The unique natural environment of the alpine terrains along the Tianshan highway has led to the frequent occurrence of hazards. The typical hazards in this area, such as sliding collapse, have obvious time-dependent deformation characteristics, and the extreme climatic change causes rock mass deterioration under freeze–thaw cycles, which serves as an important factor that indirectly triggers hazards, while the relationship between the time-dependent characteristics of hazards and the damage characteristics of rock mass deterioration triggering hazards remains uncertain. A series of microscopic examination and macroscopic mechanical experiments were conducted on quartz sandstone from the Tianshan highway to study the mechanism. The experimental results show that the cyclic freeze–thaw action changed the microstructure of quartz sandstone and weakened its mechanical performance. The weakening effect on the long-term mechanical characteristics is much more remarkable than that on the short-term characteristics, and the failure modes become more complicated after long-term loading. Based on the experimental phenomenon, the mechanism was analyzed, and a new constitutive model was established to reflect the long-term mechanical characteristics of rock with freeze–thaw cycles and predict the deformation of an unstable rock mass during collapse. These results can provide a reference for alpine hazard prevention.

天山公路沿线的高山地形独特的自然环境导致了灾害的频繁发生。该地区的典型灾害，如滑动塌陷，具有明显的随时间变化的变形特征，极端的气候变化导致冻融循环下岩体质量恶化，这是间接触发灾害的重要因素，而两者之间的关系灾害的时变特征以及岩体变质引发灾害的破坏特征仍然不确定。对天山高速公路石英砂岩进行了一系列的微观检查和宏观力学实验，以研究其机理。实验结果表明，循环冻融作用改变了石英砂岩的微观结构，削弱了其力学性能。对长期力学性能的削弱作用比对短期力学性能的削弱作用更为显着，并且在长期载荷后，失效模式变得更加复杂。根据实验现象，分析了其机理，并建立了一个新的本构模型，以反映冻融循环岩石的长期力学特性，并预测坍塌过程中不稳定岩体的变形。这些结果可为预防高山危害提供参考。长期加载后，失效模式变得更加复杂。根据实验现象，分析了其机理，并建立了一个新的本构模型，以反映冻融循环岩石的长期力学特性，并预测坍塌过程中不稳定岩体的变形。这些结果可为预防高山危害提供参考。长期加载后，失效模式变得更加复杂。根据实验现象，分析了其机理，并建立了一个新的本构模型，以反映冻融循环岩石的长期力学特性，并预测坍塌过程中不稳定岩体的变形。这些结果可为预防高山危害提供参考。