THE PRACTICAL LIMITS OF COLD TEMPERATURE GEOMEMBRANE INSTALLATION IN NORTHERN CANADA
Andrew Mills, Brian Fraser, Deepaksh Gulati
In the proceedings of: GeoQuébec 2015: 68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference & 7th Canadian Permafrost ConferenceSession: Barriers and Geosynthetics / Barrières et géosynthétiques
ABSTRACT: Many industry specifications for geomembranes call for a low temperature installation limit of 0C. These limits were mostly set up for US installations and are rarely practical for more extreme northern Canadian installations. Short Canadian summers inevitably see projects extend into the fall where any day can slip below 0C. In recent years liner installations have been extended so that now it is common for geomembranes to be installed in all months of the year. If 0C is no longer a suitable low temperature limit then what is a suitable guideline for Canadian geomembrane installations? This paper will look at a project completed in the winter of 2014 near the North West Territories. This triple-lined pond was installed in temperatures well below -30C. Cold temperature cracking of materials occurred during handling and deployment and one area of cracking developed in a unique area of the pond. Material samples were removed and tested by the manufacturer and were found to meet all project specifications. Back on the site the installers laid out special temperature monitoring stations at the top and the bottom of the pond slope and started compiling detailed records. Comparing field experience with the recorded temperatures allowed us to establish reasonable guidelines for northern Canadian low temperature installations. The paper also discusses the use of newer generation flexible polyolefin geomembranes which help to reduce the amount of field welding and overall installation costs.
RÉSUMÉ: De nombreuses spécifications de l'industrie exigent une limite de 0 °C à basse température pour les installations de géomembranes. Ces limites ont été majoritairement mises en place pour les installations aux États-Unis et elles sont rarement pratiques pour les installations plus extrêmes dans le Nord canadien. En raison des courts étés du Canada il devient inévitable de prolonger certains projets jusqu'à l'automne où la température risque de descendre en-dessous de maintenant courappropriée, alors quelle serait la recommandation pour les installations de géomembranes au Canada? Cet article examinera un projet complété à l'hiver 2014 dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest. Un étang à triple couches a été installé à des températures inférieures à -30 °C. La fissuration des matériaux causée par les basses températures a eu lieu lors de la manipulation, ainsi que le déploiement, causant une zone de fissuration dans une zone unique de aux spécifications du projet. De retour sur le site, les techniciens ont établi des stations de contrôle de la température en haut et en bas de la pente de l'étang et ils ont commencé à compiler des rapports détaillés. En comparant l'expérience de terrain avec les températures enregistrées, cela a permis d'établir des directives raisonnables pgénération de géomembranes de polyoléfines flexibles, qui aident à réduire la quantité de soudage sur le terrain et le coût global des installations.
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Andrew Mills; Brian Fraser; Deepaksh Gulati (2015) THE PRACTICAL LIMITS OF COLD TEMPERATURE GEOMEMBRANE INSTALLATION IN NORTHERN CANADA in GEO2015. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.
@article{806,author = Andrew Mills; Brian Fraser; Deepaksh Gulati,title = THE PRACTICAL LIMITS OF COLD TEMPERATURE GEOMEMBRANE INSTALLATION IN NORTHERN CANADA,year = 2015}