forces acting on the foundation strip, the base of the house warps, resulting in cracks in the walls and base. If you clear snow around a building, do it around the entire perimeter of the building, and do not form snowdrifts near one of the walls of the house.
Depth of soil freezing in the Moscow region
As evidenced by reviews from experienced builders, over 80% of soils in Moscow and the region are represented by heaving soil - loam, clay, sand, sandy loam. When building houses on such soils, it is extremely important to take into account the depth of their freezing, since a foundation laid above the required level will not have the reliability and durability expected of it.
The GGT in the Moscow region varies quite greatly - from 90 to 200 centimeters. Such fluctuations are due to different densities of soils - the greater the density, and the higher the level of groundwater, the more the soil will freeze.
The average statistical calculated value of the GPG taken into account during the construction of buildings in the Moscow region is considered to be 140 centimeters. You can see more detailed indicators for different cities in the Moscow region in Table 1.2.
| City | Seasonal soil freezing depth (cm) |
| Dubna | 150 |
| Taldom | 130 |
| Sergiev Posad, Alexandrov | 140 |
| Orekhovo-Zuevo | 130 |
| Yegoryevsk | 130 |
| Kolomna | 110 |
| Stupino | 120 |
| Serpukhovo | 100 |
| Obninsk | 110 |
| Balabanovo | 110 |
| Mozhaisk | 125 |
| Volokolamsk | 120 |
| Klin, Solnechnogorsk | 120 |
| Zvenigorod, Istra | 110 |
| Naro-Fominsk | 125 |
| Chekhov | 120 |
| Voskresensk | 110 |
| Pavlovsky Posad, Noginsk, Pushkino | 110 |
| Dmitrov | 140 |
| Pushkino, Shchepkovo, Balashikha | 150 |
| Odintsovo, Bolitsyno, Kubinka | 140 |
| Podolsk, Domodedovo, Lyubertsy | 100 |
| Railway | 110 |
| Mytishchi, Lobnya | 140 |
Table 1.2: Soil freezing depth in the Moscow region
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Attention! Why heaving can destroy your future structure: how to protect yourself. |
Estimated soil freezing depth
The calculated value of the GPG, according to SNIP standards, is determined by the formula: h = √M*k, in which:
- M is the sum of the maximum values of sub-zero temperatures in the cold season;
- k is a coefficient that differs for different types of soil.
The value of the coefficient used in the calculation formula is:
- 0.23 - for clay soil and loams;
- 0.28 - for silty and fine sandy soil, sandy loam;
- 0.3 - for medium-large gravelly and coarse sands;
- 0.34 - for soil interspersed with coarse rocks.
For example, let’s determine the calculated GPG value for Vologda. We can take data on average monthly subzero temperatures for this city in document SNIP No. 2101.99.
For Vologda it is:
From this table we determine the value of M - for this we need to summarize the indicators of months with sub-zero temperatures.
- M = 11.6 + 10.7 + 5.4 + 2.9 + 7.9 = 38.5.
Now we need to extract the square root of the resulting value:
- √38,5 = 6,2.
This makes it possible to perform calculations according to the basic formula, taking into account the coefficient of the type of soil on which construction work will be carried out. For example, we use the coefficient of loamy soil, it is equal to 0.23.
- h = 6.2 * 0.23 = 1.43
As a result, we obtain an estimated value of freezing of loamy soil in Vologda equal to 143 centimeters. Similarly, calculations are performed for any type of soil in other cities of Russia.
How to determine the real freezing depth of soil
Rice. 1.4: Standard depth of soil freezing in the Russian Federation (data for 2006)
To determine the actual freezing depth, a special device is used - a permafrost meter. This device is a casing tube, inside of which there is a water-filled hose with internal ice movement limiters. There are centimeter markings on the hose.
The permafrost meter is immersed in the soil to a depth equal to the actual GPG value (all measurements are carried out in the cold season). The water in the permafrost meter tube turns into ice in the area where the frozen soil comes into contact with the device.
Rice. 1.5
10-12 hours after the device is immersed in the soil, the water hose is removed from the casing and the actual depth of soil freezing is determined from the frozen area of water.
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