Building owners in northern climates have a constant struggle protecting building foundations from the expansion and contraction of frozen ground. The usual solution is to augment the insulation at the ground level, something that has been done with mixed results. Generally the colder the climate, the worse the problem.
This problem should be perceived as a life-cycle aspect of a building that can reduce the expected lifetime and the rate-of-return on the investment. A little extra money spent up front to alleviate frost heave can have an excellent long-term payback. Just as a mortgage paid off in 15 years instead of 30 saves a significant amount on interest payments, extending the life of a building after it’s paid off represents money free and clear to the landowner.
Another alternative is to maintain the slab perimeter at a temperature above freezing, by artificial means. As simple a solution as water warmed by heat tape may resolve this, or a more creative heat source such as routing the pipe beneath a blacktop parking lot. The only energy spent is for a fractional-horsepower pump circulating the water slowly.
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Excerpt from Energy Conservation Projects.