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