Overcoming the challenge of piling in a changing north STG Technician preparing and setting foundation piles. (B.Walsh, STG Inc.)
Setting the first pile for the foundation of a 900kW wind turbine. (B.Walsh, STG Inc.)
Climate change is altering the permafrost foundation of the Arctic, and challenging the resilience and innovation of piling companies operating in the far north like never before By Paul Adair Building in the Arctic has always presented a set of unique challenges for construction companies, from isolated communities with limited access to skilled workers and equipment, from working through harsh winters and navigating rough geographic terrain to gaining project acceptance from local communities. Overcoming these kinds of challenges can prove difficult and tend to add to a project’s overall complexity and costs. “If you go into those remote locations where they rely on winter roads or have fly-in access only, things like Internet interconnectivity, sourcing and moving materials, housing costs, energy costs, and food costs can be substantial, particularly in those months when the winter roads are unavailable,” says Paul Gruner, President and CEO at Det’on Cho Man22 PIC Magazine • June 2021
agement LP in Yellowknife, NT. “Farther
ing, however, there’s an increased risk to
north, in places with even less access,
northern structure foundations. Because
you will have to plan your projects a sea-
some permafrost is essentially just water,
son in advance, at a minimum.”
it has nearly zero compressive strength
PERMAFROST’S FOUNDATIONAL PROBLEMS For piling, the logistical hurdles to overcome are compounded by the onset of climate change that’s causing the permafrost underfoot to become somewhat less permanent. Permafrost is defined as any ground that remains completely frozen for at least two years in a row – essentially, a frozen solid mass of earth or frozen water with small amounts of soil particles. Even under ideal conditions, piling in permafrost conditions can prove to be
when thawed, as evidenced by the growing number of sagging buildings across the north. “Where the permafrost underlying buildings is ice-rich, any degradation of the permafrost could lead to thaw settlement and building distress,” says Canadian
Construction
Association
President Mary Van Buren. “As such, managing erosion and sedimentation for northern community infrastructure will be a specific challenge for the piling industry going forward.”
PILING IN THE NORTH
difficult. Taking into account long-term
There are generally two kinds of piles
and rapidly accelerating climate warm-
commonly being used for foundations
