Abstract: Frost susceptibility should be considered in the design and construction of foundations and retaining-wall structures in regions with the seasonally freezing-soil ground condition. When planning construction that goes deep into this soil, one has to understand the impact of horizontal forces to an underground wall and realize the potential effect of frost heaving upon, deep foundations. This article presents a few soil tests for frost heaving and the results of those tests show dangerous data for retaining structures under the soil conditions in Kazakhstan. The main parameters of the soil include frost penetration and heaving rate and amount. So, in designing underground structures, one must understand and consider that frost heaving occurs in various directions; this factor is very important for predicting on the restriction of deformations of structures in the seasonally freezing-soil ground condition.

Key words: seasonal freezing, frost heaving, horizontal forces, frost susceptibility, retaining structures, deformations