Advanced Course on Permafrost and highways management

The Yukon Research Centre of Excellence (YRCE) is offering an advanced seminar to engineers across Canada. The Permafrost Engineering Applied to Transportation Infrastructure course has been designed for graduate students and engineers across Canada who would like to improve their knowledge on permafrost and highways.

Dr. Guy Dore [Door-ay] is a leading permafrost researcher who is now working at the Yukon Cold Climate Innovation Centre (YCCIC) within YRCE. In addition to designing this course, Dore has been working to develop strategies that prevent and manage highway permafrost damage in the Yukon, while on sabbatical from Laval University. Dore is not new to the Yukon, as he has been monitoring permafrost test sites with Yukon Highways and Public Works since 2008.

“This course is gaining attention from engineers and graduate students across the country. I have eight graduate students from Quebec and Ontario that will be attending the course”, said Guy Dore.

The seminar will include a description of permafrost environments and dynamics, site investigations and the design and management of roads, airstrips, railways and other lineal structures built in permafrost environments.

“This course fits with the YCCIC vision of developing and exporting sustainable cold climate technologies and related solutions for sub arctic regions around the world”, said Dr. Chris Hawkins, vice president of Research, YRCE.

The six day intensive course is scheduled to run from May 2 to 7th and will include lectures, seminars and field trips. This course is offered in cooperation with Transport Canada, Yukon Highways and Public Works, Laval University and Carleton University.

Dore currently holds a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) industrial research chair on the interaction between trucks, climate and pavements. Half of his research is focused on developing strategies to deal with highway permafrost damage, while the other half is focused on seasonal frost heave and thaw weakening of roads.