Freeze–Thaw-Induced Surface Crack and Pore Structure Evolution in Compacted Expansive Soil

Abstract

Reliable characterization of freeze–thaw-induced structural change is essential for evaluating compacted soils used in cold-region engineering, where repeated freezing and thawing can alter both surface integrity and internal pore structure. This study combines digital imaging, quantitative crack analysis, and X-ray computed tomography to characterize structural changes in compacted expansive soil subjected to 0, 1, 4, 7, and 10 freeze–thaw cycles. Specimens with initial water contents of 18% and 25% were observed during freezing and after thawing, while the post-thaw three-dimensional pore structure of the 18% specimen was reconstructed from CT images. The 18% surface specimen exhibited no continuous crack network despite evident internal pore restructuring, whereas the 25% specimen showed pronounced crack opening during freezing and partial closure after thawing. With increasing cycles, the crack pattern evolved from a dominant wide crack to a branched network of narrower cracks and then became less continuous. CT-resolvable porosity increased from 23.0% initially to 26.7% after four cycles and then remained nearly stable, whereas connected porosity increased to 25.4% after ten cycles. These complementary observations indicate that post-thaw surface appearance alone may underestimate freeze–thaw-induced structural disturbance and highlight the importance of moisture condition and early-cycle evolution in cold-region engineering.