NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Gwich'in Settlement Area

Tags: permafrost degradation, Transportation infrastructure, embankment design

Objective(s): To develop a practical method for the mechanical and thermal design of embankments built on permafrost.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5914. The main objective is to develop a practical method for the mechanical and thermal design of embankments built on permafrost based on the properties of the active layer and of the permafrost, as well as the loading conditions. An existing thin section of the highway embankment built on permafrost has been instrumented in 2019, with sensor measuring embankment and ground temperature and humidity, and also stress and strain during heavy load trucks passage. As in 2019 and 2022, the behaviour of the embankment would be recorded during the passage of trucks loaded with varying loads, which would be rented locally in Tuktoyaktuk along with the local qualified driver. Also a few measurements would be done with a light-weight deflectometer, which consist of driving a thin rod in the embankment and in the natural ground next to the toe of the embankment to measure the resistance of the soil. During field campaign, exchange on the purposes and outcomes of our research and potential impacts for communities relying on critical infrastructure will be discussed with local workers from Tuktoyaktuk hired for the tests. As in 2019 and 2022, the transportation department of the NWT will be kept informed of our testing and of course the results of the research will be communicated to them, such that they can be used for future design and maintenance of the transportation infrastructure. Plain language summaries of the project will be produced for the communities of Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: June 17 - June 21, 2024 August 05 - August 09, 2024 September 16 - September 20, 2024