Material Behavior and Its Impact on Northern Development

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The research focuses on improving the waste disposal practice in Northern Regions of Canada. In addition, ongoing research to improve our understanding of the frost heave process and water movement through the frozen fringe is planned. Research is also proposed to develop an enhanced type of composite tailings (CT) to lower reclamation costs for the oil sands industry. The research on improving mine waste disposal will study how to place sulfide rich mine tailings in the Arctic to eliminate future concerns with Acid Mine Drainage. Studies on the use of "Freeze control" placement of the tailings will be carried out. "Freeze control" placement is a strategy of placing the mine waste in layers and allowing it to freeze during the winter. Freezing locks the water into the ice and this has the potential to eliminate it from contact with the sulfide minerals. Water and oxygen must be both present during the oxidation process to form acidic water known as acid mine drainage. Once placement of the tailings is complete they will be covered with waste rock to minimize or eliminate thaw during the summer or as a result of climate induced warming.The applicant is applying for research funds to study development of shale enhancedConsolidate/Composite Tailings (CT) that will allow for more rapid reclamation of the deposit and has the potential to sequester a substantial mass of salt in the final waste deposit. The clay shale has the ability to absorb water and when it is mixed with mature fine tails from the oil sands mines it forms a low strength clay that has an extremely small ability to transmit water. These characteristics will be combined to form this enhanced CT. Research on the behavior of freezing soils will be undertaken to improve the professions understanding of the fundamentals of frost heave and the soil properties that control its magnitude