Russian Approaches to Permafrost Engineering

Georgy Perlshtein
Institute of Environmental Geoscience, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

The basic goals and problems that permafrost engineers and scientists are facing presently remain almost the same as they were 20 years ago. Nevertheless, the contemporary stage of cold regions development has specific features. One of the most important is permafrost response to global climate changes. In this report, some new technical solutions are described concerning construction, mineral mining, and development of oil and gas fields, environmental protection, surveys, and other related activities. Among them, a foundation on sandy back-filled ground in Yakutsk is exemplified. Most erected buildings here have not undergone any dangerous deformations over a 20-year period of operational experience. The methods of roadbed operation were improved for the railroad lines Obskaya-Bovanenkovo, Chara-Cheena, and others. Some new features of thermokarst, frost heave and other dangerous cryogenic processes have been revealed in connection with pipeline construction. This has induced the development of permafrost monitoring. In any event, the main principle of Russian specialists is to apply such scientific-technical decisions that utilize the site's natural conditions. This helps alleviate the negative influence of permafrost and uses favorable features of the territory

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