Infrastructure

Yukon Territory and western Northwest Territories, including Mackenzie Mountains and adjacent Mackenzie River Valley, with locations of all weather stations.

Performance of climate projections for Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories.

Performance of climate projections for Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories.

The design of infrastructure on permafrost must account for the impacts of a changing climate on ground stability. While guidelines like CSA PLUS 4011:19 provide a framework, choosing appropriate climate scenarios remains a challenge.

The study by Astrid Schetselaar, Trevor Anderson and Chris Burn reveals that observed warming in the Yukon and Northwest Territories (1991-2020) aligns with more extreme climate projections made in 2003 for the Mackenzie Gas Project.

Key takeaways for developers:

  • Consider adopting more aggressive climate change scenarios when designing permafrost foundations, as these projections have been more accurate.
  • Near-surface permafrost in southern parts of the region may become unsustainable. Thorough site investigations for thaw-stable soils are crucial.
  • Rising winter temperatures imply that the operational efficacy of thermosyphons, used to chill foundations, may be impeded.  At sites where preservation of frozen ground is essential for infrastructure integrity, the number of thermosyphons required may need to increase.

Schetselaar, A.B., Andersen, T.S., and Burn, C.R. 2023. Performance of climate projections for Yukon and adjacent Northwest Territories, 1991-2020. Arctic, 76(3). doi: 10.14430/arctic77263

Yukon Territory and western Northwest Territories, including Mackenzie Mountains and adjacent Mackenzie River Valley, with locations of all weather stations.
Yukon Territory and western Northwest Territories, including Mackenzie Mountains and adjacent Mackenzie River Valley, with locations of all weather stations.

By Tristan MacLean, ago

Compendium of Permafrost Reports: Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) 2011-2021.

“Climate change follows from increases in the atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide and methane. The concentration of these gases in the atmosphere was about 280 parts per million (ppm) before the Industrial Revolution and rose to 315 ppm by 1958. The value is now 418 ppm. There is no prospect of this concentration declining in the next 1,000 years, and it may well increase substantially before it stabilizes. It will take several decades to establish a carbon-neutral economy. Effective adaptation is going to be important if we are to maintain functioning overland transportation infrastructure, especially in permafrost regions.”

Christopher Burn, Carleton University

In practical terms, the climate change we are experiencing is irreversible. Now, a collection of 61 reports concerning the changing permafrost environment have been submitted to Transport Canada and expertly summarized in an important compendium.

The Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) is a federal program designed to increase the capacity to adapt to climate change. Since 2011, NTAI has supported a wide range of research projects associated with highways and airports in northern Canada.

The compendium provides a comprehensive overview of permafrost research projects supported by the NTAI program from 2011 to 2021. The reports have been summarized and organized to provide convenient access to permafrost knowledge gained over the last decade. This an extremely important collection of research for the scientific and engineering communities, governments, industries, policy makers, students, and general public.

Stockton, E.J., Burn, C.R., Humphries, J., Andersen, T.S., Schetselaar, A.B., and Jardine, P.A. (eds.) 2021. Compendium of Permafrost Reports: Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) 2011-2021. Carleton University, Ottawa, ON. DOI: 10.52381/CPR.NTAI.2021.
https://carleton.ca/permafrost/wp-content/uploads/NTAI_Compendium_Final_12.7.21.pdf

You can download the report here.

By Tristan MacLean, ago

Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) Program Report

“The NTAI’s focus on climate change was distinctive and forward looking at the time. Now it is recognised as integral to long-term management of transportation infrastructure.”

Christopher Burn, Carleton University

Transport Canada’s Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative (NTAI) is the first organized national program in Canada to address northern transportation infrastructure stability in anticipation of climate change. From 2011 to 2021, NTAI has helped northern agencies to prepare for challenges anticipated from climate change for transportation infrastructure built in the permafrost environment. 

The NTAI contributed to several important developments in our understanding of climate change impacts on infrastructure and potential strategies to manage these effects. When the NTAI was conceived, the primary risk to the transportation network was considered to be from thawing and loss of embankment integrity. The research conducted through the program identified a range of other geohazards, especially derived from a more active hydrologic regime and from thermokarst development close to infrastructure. 

Following the 2021 NTAI Annual Network Meeting Emma Stockton, Christopher Burn and Jen Humphries have compiled a special 24 page report on Transport Canada’s NTAI Program. You can download the report here.

“The NTAI has played a unique role in Transport Canada’s climate change agenda, influencing the way the department designs and implements programs, and helping to inform funding decisions. Northern jurisdictions own much of the transportation infrastructure in Arctic regions, and their active involvement in this program has helped target permafrost research to areas of most pressing need, ensuring the program’s continued relevance. Overall, the NTAI is a great example of how research/industry/government collaboration can drive policy change and action to enhance the climate resilience of transportation systems in Canada’s permafrost regions.”

Maxine Bilodeau, Director of Climate Change Adaptation & Planning for Transport Canada
By Tristan MacLean, ago