A generalized model for calculating the thermal conductivity of freezing soils based on soil components and frost heave

•The freezing process of a soil sample was categorized into three stages by components and frost heave.•A generalized model to calculate the thermal conductivity of freezing soils was represented as a function of unfrozen water content, frost heave, porosity, and initial water content.•Calculated results were evaluated with measured data, and R2 is equal to 0.91.