Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC Trans Mountain Expansion Project
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TRANS MOUNTAIN PIPELINE ULC TRANS MOUNTAIN EXPANSION PROJECT PRELIMINARY GEOTECHNICAL HDD FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT SUMAS RIVER AT V10 RK 1114.6 PROJECT NO.: 0095150-04 DISTRIBUTION: DATE: February 20, 2015 TMP ULC: 2 copies DOCUMENT NO.: 0095150-14-SUM BGC: 2 copies OTHER: 1 copy Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC February 20, 2015 Sumas River at V10 RK 1114.6 Project No.: 0095150-04 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY As part of the engineering design and assessment for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project (TMEP), BGC Engineering Inc. (BGC) has been retained to complete geotechnical feasibility assessments for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) at select stream crossings along the proposed pipeline corridor. In September 2014, BGC supervised the drilling of three boreholes adjacent to the proposed HDD alignment at Sumas River east of Abbotsford, BC. WorleyParsons, under subcontract to BGC, completed geophysical surveys at the same site in August 2013 and November 2014. Analysis of historical aerial photographs shows that the banks of Sumas River appear stable with respect to bank erosion and avulsion, and the proposed HDD alignment is not expected to be compromised by these hydrotechnical hazards. Results from the scour analysis estimate a maximum scour depth of approximately 2.0 m below the channel thalweg during a 200-year flood event, corresponding to an elevation of 1.5 m below sea level. Given this result, the depth of cover above the proposed HDD borepath remains adequate for the entire HDD length. The HDD entry and exit points are located beyond the dykes that parallel the Sumas River at an elevation of approximately 3.8 and 11.8 masl, respectively. The HDD exit point is approximately 4.7 m above 200-year flood elevation for the Sumas River and is not expected to be at risk of flooding during the 200-year flood event. However, the HDD entry point is approximately 3.3 m below the 200-year flood elevation, and is at risk of being inundated in the event that the dyke system fails. BGC understands the dykes along the Sumas River are designed to contain a peak flow of 350 m3/s (a 50-year flood event) that includes potential flow from the Nooksack River (Klohn, 1989). Large peak flows for the Sumas River are possible due to the overflow of the Nooksack River during high flow events. Due to the close proximity of the proposed HDD crossing to the downstream confluence of the Sumas River with the Fraser River, flood levels at the crossing point could be influenced by the Fraser River (NHC, 2008). Consequently, the HDD entry point could be inundated should a large flood event occur in the Fraser River; however, this flood depth is not expected to result in sufficient scour to expose the HDD entry point (BGC, 2015). Results of geotechnical drilling indicate that the site is underlain by a thin layer (approximately 3 m) of loose, uniform sand from the HDD entry point to beneath the Sumas River. This changes to a well graded colluvial sand and gravel layer beneath the HDD exit point. The thin sand layer is underlain by very soft, stratified lacustrine silt and sand, while the surficial sand and gravel colluvium in the west floodplain extends to a depth ranging from approximately 10 to 20 m (downward sloping to the east). Beneath these layers is a very soft glaciolacustrine silt and clay unit that is interpreted to extend beyond the depths of the boreholes drilled. The presence of boulders or cobbles was not evident during the investigative drilling program. Bedrock was not encountered during investigative drilling; however, seismic refraction geophysical survey results indicate that the bedrock surface may be approximately 10 metres 0095-150-04 HDD Geotechnical Feasibility Report - Sumas River_sb Page i BGC ENGINEERING INC. Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC February 20, 2015 Sumas River at V10 RK 1114.6 Project No.: 0095150-04 below ground surface (mbgs) along the base of Sumas Mountain beneath the HDD exit point. Based on geophysical surveys and the drilling results, bedrock is not expected to be encountered along the proposed the HDD borepath, but the exact depth to the bedrock interface is uncertain. Minor sloughing was encountered within the lacustrine sand and the colluvial sand and gravel deposits in BH-BGC14-SUM-03, and within the stratified sand and silt unit in BH-BGC14-SUM- 02. Drilling fluid circulation losses during investigative drilling were minimal (10%) throughout drilling all three boreholes. Some drilling fluid losses may be encountered along the HDD borepath, and will have to be addressed through the use of the appropriate drilling fluids, the use of casing or by other techniques. Coarse grained colluvial deposits are interpreted at the HDD exit point. Given the cohesionless nature of these deposits combined with the relative difference in elevation between the exit and entry points, drilling mud pressures during construction should be carefully controlled throughout this region to prevent the release of drilling fluids to the surface. Beneath the river bed, the minimum separation depth between the proposed HDD borepath and the river bed is approximately 22 m. Assuming hydrostatic pressures, the anticipated drill fluid pressures should not exceed the confining stress provided by the overburden above the drill path considering the small elevation difference between the river and the entry/exit points. As such, the risk of loss of containment where drilling fluids may enter the river is anticipated to be low. However, given the nature of the soft soils observed during investigative drilling, the risk of loss of containment should be further assessed by the HDD design team using the borepath geometry for frictional losses and the HDD rig and pumping characteristics. Given the above, and based on the observations from the three boreholes and the geophysics, an HDD crossing at this location can be considered feasible from a geotechnical perspective provided concerns associated with loss of containment in the soft lacustrine deposits and cohesionless sediments as well as borehole stability within the softer fluvial/glaciofluvial sand and glaciolacustrine silts can all be addressed during design and construction of the crossing. The conclusions presented herein are based solely on the limited scope of the investigation undertaken at this time for the purpose of obtaining preliminary information, and additional investigation should be considered as part of detailed design. 0095-150-04 HDD Geotechnical Feasibility Report - Sumas River_sb Page ii BGC ENGINEERING INC. Trans Mountain Pipeline ULC February 20, 2015 Sumas River at V10 RK 1114.6 Project No.: 0095150-04 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................... i TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................iii LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................iv LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................iv LIST OF DRAWINGS ........................................................................................................iv LIST OF APPENDICES ....................................................................................................iv LIMITATIONS ................................................................................................................... v 1.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................... 1 2.0 SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................................................. 2 3.0 SITE DESCRIPTION, GEOLOGY AND HYDROTECHNICAL ASSESSMENT ....... 3 3.1. Overview ............................................................................................................... 3 3.2. Surficial Geology ................................................................................................. 4 3.3. Bedrock Geology ................................................................................................. 4 3.4. Terrain Mapping ................................................................................................... 5 Terrain Types ................................................................................................ 5 3.5. Hydrotechnical Assessment ............................................................................... 6 Setting ........................................................................................................... 6 Flood Frequency Analysis ............................................................................. 6 Scour ............................................................................................................ 8 Bank Erosion ................................................................................................. 8 Avulsion ........................................................................................................ 9 4.0 SITE INVESTIGATION ..........................................................................................10 4.1. Geotechnical Drilling Data .................................................................................10 4.2. Geophysical Survey Data ...................................................................................11 5.0 INFERRED GEOTECHNICAL CONDITIONS ALONG THE HDD BOREPATH .....14 5.1. Eastern Floodplain (HDD Entry Point)