A new approach to estimate segregation potential values using the frost heave response of two reference soils is presented. The reference characteristics consist of a relationship between segregation potential at zero overburden pressure, specific surface area and average grain size of the fines fraction for two artificial soil mixtures in which the clay mineral is poorly crystallized kaolinite. The prediction of segregation potential values using the reference frost heave characteristics approach is more robust and reliable than other empirical approaches which do not specifically distinguish between clay and nonclay fines.