Our Projects

Client:
City of Winnipeg, City of Brandon

Key Services Provided:

• Inspection of Permanent and Temporary Flood Protection Works
• On-Call Response to the Geotechnical Emergency Response Team for the City of Winnipeg.
• Co-ordination of Community Ring Dike Construction

The 2011 flood on the Assiniboine River reached the highest recorded levels in its history, requiring operation of the Portage Diversion to control flows directed towards the City of Winnipeg. Peak flood levels in Brandon were estimated to represent a 1-in-300 year event. Both the City of Brandon and the City of Winnipeg had extensive temporary flood protection deployed that required engineering and logistical support throughout the flood event.

TREK Geotechnical was retained to provide emergency engineering support to inspect permanent and temporary dike structures throughout the the region. TREK provided 24/7 on call services to the City of Winnipeg and their Geotechnical Emergency Response Team (G.E.R.T.). In addition to providing support throughout the region as required, TREK was specifically tasked with coordinating the Glenwood Crescent community sandbag dike along the Red River.

Owner:
City of Brandon

Client:
Dillon Consulting Ltd.

Key Services Provided:
Site Utility Clearances, Sub-surface Investigation, Laboratory Testing, Pavement Design

The Brandon Municipal Airport was constructed in 1941 by the Department of National Defence for use as a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) flight training school. The BMA is now owned and operated by the City of Brandon (COB) and provides scheduled air service, pilot training, military flights, business jets, charter flights, special events, and is a designated as an alternative airport to the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. Rehabilitation of Runway 08-26, Taxiway ALFA, and Apron 1 was deemed necessary following a 2017 condition report prepared by CIMA+. The pavements were originally constructed in 1957 and had undergone expansion and/or rehabilitation previously in 1970, 1987, and 2001and were exhibiting longitudinal and transverse cracking.

TREK Geotechnical carried out sub-surface investigation in November of 2023 where eighteen test holes were cored and/or drilled in order to evaluate the soil stratigraphy and groundwater conditions. The existing pavements were evaluated using the Aircraft / Pavement Classification Number (ACN / PCN) method and recommendations were provided for pavements, site drainage, a supplementary investigation, and QA testing.

Owner:
Government of Nunavut

Client:
Accutech Engineering Inc.

Key Services Provided:
Engineering support during construction

TREK acted as the geotechnical engineer during construction of the Cape Dorset High School in 2017. A new 3,160 m2 high school was built to replace the original school building that had burned down. TREK provided Engineering support and field observation services during construction of the foundation system for the new building which consisted of shallow spread footings dowelled into bedrock. TREK performed bearing surface condition assessments and the suitability to support the footings and foundation loads. TREK supervised drilling of proof holes to evaluate the competency of the rock below the bearing surfaces and identify the presence and degree of sub-bearing surface fracturing. TREK provided construction recommendations to improve footing performance to meet the design intent by addressing deficiencies identified in the bearing surfaces based on our assessment findings and proof hole drilling.

Owner:
CN Rail

Key Services Provided:
Geotechnical investigations, rail embankment stabilization design, foundation design, tendering and construction support services for:

• Culvert Bridge Replacement/ Rehabilitation
• Timber Bridge Removal and Replacement
• Stabilization of new and existing rail embankments
• Geotechnical Emergency Response

TREK Geotechnical has provided geotechnical design and construction services for CN Rail for nearly a decade. Over this time we have been involved in the rehabilitation of existing rail embankments, including the removal of degraded timber structures and their replacements, stabilization of problematic sections and drainage improvements. TREK has also been involved with CN’s mainline twinning project, typically in areas where ground conditions are particularly challenging such as muskegs, water bodies, and wet ground conditions. Through these projects, TREK has implemented a number of designs such as rockfill column stabilization, GRS walls, French drains, helical piles, granular shear keys, subdrains, and geosynthetics to ensure the continued and safe operation of the rail. TREK has a proven track record of successfully navigating the challenges often encountered on rail projects such as remote access, maintaining train traffic and safety requirements.

