TECH SOLUTIONS 605.

0
Calculating Insulation Needs to
Fight Frost Heave by Comparing
Freezing Index and Frost Depth

To calculate the amount of estimate. Obtaining actual field To help with calculations, this
insulation needed to protect data provides the most accurate information sheet includes:
highways, railroads, airport run- information. • maps of Canada showing
ways, utility lines and building The freezing index is defined as the normal (mean) value of
foundations against frost heave, the number of degree-days freezing index
it’s important to know the amount (above and below 32°F [0°C]) • listings of normal freezing index
of frost penetration. There are two between the highest point in the data for major areas across
ways to calculate frost penetration: autumn and the lowest point in Canada
theoretically or actual field moni- the spring on the cumulative • charts showing the relationship
toring. Dow uses both methods. degree-day time curve for one between freezing index and
A theoretical formula that predicts winter season. Or, simply the total frost penetration as prepared
frost depth with freezing index number of degree-days of freezing by the Ministry of Transportation
information provides a quick for a given winter. of Ontario

Figure 1: Freezing Index Map for Canada

14 00
00 120
0
11
00
0
90

10
00

11000
00
0

80
00
70
00 10000

9000
60
00
50
00

4000 11000 8000

3000 7000

2000

10000

6000

1500 5000
1000 9000
500

8000
0
400 0
300
2000
7000

0
200
0
00 6000 150 0
25
150
0 100

5000
10 00
00
5

500
00
0
50

0
10
50

4000
00

0
10

0
00
15

CANADA
00
20

25

South of Latitude 80° North

Chart 1
0
Normal Freezing Index 3000 200 2500 200
0
in Degree-Days Fahrenheit 2500 150
0
0
Based on the Period 1931 to 1960 100
150
0 500
2000
Prepared jointly by the Division of 1500
1000
Building Research, National 1500 1000
Research Council, and the NOTE:
Atmospheric Environment Service, 500
Dept. of the Environment, Canada 1 degree-day °F = 1 degree-day °C 500
1.8

®™Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow

C ANADA . GEOTECHNIC AL INFORMATION

 TECH SOLUTIONS 605.0
Calculating Insulation Needs to Fight Frost Heave
by Comparing Freezing Index and Frost Depth

Figure 2: Freezing Index Map for Southern Ontario

1200 Sudbury
1200 ´
QUEBEC
100
0 North Bay
1100

110
900 0
GE

´
QUEBEC
100 Pembroke
OR

800 0
GIA
NB

Parry Sound Huntsville 1000

600 Ottawa
AY

700
USA 900
Bancroft
900 Cornwall

LAKE HURON Perth 800

500
Owen Sound 700

800 600

Peterborough Kingston
900 Shelburne 700
800 500

Toronto USA
0 400
60
USA LAKE ONTARIO
0
30
400 Stratford 400

London
Wellend
USA
SOUTHERN ONTARIO
Chatham Normal Freezing Index
Windsor
in Degree-Days Celsius
400 LAKE ERIE
Based on the Period 1931 to 1970
300 300 Engineering Research and
Development Branch, MTC

Figure 3: Freezing Index Map for Northern Ontario

NORTHERN ONTARIO
HUDSON BAY
Normal Freezing Index
in Degree-Days Celsius
Based on the Period 1931 to 1970
MANITOBA Engineering Research and
Development Branch, MTC

JAMES BAY

Big Trout Lake Moosonee ´

QUEBEC

Cochrane
Pickle Lake
Hearst

Longlac
Timmins

Red Lake New Liskeard

White River
Chapleau
MANIT

North Bay
Dryden
Sudbury
Thunder
OBA

Bay
LAKE SUPERIOR GE
Fort Frances Sault Ste. Marie OR
GI
A
BAN
Y

C ANADA . GEOTECHNIC AL INFORMATION

 TECH SOLUTIONS 605.0
Calculating Insulation Needs to Fight Frost Heave
by Comparing Freezing Index and Frost Depth

Figure 4: Figure 5:
Relationship between air freezing index, surface cover and frost Relationship between air freezing index, surface cover and frost
penetration into homogeneous soils penetration into a granular soil overlying a fine-grained soil

AIR FREEZING INDEX, DEGREE-DAYS °F

AIR FREEZING INDEX, DEGREE-DAYS °F
TURF, 12 INCH SNOW COVER
TURF, 12 INCH SNOW COVER
600 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
600 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

TURF, SNOW-FREE
TURF, SNOW-FREE
600 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
600 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

