What happens to the soil, where soil water freezes and it tends to form ice layers parallel with the ground surface ?

When soil water freezes and forms ice layers (ice lenses) parallel to the ground surface, it results in a phenomenon known as frost heaving [t2][t3]. This process involves the upward swelling or rise of the ground surface [t1][t4]. As the freezing front progresses downward, water is drawn from the unfrozen soil below via capillary action or cryosuction to feed the growing ice lens [t3][t6]. Because soil composition, moisture content, and thermal gradients are rarely uniform across a landscape, the accumulation of ice and the resulting expansion do not occur at a perfectly consistent rate [t10]. Consequently, this leads to the soil being heaved upward in an uneven or differential manner, which can cause significant structural damage to roads, foundations, and pavements [t4][t5][t7].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/frost-heaving
2. [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frost_heaving
3. [3] https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/documents/newsletter/2011summer/frostheave.pdf