Owner:
City of Winnipeg / Plenary Roads

Client:
PCL Constructors Ltd.

Key Services Provided:
Design and Construction Inspection of Riverbank Stabilization works, including Regrading, Rockfill Columns and Riprap Erosion Protection

The Disraeli Bridges have been a Winnipeg landmark for over 50 years. The Disraeli freeway is a vital connection between downtown Winnipeg and the population of the northeast region of the City. The Disraeli Bridges Reconstruction project is currently underway, and is one of the City’s largest infrastructure project to date. The project was awarded to the Plenary Roads consortium, which includes Wardrop (Tetra Tech) and PCL Constructors as the prime engineering consultant and contractor.

TREK Geotechnical is the lead geotechnical consultant responsible for the design and construction of riverbank stabilization works. TREK also provided geotechnical engineering support services for all construction activities related to bridge construction including construction access points, stability of working platforms with equipment loading, and geotechnical aspects of land drainage sewer and outfall construction.

Owner:
Manitoba Infrastructure (East Side Road Authority)

Client/Structural Consultant:
Dillion Consulting Limited

Key Services Provided:
Geotechnical investigations, quarry/borrow assessment, embankment design on soft soils and peat, bridge foundations, constructability.

The proposed All Season Road (ASR) extends for a distance of approximately 40 km and includes a spur route to the Little Grand Rapids Airport. The ASR will provide year round vehicle access to the Airport from Little Grand Rapids and Pauingassi FN.

TREK Geotechnical was responsible to provide geotechnical design services for 39.5 km of all-season road and associated structures (two bridges, numerous culverts). Our project services included sub-surface investigations along roadways and at bridges, compiling sub-surface investigation and geophysical survey information, slope stability analysis, settlement assessment on soft ground, in particular, peat bogs.

O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation Elders Complex
TREK was responsible for the subsurface investigation and design for a new, multi-unit housing complex in the First Nation. The project involved complex surficial geology consisting of sand and gravels, clays and surficial bedrock. Further, the site lies in the area of discontinuous permafrost, requiring specialized design considerations for foundations. The foundation design consisted of shallow strip footings and thickened edge slabs on grade.

Riding Mountain Estates Development
TREK completed a sub-surface investigation and provided recommendations for the new development which includes multiple, single family houses, roadways, sewer and water utilities. The sub-surface stratigraphy consisted largely of sand and the site was well suited for shallow foundation options such as square or strip footings and grade supported slabs. Recommendations for excavations, basements, concrete types, foundation insulation and materials testing during construction were also provided.

Keeyask Construction Camp
TREK was responsible for the subsurface investigation, design and resident inspection services for various foundation types including helical piles,, grade supported slabs and shallow footings for the 1,000 person camp and associated infrastructure. The subsurface stratigraphy was highly variable consisting of sands, tills, organics and bedrock all within permafrost affected areas. TREK provided on-site quality control materials testing for the foundation installation, compaction and lab testing of backfill soils and concrete placement.

Client/Structural Consultant:
Tetra Tech Inc.

Key Services Provided:
Geotechnical investigations, foundation and riverbank stabilization design, construction support services for:

• 3 bridge rehabilitation projects, including underpinning with driven piles and drilled shafts in shale
• 3 bridge reconstruction projects, including driven pile foundations in shale/glacial tills

The 2011 spring flood on the Souris and Assiniboine Rivers was one of the highest ever recorded, and caused more damage to property and infrastructure than any other flood in Manitoba’s history. Manitoba’s roadways and bridges were hit particularly hard by erosion and scour, which undermined foundations and caused damage to structures. Repairing the damaged infrastructure to establish a safe transportation network is a key priority of the Province’s flood recovery plan.

TREK Geotechnical was responsible for the geotechnical design and construction related to six bridge rehabilitation and reconstruction projects along the Souris and Assiniboine Rivers, and over the Portage Diversion. Our project services included sub-surface investigations, instrumentation monitoring, design of embankments, riverbank stabilization works and deep foundations, as well as resident and non-resident support during construction.