BARE GROUND OR PAVEMENT, SNOW-FREE BARE GROUND OR PAVEMENT, SNOW-FREE

500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
0 0

2 2

CLAY
& DA
MP T
OP S
FROST PENETRATION, FEET

SILT OIL
4 & SA

FROST PENETRATION, FEET

4
SILT NDY NO G
Y SA SILT RAVE
SAN ND L
D& 1'
P. GR SILT
FO C. C AVE YS 2'
6 L& AND 3'
R O GL SAN YG 6
CO NC AC D RAV 4'
M RE IAL EL
PA T W T I L L 5'
RI E EL
L-
SO DR W 6'
8 N AI EL
NE 8 L- 7'
D DR
SA AIN
ND ED 8'
YG SA
RA ND 9'
10
VE Y
L GR 10'
10 AV
EL

12
12

Figure 6:
Frost Penetration in Ontario 1970-1975

.05
P – FROST PENETRATION, METRES

1.0

1.5

MEAN MTC 1970-75

P=-0.328+0.058 F

2.0
MOT 1973
P= -0.61+ 0.068 F

2.5

3.0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

F – FREEZING INDEX, DEGREE-DAYS °C

C ANADA . GEOTECHNIC AL INFORMATION

 TECH SOLUTIONS 605.0
Calculating Insulation Needs to Fight Frost Heave
by Comparing Freezing Index and Frost Depth
Table 1: Freezing Indices for Canada Table 1: Continued
Freezing Index Freezing Index
Station Degree-Days °F Degree-Days °C Station Degree-Days °F Degree-Days °C
British Columbia Alberta – continued
Abbotsford A(1) 45 25 Penhold A 2,586 1,437
Beatton River A 3,893 2,164 Red Deer 2,382 1,323
Comox A 596 331 Suffield A 2,259 1,255
Cranbrook A 1,314 730 Vermilion A 3,222 1,790
Dog Creek A 1,457 809 Saskatchewan
Fort Nelson A 4,523 2,513 Broadview A 3,244 1,802
Fort St. John A 2,848 1,582 Dafoe A 3,722 2,068
Kamloops A 603 335 Estevan A 2,646 1,470
Kimberley A 1,434 797 Moose Jaw A 2,555 1,419
New Westminister 35 19 North Battleford A 3,378 1,877
Penticton A 313 174 Prince Albert A 3,739 2,077
Port Hardy A 33 18 Regina A 3,175 1,764
Prince George A 1,670 928 Saskatoon A 3,284 1,824
Prince Rupert A 64 36 Swift Current A 3,323 1,846
Princeton A 1,111 617 Uranium City A 5,551 3,084
Quesnel A 1,457 809 Yorkton A 3,563 1,799
Sandspit A 35 19 Manitoba
Smithers A 1,498 832 Brandon A 3,388 1,882
Smith River A 4,866 2,703 Churchill A 6,698 3,721
Terrace A 637 354 Flin Flon 4,279 2,377
Tofino A 20 11 Gimli A 3,417 1,898
Vancouver A 31 17 MacDonald A 3,038 1,688
Victoria A 28 16 Neepawa A 3,282 1,823
Williams Lake A 881 489 Portage La Prairie A 2,855 1,586
Yukon Territory Rivers A 3,315 1,842
Aishihik A 5,038 2,799 Winnipeg A 3,251 1,806
Dawson 6,174 3,430 Ontario
Haines Junction 4,498 2,499 Algonquin Park 2,147 1,193
Mayo 5,454 3,030 Belleville 1,143 635
Snag A 6,477 3,598 Brampton 1,026 570
Teslin A 3,754 2,086 Brantford 790 439
Watson Lake A 3,281 1,823 Chalk River 2,096 1,164
Whitehorse 3,574 1,986 Chatham 531 295
Northwest Territories Cochrane 3,309 1,838
Cape Dyer A 7,058 3,921 Collingwood 975 542
Coral Harbour A 8,552 4,751 Dryden 3,395 1,886
Fort McPherson 7,747 4,304 Georgetown 1,084 602
Frobisher Bay A 7,026 3,903 Guelph 1,055 586
Hay River A 5,512 3,062 Hamilton 663 368
Inuvik A 8,424 4,680 Huntsville 1,656 920
Norman Wells A 7,026 3,903 Iroquois Falls 3,388 1,882
Resolute Bay A 11,166 6,203 Kapuskasing A 3,439 1,911
Tuktoyaktuk 8,855 4,919 Kenora A 3,172 1,762
Yellowknife A 6,506 3,614 Kingston 1,220 678
Alberta Kirkland Lake 3,244 1,802
Banff 1,963 1,091 Kitchener 983 546
Calgary A 1,791 995 Lindsay 1,445 803
Cold Lake A 3,174 1,763 London A 863 479
Cowley A 1,413 785 Moosonee 4,081 2,267
Edmonton A 2,593 1,441 Niagara Falls 684 380
Embarras A 4,439 2,466 North Bay 2,210 1,228
Fort McMurray A 4,024 2,236 Orangeville 1,423 791
Grande Prairie A 2,967 1,648 Orillia 1,495 831
Jasper 1,885 1,047 Ottawa A 1,829 1,016
Lake Louise 2,810 1,561 Owen Sound 995 553
Lethbridge A 1,326 737 Parry Sound 1,517 843
Medicine Hat A 1,809 1,005 Peterborough 1,365 758
Peace River A 3,805 2,114 Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) 2,541 1,412
(1) A indicates an airport data station. Continued on next page

