ABSTRACT
A problem of stability of buildings and structures in the permafrost zone has become essentially aggravated during the last decade In cities of Northern Russia the tendency to develop mass-scale deformations of buildings and structures is observed It was determined that the basic reasons of deformations are negative technogenic impact on the geocryological and geoecological environment while global warming has not shown detectable influence on the bearing capacity of frozen bases A complex set of engineering-technical measures intended to stabilize the situation in large industrial centers of the Russian North as well as special methods for strengthening frozen bases has been developed and experimentally proved in Russia The emphasis is made on the application of artificial cooling through the tapping of natural stocks of cold in rocks Methods of cooling of boreholes by cold outer air by means of artificial and natural convection as well as by the use of spending cooling agents have been developed “Liquid” and “steam-liquid” thermal piles demonstrated the most efficiency in operation The positive as well as negative experience of 20-years term of operation thermal piles have been analyzed Results of geothermal observations are presented
