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Roads and yard areas
Frost insulation and frost insulated pavement is used to minimize thermal loss in freezing subgrade during winter to ensure that the frost heave remains within permissible limits.
The enclosed table presents examples of the maximum values of frost heave and pitch change. Drainage structures and pipelines as well as the entrance points of buildings, for example, may require more stringent limits with regard to the permissible frost heave compared to the rest of the yard area.
Yard surfacing | Grade | Design freezing index Fmit | Permissible frost heave hsal mm |
Asphalt or concrete surfacing | 1 | F10 | 50 |
2 | F10 | 100 | |
3 | - | Unlimited | |
Gravel or crushed aggregate surfacing | 1 | F10 | 50 |
2 | F10 | 100 | |
3 | - | Unlimited | |
Stone or tile surfacing | 1 | F10 | 50 |
2 | F10 | 100 | |
3 | F10 | 150 |
Grades
Grade 1:
Yards or areas for which particularly significant appearance or functionality requirements have been specified.
Grade 2:
Yards of residential, commercial, and office buildings or other similar structures
Grade 3:
Such yards of warehouse, industrial, and other such buildings and similar areas for which appearance or functionality requirements that are lower than for grade 2 are acceptable.
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In a yard area with traffic, Finnfoam is covered with approx. 150–300 mm of sand depending on the load. |
The design calculations for the surfacing layer of yard areas with regard to frost heave must be completed case-specifically, based on field and/or laboratory testing. If the source information mentioned above is not available, the design recommendation provided below may be used in the design of surfacing.

Subgrade with medium susceptibility to freezing

The thickness of thermal insulation D for frost protected surfacing based on the freezing index with different permissible frost heaves, if the subgrade has medium susceptibility to freezing.

Subgrade with high susceptibility to freezing

The thickness of thermal insulation D for frost protected surfacing based on the freezing index with different permissible frost heaves, if the subgrade has high susceptibility to freezing.