C ANADA . GEOTECHNIC AL INFORMATION

 TECH SOLUTIONS 605.0
Calculating Insulation Needs to Fight Frost Heave
by Comparing Freezing Index and Frost Depth

Table 1: Continued Table 1: Continued

Freezing Index Freezing Index
Station Degree-Days °F Degree-Days °C Station Degree-Days °F Degree-Days °C
Ontario – continued New Brunswick – continued
St. Catharines 506 281 Sackville 1,174 652
St. Thomas 710 394 St. George 1,115 619
Sarnia 670 372 Saint John 1,002 557
Sault Ste. Marie A 1,663 924 Saint John A 1,137 632
Simcoe 751 417 Sussex 1,337 743
Sioux Lookout A 3,450 1,917 Woodstock 1,701 945
Stratford 1,072 596 Nova Scotia
Sudbury A 2,401 1,334 Annapolis Royal 593 329
Timmins A 3,160 1,756 Cheticamp 955 531
Toronto 629 349 Debert A 1,136 631
Toronto A 897 498 Greenwood A 815 453
White River 3,344 1,858 Halifax 556 309
Windsor A 565 314 Halifax A 856 476
Woodstock 929 516 Ingonish Beach 828 460
Québec Liverpool 453 252
Bagotville A 2,867 1,593 Shearwater A 699 388
Baie Comeau A 2,518 1,399 Springfield 933 518
Chicoutimi 2,536 1,409 Sydney A 811 451
Drummondville 1,827 1,015 Truro 1,025 569
Gagnon A 4,216 2,342 Yarmouth A 415 231
Gaspé 2,012 1,118 Prince Edward Island
La Malbaie 2,043 1,135 Alliston 1,000 556
Mont Laurier 2,325 1,292 Charlottetown A 1,201 667
Montréal A 1,583 879 Summerside A 1,242 690
Québec 1,822 1,012 Newfoundland
Québec A 2,059 1,144 Argentia A 475 264
Sept-Iles A 2,746 1,526 Bonavista 853 474
Sherbrooke 1,581 878 Buchans A 1,724 958
Sorel 1,997 1,109 Churchill Falls A 4,818 2,677
Tadoussac 2,038 1,132 Corner Brook 1,120 622
Three Rivers 2,139 1,188 Gander International A 1,207 671
New Brunswick Goose A 3,268 1,816
Edmundston 2,219 1,233 Grand Falls 1,394 774
Fredericton A 1,561 867 St. John’s 648 360
Moncton A 1,397 776 Stephenville A 925 514
Pennfield Ridge A 1,178 654 Wabush Lake A 4,688 2,604

For Technical Information: 1-866-583-BLUE (2583) (English) 1-800-363-6210 (French)

For Sales Information: 1-800-232-2436 (English) 1-800-565-1255 (French)
DOW CHEMICAL CANADA ULC . Dow Building Solutions . 450 – 1st St. SW . Suite 2100 . Calgary, AB T2P 5H1
www.dowbuildingsolutions.com

NOTICE: No freedom from any patent owned by Dow or others is to be inferred. Because use conditions and applicable laws may differ from one location to
another and may change with time, Customer is responsible for determining whether products and the information in this document are appropriate for
Customer’s use and for ensuring that Customer’s workplace and disposal practices are in compliance with applicable laws and other government enactments.
Dow assumes no obligation or liability for the information in this document. NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES ARE GIVEN EXCEPT FOR ANY APPLICABLE
WRITTEN WARRANTIES SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED BY DOW. ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES INCLUDING THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR
A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED.

Republished November 2008

®™Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”) or an affiliated company of Dow Form No. 178-00754-1108P&M

C ANADA . GEOTECHNIC AL INFORMATION