68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference

GEOTECHNICAL DEEP FOUNDATION DESIGN CHALLENGES IN DISCONTINOUS PERMAFROST OF NORTHERN MANITOBA

Session: Foundations in Cold Regions / Fondations en régions nordiques

Hafeez Baba, SNC-Lavalin (Canada)
Jim Oswell, SNC-Lavalin (Canada)
Kristopher Matusiewicz, Manitoba Hydro (Canada)
Giovanni Militano, Manitoba Hydro (Canada)

Geotechnical foundation design challenges associated with the climatic and geotechnical conditions pertinent to northern Manitoba are presented and discussed. The challenges associated with a predicted warming trend for the degradation of frozen ground and its impact on the geotechnical foundation design was, in particular, a challenge at teh Keewatinohk Converter Station site. Due to remoteness and cold climate at the site, the project owner's preference was for a relatively long service life and reduced maintenance during the operations. The challenges included establishing a design freezing index, predicting and designing for frost depth and adfreeze forces. Driven steel tubular pipe piles were selcted as a most feasible foundation option for the project. The paper also presents axial and lateral pile load and pile drivability analysis challenges and solutions, and construction consideration.