Adaptive Design for Climate-Resilient Northern Transportation Infrastructure

适应气候变化的北方交通基础设施的适应性设计

• 批准号: RGPIN-2022-04116
• 负责人: Alfaro, Marolo
• 金额: $ 3.13万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=749294
• 关键词: Adaptive; Design; Climate; Resilient; Northern

Adapting northern transportation infrastructure to a changing climate relies upon quantitative assessment of the impacts of climate change on the performance of geotechnical structures. The term `northern transportation infrastructure' refers here to infrastructure built on permafrost and `geotechnical structures' refer to foundations and earthen structures. Increased temperatures result in thawing of permafrost and reductions of the shear strength and stiffness of geotechnical structures. The current trends of climate warming are causing instabilities and serviceability issues with infrastructure. Warming in Canada's North is taking place at a faster rate than the rest of Canada. It is therefore critical that we protect northern infrastructure in the face of a changing climate. Resiliency and efficiency are vital elements of infrastructure in Northern Canada. The proposed research program aims at developing adaptive design methods to achieve resilience of northern transportation infrastructure in a changing climate. This research proposal is a continuation of my current NSERC Discovery Grant and will study three innovative adaptation methods related to the effects of climate warming on the structural stability of highway embankments in Northern Canada. The first method is the use of wicking geosynthetics to improve the structural stability of embankment fills. The second method is using geogrid-geofoam composites to stabilize embankments on icy polygonal ground. These two methods are applicable for newly constructed highway embankments on permafrost. The third method is to modernize an approach to accelerate thawing of degrading permafrost below embankments and to improve the mechanical properties of the foundation soils. This method is suitable for newly-constructed and existing embankments on thaw sensitive permafrost and in areas where permafrost is degrading. Transportation infrastructure is needed in Northern Canada to provide reliable, cost-effective services for economic and social development. Northern Canada is home to many First Nations people and is rich in minerals, petrocarbons and hydroelectric resources. Properly constructed and maintained highways, airports, and river crossings are necessary for the delivery of goods and services to the North, and delivery of mineral products to the Southern regions, which supports the socio-economic well-being of Northern communities. The proposed research program will help Canada with the capacity to manage infrastructure in the permafrost regions in the context of a changing climate. It will advance both research and practice in cold regions engineering, and will provide students the opportunity to develop a specialized knowledge of cold regions engineering and climate change issues. Students trained in this proposed research program will be particularly well positioned to tackle emerging engineering and sustainability challenges associated with northern transportation infrastructure.

使北方交通基础设施适应不断变化的气候依赖于定量评估气候变化对岩土结构性能的影响。“北方运输基础设施”一词在这里是指在永久冻土上建造的基础设施，“土工结构”是指地基和土结构。温度升高导致冻土融化，岩土结构的抗剪强度和刚度降低。目前的气候变暖趋势正在导致基础设施的不稳定性和可服务性问题。加拿大北部的变暖速度比加拿大其他地区快。因此，我们必须在气候变化的情况下保护北方的基础设施。弹性和效率是加拿大北方基础设施的重要组成部分。 拟议的研究计划旨在开发适应性设计方法，以实现北方交通基础设施在气候变化中的弹性。这项研究计划是我目前的NSERC发现补助金的延续，将研究三种创新的适应方法，这些方法与气候变暖对加拿大北方高速公路结构稳定性的影响有关。第一种方法是使用芯吸土工合成材料来提高路堤填料的结构稳定性。第二种方法是使用土工格栅-土工泡沫复合材料来稳定结冰多边形地面上的装饰物。这两种方法适用于新建多年冻土区公路的养护。第三种方法是现代化的方法，以加速融化的退化多年冻土以下的冻土和改善基础土的力学性能。该方法适用于融敏性多年冻土和冻土退化地区新建和现有的冻土工程。加拿大北方需要交通基础设施，以便为经济和社会发展提供可靠、具有成本效益的服务。加拿大北方是许多原住民的家园，拥有丰富的矿产、石油和水力资源。妥善建造和维护公路、机场和河流过境点是向北方运送货物和服务以及向南方地区运送矿产品的必要条件，这有助于北方社区的社会经济福祉。拟议的研究计划将帮助加拿大在气候变化的背景下管理永久冻土区基础设施的能力。它将推进寒区工程的研究和实践，并将为学生提供发展寒区工程和气候变化问题的专业知识的机会。在这项拟议的研究计划中培训的学生将特别有能力解决与北方交通基础设施相关的新兴工程和可持续发展挑战。