68th Canadian Geotechnical Conference and 7th Canadian Permafrost Conference

BEHAVIOR OF DRAIN TUBES PLANAR DRAINAGE GEOCOMPOSITE UNDER EXTREME COLD TEMPERATURES

Session: Barriers and Geosynthetics / Barrières et géosynthétiques

Stephan Fourmont, Texel (Canada)
Pascal Saunier, Afitex-Texel (Canada)

Drainage is a critical component of every construction in civil, environmental and mining engineering. Natural drainage material like gravel or sand is widely used but starts to be replaced by drainage geocomposites, more efficient in term of installation and environmental footprint. However, these solutions are not always adapted to the extreme climate of northern Canada. Indeed, the structure of the product and its chemical composition have a strong influence on its behavior under cold temperatures and some geocomposites can exhibit an important stiffness making them difficult to install. Their mechanical and hydraulic properties may also be affected. The use of drain tubes planar drainage geocomposites allow for the avoidance of these issues. This paper shows the main characteristics of this type of geocomposite, the lab tests results on its mechanical behavior under cold conditions and presents two case studies of a pond construction and a mine site rehabilitation in northern Canada.