Characteristics of natural slopes in the Athabasca Oil Sands

Author:

Dusseault Maurice B.,Morgenstern Norbert R.

Abstract

The Athabasca Oil Sands are largely within the McMurray Formation, which is a transgressive blanket quartz sand of Lower Cretaceous age. Millennia of erosion have resulted in extensive exposures of oil sand along river valleys in the vicinity of Fort McMurray. Study of these slopes has contributed to understanding the nature and behavior of oil sands. Oil sand slopes with active toe erosion are characteristically high and steep (up to 70 m at slopes over 50°), have an indurated outer face and display a stress–relief exfoliation joint system that controls slope recession phenomena. Bitumen does not contribute mechanically to slope stability. The major agents affecting slope morphology are the lithology, the aspect and the basal stratigraphy. Ravelling along exfoliation fractures is the major failure mode, block falls are a minor failure mode and rotational landslides have not been observed. Remolded oil sand may flow viscously, but intact oil sand displays an unusually high strength.

Publisher

Canadian Science Publishing

Subject

Civil and Structural Engineering,Geotechnical Engineering and Engineering Geology

Cited by 11 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

1. Strain-Dependent Creep Behavior of Athabasca Oil Sand in Triaxial Compression;International Journal of Geomechanics;2017-01

2. Briefing: Excavations in gassy soils;Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Geotechnical Engineering;2002-07

3. The behavior of loose gassy sand;Canadian Geotechnical Journal;1999-10-25

4. Modelling the responses of Athabasca oil sand in triaxial compression tests at low pressure;CAN GEOTECH J;1998

5. Gas in Soils. II: Effect of Gas on Undrained Static and Cyclic Strength of Sand;Journal of Geotechnical Engineering;1994-04

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