Damage Properties of the Block-Stone Embankment in the Qinghai–Tibet Highway Using Ground-Penetrating Radar Imagery

The block-stone embankment is a special type of widely used to protect the stability underlying warm and ice-rich permafrost. Under influence multiple factors, certain damages will still occur in after period operation, which may weaken or destroy its cooling function, introducing more serious Qinghai–Tibet Highway (QTH). Ground-penetrating radar (GPR), nondestructive testing technique, was adopted investigate damage properties damaged embankment. GPR imagery, together with other data methods (structural characteristics, field survey data, parameters, etc.), indicated four categories damage: (i) loosening upper sand-gravel layer; (ii) (iii) settlement (iv) dense filling block-stones layer. first two conditions were distributed, whereas layer less so, combined also occurred frequently. close correlation between different causal relationship. A preliminary discussion these observations about influences on formation included. findings provide some points reference for future construction maintenance embankments permafrost regions.