Geotechnical assessment of marginal soils for sustainable infrastructure

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The sustainable (cost effective, environmentally friendly, and socially viable) management of civil**infrastructure depends on a clear understanding of the engineering properties of the supporting soils. The**interaction of marginal earthen materials (expansive clays and collapsible silts) with changing meteorological**conditions poses serious challenges to an uninterrupted use of buried utilities. TransGas Limited provides**natural gas (14,000 km long pipeline) as well as system integrity assessment and service for the distribution**network (69,000 km of mains and 390,000 individual services). The main issue associated with buried pipes is**the variable geotechnical pipe failure rate that ranges from 40/year to 110/year. In support of the company's**management strategy, the main objective of this collaborative research is to understand and improve the**geotechnical behavior of marginal soils. This is the first time that the company is participating in a**comprehensive geotechnical evaluation of indigenous soils deposits. Based on a detailed research program**(using laboratory investigation and numerical modeling), a scientific framework will be developed to work**with expansive and collapsible sediments in Saskatchewan. Soil properties will be investigated using**fundamental concepts of saturated and unsaturated soil mechanics under natural and compacted conditions.**The resulting innovative technology (characterization protocols and computational predictions) will be pivotal**for the design, construction, operation, and rehabilitation of civil infrastructure systems. The expected**economic benefits of understanding and improving local marginal soils for TransGas Limited are minimizing**the number of leak surveys and prioritizing vulnerable areas within the networks. Likewise, the environmental**and safety benefits due to reduced pipe ruptures and gas leaks will ensure public confidence in the natural gas**distribution system. The research results will be critical for the company for ongoing and future pipeline**network expansions. Finally, the expected capacity development in technical expertise, recruitment of highly**qualified professionals, and multi-disciplinary interactions are important benefits for the University of Regina