1. In the soil zone to be frozen, borehole drilling is carried out across the full height of the aquifers and spaced according to a defined grid pattern consistent with the shape of the area to be treated.
2. Installation of a series of steel freeze pipes in the bores. These small diameter, closed-end freezing tubes are equipped with so-called drop tubes or smaller, inner supply tubes, open-ended in their lower portion.
3. Initial freezing by the continuous circulation of a refrigerated fluid. The coolant is pumped down the drop tube to the bottom of the freeze pipe and flows up the annulus (space between the two pipes), extracting heat from the surrounding soil.
4. Progressive and radial formation of a frozen zone of soil in the shape of a cylinder around each pipe. The zones enlarge with time and finally merge to form a continuous, stable and impermeable frozen earth barrier. As the freezing process continues and additional freezing occurs, the design thickness is reached.
5. The condition is maintained during the construction phase.
