Conceptual design of road and bridge substructure in northern Canada with considerations for constructability and climate change

This paper presents the conceptual design process for a bridge substructure and the road surface of a permafrost-rich section along an undisclosed all-season road in Northern Canada. Vehicular access to and from numerous communities in the North relies on winter roads that traverse bodies of water subjected to deep freeze in winter months. Climate change has however caused a decrease in the reliability of many winter roads, leading to the …