In order to study the unidirectional freeze-thaw process of sandy clay with low liquid limit under groundwater recharge of different depths, the unidirectional freeze-thaw tests on large scale soil mass model were carried out using the freeze-thaw system device consisting of the box, cooling / heating system, groundwater recharge system, etc. The results showed that the temperature, moisture content and freeze-thaw volume of each soil layer plane were not evenly distributed in the freeze-thaw process and counteracted with each other. With groundwater recharge, the amount of frost heaving of the soil was greater than that of the thaw subsidence, and the duration of the latter was shorter than that of the former. The effects of different groundwater depths on the freezing and thawing mainly manifested in their influence on the initial water content before freezing, which in turn affected the temperature gradient and the change of frozen front, and further affected the development of unfrozen water migration, frost heaving volume and thaw subsidence volume. Therefore, the freeze-thaw effect is the result of complex multi-field coupling of temperature field, water field and displacement field.