Location:
Gillam, Manitoba

Owner:
Town of Gillam

Client:
JR Cousin Consultants Ltd.

Key Services Provided:

• Sub-surface Investigation
• Pavement Structure Assessment
• On-site Quality Control Materials Testing
• Mobile Laboratory

The project involves multi-year construction of 32 residential and municipal roadway renewals in the northern Manitoba town of Gillam. Three options were being considered for the renewal including asphalt overlay, mill and fill or complete replacement. TREK completed a geotechnical investigation to assess existing pavement, granular structure and subgrade conditions to provide design and construction recommendations for the roadway renewals. Challenging subgrade conditions were encountered including significant organic contents (i.e. peats), discontinuous permafrost and soft, wet soils. Problematic subgrade areas were georeferenced and specific recommendations were provided to address the various conditions. Aggregate thicknesses were optimized through the use of our on-site DCP-CBR to measure soil strengths and ensure the overall roadway integrity was maintained while minimizing client costs.

TREK also implemented innovative solutions to achieve environmental and cost advantages through the use of recycled asphalt pavement. TREK also provided on-site construction support and materials testing for subgrade, aggregate and pavements (asphalt and concrete) using our mobile soils laboratory. Quality control during the production of base-course, sub-base, asphalt and concrete aggregates was also provided by TREK including non-resident support for geotechnical related issues.

Location:
Various Sites – Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories

Owner:
Crown-Indigenous Relations Northern Affairs Canada

Client:
BluMetric Environmental Inc.

Key Services Provided:

• Field Inspection
• Existing Design Review
• Long-term Monitoring Reporting

Four properties comprise the Great Slave Lake area mines sites under this project: Outpost Island Mine, Blanchet Island Mine, Wilson Island Mine and the Waldron River Property. The properties were mined for various metals before being abandoned several decades ago. The properties were remediated in 2015 and a long-term monitoring plan has been implemented to confirm the administrative and engineered controls meant to manage the site risks are performing according to design.

TREK completed the geotechnical site inspections at the four historical mine sites along the east arm of Great Slave Lake as part of the 5-year long-term monitoring plan. The inspections involved assessing the performance of administrative and engineered controls that were established during remedial works such as engineered covers, mine shaft or adit closures, borrow areas, historical mine areas and tailings deposits. TREK assisted in developing the work plan to account for difficult site access, logistics in remote areas of Canada’s north and develop safety procedures to ensure the successful completion of the work. Following the inspections, TREK provided recommendations for controls that did not meet design intents such as measures to reduce erosion, backfill areas of settlement or reduce animal access all while considering the remote nature of the sites.

Owner:
Manitoba Hydro

Client:
Dyregrov Robinson Inc.

Key Services Provided:
Geotechnical Construction Support Services

TREK observed the installation of over 1000 piles for construction of the converter buildings at the Keewatinohk Converter Station in Northern Manitoba. The converter building were constructed under a design build contract as part of the Bipole III Transmission Project. TREK provided engineering support services for the challenging project which included construction observation services, conducting static pile load tests and engineering design support. TREK observed the installation of over 400 helical piles to support the transformers and over 700 piles to support the buildings. TREK personnel conducted over 70 static pile load tests; including compression and uplift tests. Pile installation was complicated due to the presence of boulders in the till and the embedment requirements for the helical piles. Discontinuous permafrost was observed over much of the site and long-term thaw of the permafrost was incorporated into design of the converter building foundations. In addition to inspection services TREK also provided design support to address deficient piles on an as-needed basis.

Owner:
Manitoba Hydro

Client:
Britco

Key Services Provided:
Geotechnical Design & Construction Inspection Services

TREK acted as the geotechnical design lead for construction of a 2000 person construction camp located in Northern Manitoba. The camp is required to support construction of the Keeyask Generating Station which is located approximately 50 km west of Gillam, Manitoba. TREK completed geotechnical exploration for the greenfield site and provided geotechnical design for the design-build team for construction of the camp. Design support included recommendations for general site preparation and foundations. Geological conditions at the site were complicated by the known presence of discontinuous permafrost, surficial peat soils, and highly variable depths to bedrock. Based on TREK’s geotechnical recommendations helical pile foundations were ultimately selected for the site. TREK has provided geotechnical inspection services for site development and installation of the helical piles.

