Braving steep and rugged mountain passes, we provided geotechnical construction services to help our client mitigate rockfall hazards

Coastal GasLink, Section 8W - Construction Geotechnical Engineering

Spanning the most rugged alpine terrain in Canada, Coastal GasLink is a 670 kilometre-long (416 mile) pipeline that will transport natural gas from Groundbirch to Kitimat, British Columbia.

We supported the general construction contractor with geotechnical engineering services for a 13 kilometre-long (8 mile) span of Section 8 West across the highest passes of the Coast Mountain Range. Our engagement stemmed from the relationships cultivated and quality work completed previously with entities of TC Energy. TransCanada Pipelines Limited was selected by LNG Canada to design, build, own, and operate Coastal GasLink.

The unique geotechnical challenges needed groundbreaking construction techniques and innovative designs, setting a new standard for steep slope pipeline construction. To staff the project, we drew from nine offices across North America, including local geotechnical and rock mechanics staff from western Canada, and technical experts from Newfoundland. With the right team of specialists and field engineers, we prepared designs and specifications for rock stabilization, meshing and scaling, undertook studies for road cut hazard mitigation and rockfall runout, performed vibration monitoring and instrument installation, and provided geotechnical approval for excavation entry in accordance with WorkSafeBC.

Our Geotechnical team worked closely with our client to successfully implement practicable risk mitigation measures and provided prompt field-level expertise to solve challenges as they arose.