Material Behavior and Its Impact on Northern Development

研究的重点是改善加拿大北部地区的废物处理实践。此外，正在进行的研究，以提高我们对冻胀过程和通过冻结边缘的水运动的理解。为降低油砂工业的回收成本，建议研究开发增强型复合尾矿（CT）。改善矿山废物处理的研究将研究如何将富含硫化物的矿山尾矿放置在北极，以消除未来对酸性矿山排水的担忧。将进行尾矿“冻结控制”放置的研究。“冻结控制”放置是一种将矿山废物分层放置并允许其在冬季冻结的策略。冷冻将水锁在冰中，这有可能消除与硫化物矿物的接触。在氧化过程中，水和氧气必须同时存在，形成酸性水，即酸性矿井水。一旦尾矿的安置完成，它们将被废石覆盖，以尽量减少或消除夏季或气候变暖导致的融化。申请人现正申请研究基金，以研究页岩强化巩固/复合尾矿（CT）的开发，该项目将允许更快速地回收矿床，并有可能在最终的废物矿床中隔离大量的盐。粘土页岩具有吸水能力，与油砂矿开采的成熟细尾混合后形成低强度粘土，其传水能力极小。这些特征将结合起来形成增强CT。对冻土行为的研究将进行，以提高专业人员对冻胀的基本原理和控制其大小的土壤性质的理解

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