Case Study of the Thermal Regime and Application of Engineering Solutions to Preserve the Road Embankment near Ungava Bay Coast, Canada

This paper investigates a case study of ground thermal conditions underneath the access road embankment at Tasiujaq, Nunavik, Canada. A two-dimensional finite-element model was developed to analyze the heat transfer process and predict its long-term thermal regimes, considering a climate warming rate of 0.9°C per decade. The simulation results indicate that the side slopes are thermally unstable, and climate warming is exacerbating the unstable condition. Two engineering solutions have been proposed, and a preliminary design has been suggested to mitigate this unstable condition caused by climate warming effects over a 20-year design period. The method described in this paper is a sound approach for assessing the stability of road embankments using a geothermal model, and it proposes a viable design process for adaptation solutions to preserve permafrost underneath road embankments in Canada's North.