Energy shallow foundations represent an innovative technology that can simultaneously support structural loads and harvest geothermal energy. During geothermal operations, the underlying soils are subjected to structural loads and temperature fluctuations. Despite the potential, knowledge regarding the thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of the multilayered soils beneath the energy foundations remains scarce. This study proposed an analytical approach to investigate the thermo-hydro-mechanical response of soft fine-grained soils beneath energy shallow foundations. The analysis focused on the evolutions of the temperature, pore water pressure, and vertical displacement of the underlying soils. The results indicate that the generation and development of the thermally induced excess pore pressure are controlled by thermal transfer processes and soil hydraulic properties. Furthermore, the mechanical load-induced ground settlement decreases upon heating and increases upon cooling, primarily due to the development of thermally induced pore pressure and the thermal volume changes of the soil skeleton. Under the considered conditions, ignoring the thermally induced mechanical effects could result in a settlement prediction error of nearly 120%. Therefore, the thermo-hydro-mechanical interactions within the soils should be appropriately considered in the analysis and prediction of the displacement behavior of the energy foundations.

Shallow geothermal energy systems (SGES) are a promising technology for contributing to the decarbonization of the energy sector. Soil thermal conductivity (lambda) governs the heat transfer process in ground under a steady state; thereby, it is a key parameter for SGES performance. Soil mixing technology has been successful in enhancing the shear strength of soils, but is adopted in this paper for the first time to improve soils as a geothermal energy conductive medium for SGES applications. First, the thermal conductivity of six types of soils was systematically investigated and the key parameters analyzed. Next, graphite-based conductive cement grout was developed and mixed with the six soils in a controlled laboratory setting to demonstrate the significant increase in soil thermal conductivity. For example, the thermal conductivity of a very silty dry sand increased from 0.19 to 2.62 W/m.K (a remarkable 14-fold increase) when mixed with the conductive grout at a soil-to-grout ratio of 6: 1. In addition, the mechanical properties of the cement grouts and cement-mixed soils were examined along with the microstructural analysis, revealing the mechanism behind the thermal conductivity improvement. (c) 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.