A study is presented of the transfer of heat within a saturated sand with reference to the analysis of artificial freezing of the ground. First, the main characteristics of the adopted finite element approach and of the technique that introduces the latent-heat effects during the water–ice phase transition are illustrated. Subsequently, the results of some laboratory freezing tests are presented on the basis of which the computer program and the procedure for working out the thermal constants of the soil were calibrated. Finally, a parametric study is discussed that concerns the effects of pipe diameter, distance between pipes, and coolant temperature on the progress of the 0 °C isotherm.Key words: artificial freezing, finite elements, heat transfer, laboratory test, Stefan problem.