An Overview of Major Engineering Challenges for Developing Transportation Infrastructure in Northern Canada ...

• Main Authors: Doré, Guy, Stephani, Eva, Lepage, Julie Malenfant
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The School of Public Policy Publications 2022
• Subjects: Arctic; Canada; Climate change; Ice; permafrost
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/sppp.v15i1.73187; https://journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/sppp/article/view/73187

The transportation corridor proposed to support the development of northern Canada travels extensively through areas of permafrost. The main concern for sustainably developing infrastructure in permafrost terrain arises from melting the ground ice contained in the frozen soils, which can yield to ground subsidence and other geohazards. Permafrost degradation may be triggered by natural processes or anthropogenic activities; it is compounded with climate change, and its impacts on infrastructure are widespread in the Arctic. Advancing our understanding of permafrost dynamics is critical to minimize impacts from geohazards on infrastructure and detrimental consequences on the surrounding natural environment. Permafrost dynamics involve the interactions between factors from the climate, ground surface and subsurface, and in some instances with anthropogenic activities (e.g., infrastructure). Assemblage of these components forms a permafrost geosystem where interactions and feedback are key to the state of ... : The School of Public Policy Publications, Vol. 15 No. 1 (2022) ...