Thermal Regime of Highway Embankments in the Arctic: Field Observations and Numerical Simulations

Guzman, Earl Marvin B. De; Alfaro, Marolo C.; Arenson, Lukas U.; Doré, Guy

doi:10.1061/(asce)gt.1943-5606.0002502

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The ITH posed many engineering challenges given the abundance of lakes and rivers, severe weather and cold winter darkness, and the difficulties of building a durable road on ice-rich permafrost in a region that is subject to rapid Arctic climate change. The latter required establishing thick gravel embankments to insulate and protect the underlying permafrost, with fill thicknesses ranging from 1.5 to 12 m depending on topography (De Guzman et al 2021) and budgetary constraints (see above). Fill thicknesses were based on extensive field measurements and geophysical modeling, validation and projections.…”

Section: Engineering Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This latter engineering approach is more suited to light loads and stable permafrost conditions, neither of which are the case for the ITH, and an adaptive management plan was formulated involving regular monitoring and the potential use of thermosyphons (Hoeve and Fortin 2019). Studies on the stability of the road have shown snow accumulation at the toe of embankments, flooding at some sites, and a warming of toe-soil temperatures and embankment cracking (De Guzman et al 2021), indicating the need for careful monitoring and vigilance.…”

Section: Engineering Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Arctic roads and railways: social and environmental consequences of transport infrastructure in the circumpolar North

et al. 2023

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Land-based transport corridors and their related infrastructure increasingly extend into and across the Arctic in support of resource development and population growth, causing large-scale cumulative changes in northern socio-ecological systems. These changes result from the increased mobility of people, goods and resources, and from environmental impacts on landscapes and ecosystems as the human footprint extends into remote, unindustrialized regions. Arctic climate change is bringing new challenges for construction and maintenance of transport systems, requiring adaptive engineering solutions as well as community resilience to change. In this review article, we consider the complex entanglements between humans, the environment and land transportation infrastructure in the North, and illustrate these aspects by way of seven case studies: Baikal-Amur Mainline, Bovanenkovo Railway, Alaska-Canada Highway, Inuvik-Tuktoyatuk Highway, Alaska Railroad, Hudson Bay Railway and proposed railways on Baffin Island, Canada. As new infrastructure is anticipated and built across the circumpolar North, there is an urgent need for an integrated socio-ecological approach to impact assessment. This would include full consideration of Indigenous knowledge and concerns, collaboration with local communities and user groups in assessment, planning and monitoring, and evaluation of alternative engineering designs to contend with the impacts of climate change in the decades ahead.

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Section: Engineering Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Engineering Issuesmentioning

confidence: 99%