EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A FROZEN CORE DAM FOUNDED ON ICE RICH SALINE MARINE SILTS AND CLAYS

Maritz Rykaart, Megan Miller, John Kurylo, Lowell Wade

In the proceedings of: GeoQuébec 2015: 68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference & 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference

Session: Embankments and Dams in Cold Regions / Remblais et barrages en régions nordiques

ABSTRACT: A precedent setting frozen core dam was constructed over 30 m thick ice-rich, saline glacial marine silt and clay, and fine sand as part of the tailings management system at the Doris North Project in Nunavut Canada. This water retaining dam was completed in 2012, and two years of monitoring data confirm that the engineered (non-saline) core is maintaining a temperature below -2°C, whilst the underlying saline permafrost foundation is stabilizing with temperatures trending below -8°C as per the design. This paper presents this data, demonstrating the viability of this technology even under such challenging foundation conditions.

RÉSUMÉ: Précédemment, un barrage à noyau gelé a été construit au-dessus d™une couche de matériaux d™une épaisseur de 30 mètres, pour le système de gestion des résidus du Doris North Project au Nunavut. De la glace, un silt et une argile marins, salins et glacials, ainsi qu™un sable fin constituaient cette couche. L™observation du barrage, qui a été complété en 2012, a permis la collecte de données confirmant la maintenance d™une température du noyau (non-salin) sous -2°C, alors que la température de la fondation de pergélisol salin se stabilise sous -8°C, selon la conception. Cet article présente donc ces données et démontre la viabilité de cette technologie sous des conditions de fondations difficiles.

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Cite this article:
Maritz Rykaart; Megan Miller; John Kurylo; Lowell Wade (2015) EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A FROZEN CORE DAM FOUNDED ON ICE RICH SALINE MARINE SILTS AND CLAYS in GEO2015. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{108,author = Maritz Rykaart; Megan Miller; John Kurylo; Lowell Wade,title = EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A FROZEN CORE DAM FOUNDED ON ICE RICH SALINE MARINE SILTS AND CLAYS ,year = 2015}