ARQULUK program update after the third year (2014-2015)

Québec, September 24th 2015

1. Welcome 2. Approval of the agenda

3. Minutes of 2014 meetings Whitehorse, May 29th 2014 Québec, November 6th 2014

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4. Program objectives, themes, time table Program objectives

Goal Improve current adaptive capacities, by developing expertise for mitigating permafrost instability, beneath transportation infrastructure.

Objectives 1) Improve knowledge of factors affecting the thermal regime

2) Improve techniques for detection and characterization of unstable soils and embankments

3) Develop guidelines for the application of different construction and maintenance strategies, based on the cost, the feasibility and the effectiveness of applicable solutions

4) Develop a practical framework as support tools for the management of transportation infrastructure on permafrost

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Theme 1 Understanding of

the processes

Theme 2 Identify the problems

Theme 3 Stabilization

Management

Testing

Simulations (optimization)

- numerical - laboratory

Concept development

Monitoring of the behavior

Evaluation of the problem

Calculation tools Development of engineering tools Guideline Methods

State of knowledge

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3 themes

Theme 1 Improvement of the current knowledge on permafrost degradation and its effect on transportation infrastructures.

- Monitoring of experimental test sites Beaver Creek (Yukon) Tasiujaq/Salluit (Nunavik) Illulisat (Greenland)

- Development of engineering parameters

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3 themes

Theme 2 Improving capacity to identify and characterize thaw sensitive permafrost.

a. Geophysical and thermal analysis methods b. Analysis of longitudinal profiles of existing pavements c. In-situ oedometric tests d. Mechanical behaviour of marginally frozen soils

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3 themes

Theme 3 Development of adaptation techniques for transportation infrastructures built on unstable permafrost for design and maintenance. a. Thermal stabilization (albedo) b. Design procedure for snow c. Drainage design d. Risk assessment and management e. Mitigation and adaptation

Program time table program started in April 2012

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Project / activity 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

1- Improvement of knowledge

- Experimental test site monitoring - Engineering parameters development

2- Identification and caracterization

a. Geophysical and thermal methods

b. Profile analysis

c. Oedometric testing

d. Mechanical behavior of marginally frozen soils 3- Development of adaptation techniques

a. Thermal stabilization (albedo)

b. Design procedure for snow c. Drainage design d. Risk assessment and management

e. Mitigation and adaptation

Reports (P: progress; F: final) P P F

MSc

MSc

MSc

MSc

MSc

PhD

Internship

PhD

MSc

Internship - MSc

PhD

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5. Program update Ongoing project update

3 a- Thermal stabilization of transport infrastructure built on unstable permafrost using high albedo surface. Caroline Richard (MSc), started in May 2014 *presentation 2a- Analysis of gravimetry and thermal profile. Benoît Loranger (MSc) *presentation

2b- Analysis of longitudinal profiles of existing pavements. Laurie-Anne Grégoire (MSc) *presentation

2d- Mechanical behaviour of marginally frozen soils. Mathieu Durand-Jézéquel (MSc) *presentation

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5. Program update Ongoing project update

3b- Development of an engineering tool taking into account accumulation of snow along embankment. Florence Lanouette (MSc) *presentation 3d- Quantitative risk assessment for linear infrastructure on permafrost. Heather Brooks (PhD) *presentation 3e- Development of mitigation (adaptation) strategies and techniques.

Xiangbing Kong (PhD), started in June 2015

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5. Program update Ongoing project update

3c- Development of a methodology for the design of low-impact drainage systems.

Julie Malenfant-Lepage (PhD) started in January 2014 on parental leave (May 2015-January 2016) • Greenland study site in summer 2014 • Alaska Highway (Yukon) study site data acquisition during summer 2015:

1. Water flow and temperature (water/air/ground) at 2 culverts

2. Mapping and monitoring: degradation/evolution of the interceptor ditch, dug in fall 2013

3. Thaw depth: 8 transects along the ditch

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Projects associated to Arquluk

Related to theme 1 Thermal regime around culvert. Loriane Perier (MSc) Transports Canada Ended in August 2015

Embankment spreading. Anne-Gabrielle Nolet (MSc) Transport Canada Collaboration with Marolo Alfaro, University of Manitoba Started in May 2015 11

Projects associated to Arquluk Related to theme 3

Monitoring of thermal and mechanical behavior of the access road to Salluit airport, Nunavik. Vincent Lamontagne (MSc) Transports Québec

Vulnerability of the North Alaska Highway to Climate Change. Xiangbing Kong (PhD) Northern Climate ExChange (Yukon Research Center) and Yukon Highways

and Public Works, using funding from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

Started in September 2015

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6. Program management Project commitee web meeting

- Meeting done - summer 2015 Theme 2 (Gravimetry): Transports Quebec, Yukon College Theme 2 (Longitudinal profil): Transports Quebec, LVM Theme 2 (Soil behavior): Transport Quebec, GHD (InspecSol),

Tetra Tech EBA

- Meetings to come - fall 2015 Theme 1 (Snow): Transports Quebec, WSP Theme 3 (Albedo): Transports Quebec, YHPW, Colas, Nippo Theme 3 (Risk): Transports Quebec, YHPW, WSP, Ouranos - Meeting to come - winter 2015 Theme 1 (Drainage): Transports Quebec, YHPW, Yukon College, WSP

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Thesis: Simon Dumais, MSc. (theme 3: Albedo) Cédric Flécheux, MSc. (theme 2: Core barrel)

Oral / Poster: (2) Can. Conf. on Permafrost/Can. Geotechnical Conf., Québec, 2015 (4) Cold Region Engineering Conference, Salt Lake City, 2015 (1) ISPE- Intern. Symposium on Permafrost Engineering, China, 2014 (1) EUCOP-European Conference on Permafrost, Portugal, 2014 (1) TAC-Transports Association of Canada, Montréal, 2014 (1) International Conf. on Cold Region Engineering, Québec, 2012

(1) Pan-Territorial Permafrost Network, Yellowknife, November 2013

(3) AQTr – Québec Transport Association, 2014/2015 (5) Permafrost Network of Expertise Workshop, 2013/2014/2015 (8) Center For Northern Studies (Univ. Laval), Québec, 2013/2014/2015 (1) Ouranos Symposium, Québec, 2014

7. Publications

8. Round table discussion 9. Other topics 10. Next meetings Whitehorse, spring 2016 Québec, fall 2016

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Thank you to our partners and collaborators

www.arquluk.gci.ulaval.ca