CASE STUDY

PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Application

Access roads over peat bogs

Subgrade/Soil

Muskeg peat

Location

Southern Athabasca oil sands, Alberta, Canada

Installation

2012

Client

MEG Energy

MEG Energy Corp. (MEG) is a Canadian oil sands company focused on sustainable in situ development and production in the Athabasca region of Alberta.

Paradox Access Solutions – the Authorized PRS Distributor in Canada – specializes in the supply and installation of high quality access solutions and services to customers in the pipeline, utility, municipality, general construction, and oil and gas industries in Western Canada.

ABOUT PRS

PRS is the world’s leading supplier of cost-effective soil stabilization solutions. Combining unique proprietary technology with specialized engineering expertise, PRS delivers proven solutions for load support, slope and channel protection, earth retention and reservoir & landfill applications.

With a global network of fully owned subsidiaries and independent local distributors, PRS provides a full range of end-to-end support services. Since its establishment in 1996, PRS has implemented thousands of successful projects in over 45 countries worldwide.

Courtesy of Paradox Access Solutions

CASE STUDY

“An Incredible Milestone” – Phase 3A Access Road for MEG Energy, Alberta, CanadaMEG Energy oil-sands mining operations at the Christina Lake complex in Alberta are undergoing a large expansion phase. The plan includes new wells, processing, operations, storage and treatment facilities, and more specifically the roads connecting them altogether.

The problem is the Muskeg peat bog soil. The saturated, organic and acidic soil combined with a harsh climate make any road construction an engineering challenge. Subzero temperatures and frozen bogs prevent construction in the winter, while ice/snow melt, poor drainage and heavy summer rains impede construction in the summer. Parts of the area where covered by swamp. The average CBR of the soil is less than 1%.

MEG needed an access solution that would increase the road bearing strength; with all weather construction; before winter and that was economically feasible. They asked Paradox Access Solutions if it could it be done. The answer was yes - they had PRS-Neoweb®.

(See movie at http://youtu.be/pfodP4x7PoY)

CASE STUDY

Conventional Solution

The existing peat bog soil was too deep and poorly drained for soil replacement. The cost of importing infill and drainage solutions were prohibitively expensive. No conventional solution was feasible.

PRS-Neoweb Solution

Paradox Access experts designed a reinforced embankment from a double layer of PRS-Neoweb 330-150, and based on 500,000 ESAL. The existing peat subgrade was covered with an 800N woven geotextile and a layer of sand up to 1m. An additional medium-weight non-woven geotextile was placed over this to prevent further mixing with the PRS-Neoweb layers. In very soft areas with standing water, a third layer was used as a platform for construction purposes only.

The lower layer of PRS-Neoweb (150 height) was installed over the geotextile and infilled with 140 mm sand from locally available borrow pits and compacted. This layer stabilizes the subgrade and improves its bearing capacity. The upper PRS-Neoweb layer was installed above that and compacted to minimum of 95% of SPMDD within ±2% of OMC. In this layer a “beam effect”, or semi-rigid mattress, is created, which distributes loads widely, to reduce stress and settlement and extend the road life. The capping wearing course layer was compacted 175 mm crushed gravel (less than 40 mm).

Benefits

In addition to being the only available solution, PRS-Neoweb was also: Engineered solution – increased bearing capacity

and road life for heavy traffic Sustainable solution – used local sand for infill

and for structural reinforcement Fast, all-weather construction – rain and

weather do not impede construction Drainage solution – all-weather use road in

saturated soils and harsh climate Economical solution – use locally available sand,

minimizes hauling and use of aggregate, quick construction

The bottom line is an “incredible milestone” for MEG “one to be proud of”. MEG subsequently placed additional orders for the construction of new roads.

Access Roads for Oil Sands Mining,Alberta, Canada

EN-C

S-LS

-103

3