Building Stability On Permafrost In Vorkuta, Russia

Abstract

The Infrastructure stability on permafrost is currently an important topic as the Arctic countries are developing climate change adaptation and mitigation programs. Assessing the sustainability of infrastructure facilities (especially in urban environments) is a difficult task as it depends on many parameters. This article discusses the city of Vorkuta, which is located in the northwest of Russia. This city differs from many others built on permafrost because most of buildings were built according to Principle II (The Active Method) of construction on permafrost with thawing soil prior to construction. Assessments of the engineering and geocryological conditions, basic principles of construction in the city, and reasons for building failures, were carried out within this study. The research is based on publications, open data about buildings, and visual observations in Vorkuta. About 800 buildings are in use in Vorkuta in 2020 (43% of what it was 50 years ago). According to the analysis, about 800 houses have been demolished or disconnected from utility lines over the past 50 years (about 250 of these are still standing, pending demolition). Since 1994, the construction of new residential buildings has almost stopped. Therefore, buildings that have been in use for over 50 years will account for 90% of the total residential housing stock by 2040. The effects of climate change in the city will depend primarily on the principle of construction employed and on the geocryological conditions of the district. Buildings constructed according to Principle I (The Passive Method) were found to be more vulnerable due to a decrease in permafrost bearing capacity. The impact of increasing air temperature on some of the buildings built on bedrock (the central part of the city) and some built on thawing soil will be minimal, as other factors are more significant.

Multi-Parameter Protocol for Geocryological Test Site: A Case Study Applied for the European North of Russia

“…It indicates that this area has thawed saline soils, and that the thickness of the permafrost varies widely from the first 10 s of meters to 100 s meters. These interpretations may not be unique because there are saline soils and cryopegs in this coastal area, which significantly affect the resistivity and state of frozen soil [26,27].…”

“…The permafrost temperature has increased by −0.02 • C to −0.68 • C (maximum) near Vorkuta [25]. Thus, understanding the natural dynamics of landscapes and permafrost in these areas is necessary for the precise interpretation of the significance of the anthropogenic impact on the environment in the European part of the Russian Arctic area because the area is within zones of active industrial and economic activity [26].…”

Multi-Parameters Protocol for Geocryological Test Site: A case Study Applied in European North of Russia

“…It indicates that this area has thawed and saline soils, and that the thickness of the permafrost varies widely from the first 10's of meters to 100's meters. These interpretations may not be unique because there are saline soils and cryopegs in this coastal area, which significantly affect the resistivity and state of frozen soil [26,27]. We carried out the ERT measurement in the Khanovey field station in 2019.…”

Permafrost Regions In Transition: Introduction

“…Due to the complexity of its geological environment, its long history of development, and the diversity of construction techniques employed there, Vorkuta presents an unparalleled opportunity to examine various principles of construction used historically in permafrost regions (Shiklomanov et al 2020). Using a combination of archival materials and field surveys, Kotov and Khilimonyuk (2021) assess the housing stock in the city and outline the major reasons responsible for infrastructure failure, including lack of proper attention to geocryological conditions, lack of high-quality construction materials, improper operation of building crawl spaces, limited ventilation, and inadequate water drainage, among others. An important conclusion from this study is that structures built using passive methods of construction on permafrost (also known as Principle I) are most vulnerable to climate warming.…”

“…This special issue, «Permafrost Regions in Transition», provides a timely opportunity to (a) examine major issues associated with changing permafrost conditions in natural environments and areas of economic development; (b) present insights into new methods of permafrost investigations; and (c) describe new opportunities and risks threatening sustainable development of Arctic populations and industrial centers in Russia. The issue begins with papers focused on methods of permafrost research by Vasil'chuk et al (2021), Tikhonravova et al (2021), andZotova (2021), followed by papers focused on examining changes in permafrost under natural conditions by Tregubov et al (2021) and Grebenets et al (2021), and in the Russian Arctic settlements by Kotov and Khilimonyuk (2021) and Kamnev et al (2021). The last two papers examine potential impacts of permafrost degradation on the Russian economy (Badina and Pankratov 2021) and potential health implications (Puchkov et al 2021).…”