Year
2012
Client
MEG Energy
Canada
Overview
In 2012, MEG Energy’s oil sand mining operations at the Christina Lake complex in northern Alberta were expanding. Plans included new wells, processing, operations, storage, and treatment facilities, as well as constructing the roads needed to interconnect them. The existing soil in the area consisted of deep muskeg, 3-4 meters deep, with a moisture content greater than 800%. The client needed an access solution that would increase the bearing strength of the road base, provide a durable, all-weather road that was economically feasible, and could be completed before winter. Paradox Access Solutions proposed a design for the road using ToughCell® geocells. Utilizing locally available materials for infill, this innovative geosynthetic cellular confinement system increased the modulus of the existing subgrade and built a road, virtually over water, capable of supporting. 500,000 ESALs. The project delivered: •Long life access to a remote facility •Environmental benefits of a smaller footprint, less impact to the waterway and surrounding area •Reduced cost by using local infill material
Year
2012
Client
MEG Energy
Canada
Overview
In 2012, MEG Energy’s oil sand mining operations at the Christina Lake complex in northern Alberta were expanding. Plans included new wells, processing, operations, storage, and treatment facilities, as well as constructing the roads needed to interconnect them. The existing soil in the area consisted of deep muskeg, 3-4 meters deep, with a moisture content greater than 800%. The client needed an access solution that would increase the bearing strength of the road base, provide a durable, all-weather road that was economically feasible, and could be completed before winter. Paradox Access Solutions proposed a design for the road using ToughCell® geocells. Utilizing locally available materials for infill, this innovative geosynthetic cellular confinement system increased the modulus of the existing subgrade and built a road, virtually over water, capable of supporting. 500,000 ESALs. The project delivered: •Long life access to a remote facility •Environmental benefits of a smaller footprint, less impact to the waterway and surrounding area •Reduced cost by using local infill material
Unstable Terrain
The existing, highly saturated soil in the area consisted of deep muskeg 3-4 meters deep.
Transportation Costs
The cost of importing replacement infill along with the installation of drainage systems proved prohibitively expensive.
Access to various sites
Paradox was able to connect sites for new wells, processing, operations, storage, and treatment facilities, creating an ease of access between them for clients. This, however, was the single greatest barrier to success for this project.
Approach
The saturated, organic soil in this region combined with harsh climate conditions made normal road-building difficult at best. Freezing in winter combined with heavy rains and poor drainage in summer typically impeded construction efforts almost year-round. Conventional construction methods necessitated the removal and replacement of the muskeg material. The cost of importing replacement infill along with the installation of drainage systems proved prohibitively expensive. Paradox Access Solutions provided a design utilizing two layers of Tough Cell® geocells. Instead of replacing the problematic muskeg, a layer of non-woven geotextile was placed directly over it. An initial layer of Tough Cell® was then installed over the geotextile and infilled with up to 1m of clean sand from a nearby borrow pit.
What is Tough Cell®?
•A polymeric alloy constructed from Neoloy that is superior to other geotechnical engineering solutions. Its supreme tensile strength and unique honeycomb shape reinforce and provide load support for heavy-duty applications of all kinds. Paradox Access Solutions is Canada’s only licensed provider of this durable and multifunctional product.
Advantages
•Reduces the settlement of ballast materials and fouling by subgrade attrition •Is particularly effective for building over muskeg and other poor soil subgrades •Can be installed year-round in a timely manner, regardless of the season or weather •Supporting multi-directional confinement, Tough Cell enlarges the influence zone to 50-200mm, above and below cell height. Tough Cells can cover load support reinforcement and areas where water and drainage capabilities need to be considered.
Benefits
•Proven engineering solution that offers the only viable, long-term alternative to traditional road construction •Provides increased bearing capacity and longevity for roads with heavy track demands •Minimizes the import and quantity of aggregate, and therefore transportation costs, by utilizing locally available sand, recycled concrete and asphalt, and/or other materials •Reduces future maintenance and C02 emissions. •Decrease or avoid transportation costs by being able to build over muskeg and wet conditions •Supports a natural vegetation growth environment through erosion control and slope protection, in comparison to other geotechnical solutions
Results
With heavy loads and no other access to a rig site, Paradox was able to create access to the client’s new well, processing, operations, storage and treatment facilities. Costs were minimized by utilizing local materials. The environment was protected by not damming natural water flow.
Results
Work is progressing on schedule; coming in under budget for materials supplied by Paradox. The Pad and road are both performing well at this time and are fit for their intended purpose. The structures utilized local aggregates, reducing costs related to expensive hauling as well as carbon emissions.
