NWT HIGHWAY 3 TEST SECTIONS NEAR YELLOWKNIFE

Jan Stirling, Jack Seto, Lukas Arenson, Muhammad Abu Bakar

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

Session: Infrastructure Performance in Cold Regions II / Performance des infrastructures en régions nordiques II

ABSTRACT: Highway 3 is the only all-weather road connecting southern Canada to the City of Yellowknife. The last 100 km of the highway is located in an area of extensive discontinuous permafrost in the Great Slave Lowlands. Ground temperatures are typically warmer than -1°C and extensive permafrost degradation has been noted in recent years. Originally constructed as a gravel road in the mid-1960™s, the highway was straightened and reconstructed between 1999 and 2006. Since reconstruction, sections of the highway have experienced significant sagging in soil-covered areas and considerable maintenance is required to maintain safe driving conditions. In 2012, four test sections were constructed to evaluate potential mitigation techniques for road embankments on permafrost foundations. The test sections involved different levels of embankment reconstruction, from dressing the existing side slopes, to partial and full replacement of the road embankment fills. Thermistors were installed in the test sections and bi-annual inspections carried out to monitor the thermal and structural behaviour of the embankment. This paper presents data and findings from the first 2.5 years of monitoring.

RÉSUMÉ: L™autoroute 3 est la seule route toutes saisons reliant le sud du Canada à la ville de Yellowknife. Les 100 derniers kilomètres de la route se trouvent dans une vaste zone de pergélisol discontinu. Construite à l'origine comme une route de gravier au milieu des années 1960, la route a été redressée et reconstruite entre 1999 et 2006. Depuis la reconstruction, des sections de l'autoroute ont connu des affaissements significatifs dans les zones de sol couvert. Une importante maintenance est nécessaire afin de maintenir des conditions de conduite sécuritaires. En 2012, quatre sections d'essai ont été construites pour évaluer les techniques d'atténuation potentielles pour remblais routiers reposant sur le pergélisol. Les sections d'essai ont impliqué différents niveaux de reconstruction de remblai routier, du revêtement des pentes latérales existantes, au remplacement partiel et complet des matériaux du remblai routier. Des thermistances furent installées dans les sections d'essai et des inspections biannuelles sont effectuées pour surveiller le comportement thermique et structural. Cet article présente des données et résultats préliminaires à partir des 2,5 premières années de suivi.

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Cite this article:
Jan Stirling; Jack Seto; Lukas Arenson; Muhammad Abu Bakar (2015) NWT HIGHWAY 3 TEST SECTIONS NEAR YELLOWKNIFE in GEO2015. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{343,author = Jan Stirling; Jack Seto; Lukas Arenson; Muhammad Abu Bakar,title = NWT HIGHWAY 3 TEST SECTIONS NEAR YELLOWKNIFE ,year = 2015}