A 762-mm-diameter pipe 1,886 km long was installed to transfer crude oil in the USA from North Dakota to Illinois. To investigate the impact of construction and restoration practices on long-term soil productivity and crop yield, vertical soil stresses induced by a Caterpillar (CAT) pipe liner PL 87 (475 kN vehicle load) and semi-trailer truck (8.9 kN axle load) were studied in a farm field. Soil properties (bulk density and cone penetration resistance) were measured on field zones within the right-of-way (ROW) classified according to construction machine trafficking and subsoil tillage (300-mm-depth tillage and 450-mm-depth tillage in two repeated passes) treatments.At 200 mm depth from the subsoiled surface, the magnitude of peak vertical soil stress from trafficking by the semi-truck trailer and CAT pipe liner PL 87 was 133 kPa. The peak vertical soil stress at 400 mm soil depth appeared to be influenced by vehicle weight, where the Caterpillar pipe liner PL 87 created soil compaction a magnitude of 1.5 greater than from the semi-trailer truck. Results from the soil bulk density and soil cone penetration resistance measurements also showed the ROW zones had significantly higher soil compaction than adjacent unaffected corn planted fields. Tillage to 450 mm depth alleviated the deep soil compaction better than the 300-mm-depth tillage as measured by soil cone penetration resistance within the ROW zones and the unaffected zone. These results could be incorporated into agricultural mitigation plans in ROW construction utilities to minimize soil and crop damage.
K E Y W O R D Sdeep tillage, soil bulk density, soil compaction, soil cone penetration resistance, vertical soil stress 294 |
Natural gas and oil consumption are projected (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2019) to increase globally and domestically through 2040. According to the report released by the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA, 2015), extraction and transportation of natural resources will require establishment of thousands of kilometres of new pipeline infrastructures. As an inevitable consequence, installation of underground pipelines implicates extensive soil disturbance with adverse effects on soil physical properties through soil compaction and mixing of topsoil and subsoil because of construction right-of-way (ROW) activities (Naeth,
To my loving mother, Lila R. Neideigh, who fought and lost a long, hard battle with lung cancer. She was always my number one supporter and told me I could do anything I set my mind to. Her knowledge and strength still live within me, and give me the courage to face every new challenge that comes my way. I love you, until we meet again. iii
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