A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Preliminary Investigation for Mechanical Degradation of Permafrost Embankment: Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway Case Study
Roads and highways in cold regions are affected by the settlement of embankments leading to dangerous trafficability issues. There are uncertainties regarding the mechanical behaviour of embankments built on permafrost. The objective of this project is to quantify the relative importance of consolidation, frost heave, and long-term creep of the foundation material. Understanding the predominant mechanism of instability and deformation of the embankments for different types of soil contributes to the development of efficient mitigation strategies; thus, providing better transportation infrastructure for northern communities in permafrost regions. The studied site is located in continuous permafrost at kilometre 82 of the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway 10 (ITH) in the Northwest Territories, where vertical and horizontal inclinometers were installed to monitor and collect data from the movements of the embankment. Investigation also includes temperature recording with thermistor strings to monitor the influence of the embankment on the thermal regime of the ground. The results of the field data analysis show that the displacements observed are the result of a combination of multiple mechanisms occurring in the foundation material, where horizontal and vertical settlement can both be observed. The effect of those mechanisms is greater at the natural ground surface and decreases exponentially with depth. However, multiple uncertainties exist about ground conditions, which makes attempts to assess the role of each mechanism very difficult.
Preliminary Investigation for Mechanical Degradation of Permafrost Embankment: Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway Case Study
Roads and highways in cold regions are affected by the settlement of embankments leading to dangerous trafficability issues. There are uncertainties regarding the mechanical behaviour of embankments built on permafrost. The objective of this project is to quantify the relative importance of consolidation, frost heave, and long-term creep of the foundation material. Understanding the predominant mechanism of instability and deformation of the embankments for different types of soil contributes to the development of efficient mitigation strategies; thus, providing better transportation infrastructure for northern communities in permafrost regions. The studied site is located in continuous permafrost at kilometre 82 of the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway 10 (ITH) in the Northwest Territories, where vertical and horizontal inclinometers were installed to monitor and collect data from the movements of the embankment. Investigation also includes temperature recording with thermistor strings to monitor the influence of the embankment on the thermal regime of the ground. The results of the field data analysis show that the displacements observed are the result of a combination of multiple mechanisms occurring in the foundation material, where horizontal and vertical settlement can both be observed. The effect of those mechanisms is greater at the natural ground surface and decreases exponentially with depth. However, multiple uncertainties exist about ground conditions, which makes attempts to assess the role of each mechanism very difficult.
Preliminary Investigation for Mechanical Degradation of Permafrost Embankment: Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway Case Study
Parent, M. (author) / Doré, G. (author) / Lemieux, C. (author) / DeGuzman, E. M. (author) / Alfaro, M. (author)
18th International Conference on Cold Regions Engineering and 8th Canadian Permafrost Conference ; 2019 ; Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Cold Regions Engineering 2019 ; 186-194
2019-08-08
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
| British Library Online Contents | 2018
Inuvik, Canada's first triumph over permafrost
| Engineering Index Backfile | 1964