Influence of Pavement Structure on Soil Temperature Based on Geostudio

In the northwestern region of China, including Gansu, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, the areas are situated in the inland hinterland of the northwest and experience a typical arid to semi-arid continental climate. Summers are hot, and winters are cold, with significant temperature variations. Under the influence of such considerable temperature differences, various properties of the soil beneath the road surface are significantly affected. This is particularly pronounced when there is permafrost beneath the road surface, posing substantial risks to road safety. Road surface coverings can mitigate the impact of environmental factors on the soil to some extent. Therefore, this project combines actual measurements with Geostudio simulations to investigate the annual temperature variations in the soil beneath the road surface in the face of these large temperature differentials. Simultaneously, research is conducted on the thermal insulation performance of the subsoil under different road surface structures. The aim is to identify an optimal road surface structure that minimizes the impact of temperature changes on the subsoil. Through a comparison of simulations with actual data, the conclusion is drawn that the conventional road surface with concrete shoulder structure can better mitigate the influence of environmental temperature changes on the subsoil beneath the road surface.