Location:
Kugaaruk, Nunavut

Owner:
Government of Nunavut

Client:
Accutech Engineering Inc.

Key Services Provided:
Engineering support during construction

TREK completed a geotechnical review and evaluation of foundation options proposed for the new high school and provided recommendations for the foundation systems. The two foundations proposed include ~125mm diameter pipe piles socketed into bedrock and footings end bearing on bedrock, and ultimately, the footing foundation system was selected by the client. A geotechnical evaluation and investigation have been conducted by others at the site and this information has been used in TREK’s review. TREK was also involved during construction and undertook a visual assessment of the prepared bedrock surface at the footing locations during drilling, blasting and final preparation of the rock surface. The bedrock conditions were evaluated at foundation locations to confirm competent bedrock, and to develop remedial approaches to address areas of concern.

Location:
Kugaaruk, Nunavut

Owner:
The Northwest Company

Client:
The Norhtwest Company

Key Services Provided:
Engineering Design for foundations, roads, parking areas, gabion walls and permafrost considerations

TREK completed a geotechnical review and evaluation of foundation options proposed for the new northern store and provided recommendations for the foundation systems. The two foundations proposed include rock socketed pipe piles or footings end bearing on bedrock. A geotechnical evaluation and investigation had been conducted by TREK at the adjacent site and this information was used in TREK’s design. TREK also completed a site visit to assess the surficial geology and ground/access conditions that may have caused constructability issues. Recommendations were also provided relative to the construction of approaches and parking areas. A major design constraint was the large amount of fill required to maintain acceptable grades for the parking and access areas. The cost of fill is quite expensive in the community and to reduce the fill requirements, TREK designed a gabion wall which was up to 4m high. The gabion materials could be transported to site at a relatively low expense compared to the difference in fill required. Considerations for permafrost, drainage and construction quality control were also provided.

Owner:
Northwest Territories Power Corporation (NTPC)

Client:
Ampjack Industries Ltd.

Key Services Provided:

• Information Review and Terrain Assessment
• Sub-surface Investigations
• Laboratory Testing
• Foundation Design
• Construction Recommendations

The existing L-150 transmission line was composed of 801 guyed-Y transmission towers spanning 285 km from the Twin Gorges Generation Station to the Pine Point mine in the Northwest Territories. The line traverses varied terrain ranging from wetland swamps to exposed bedrock and crosses several water features (the Slave and Talston Rivers along with numerous other small streams, lakes, and bogs). The line was originally constructed in the 1960s and was experiencing issues with foundations and anchors.

TREK Geotechnical carried out an aerial photo terrain assessment and provided preliminary recommendations for foundation repairs and replacements. This was followed by sub-surface investigations in January and April of 2023 where sixty test holes were drilled in order to evaluate tower foundation alternatives. Recommendations were provided for micropiles, helical piles, and Manta Ray anchors.

Laboratory Testing Services:

• Moisture Content Determination
• Atterberg Limits and Hydrometer
• Grain Size Analysis
• LA Abrasion
• Micro Deval
• 1-D Consolidation (Oedometer)
• Hydraulic Conductivity Testing
• Unconfined Compression Testing
• Standard Proctor Testing
• Soundness
• Specific Gravity
• Concrete Compressive Strength
• Marshall Analysis

Field Services:

• Nuclear Density Testing
• Field Concrete Testing and Cylinder Casting
• CIP and Driven Piling Inspections
• Geotechnical Investigations
• Instrumentation and Monitoring
• Surveying

TREK Geotechnical Inc. (TREK) provides engineering consulting services specializing in geotechnical engineering. In addition to our engineering services, we offer a full range of soil and aggregate testing services to our clients. Our testing laboratory which is CCIL certified in Aggregates, Concrete and Asphalt provides a key support service to our engineering operations, while our engineering expertise allows us to provide technical input and review of material testing operations, procedures, and results. Our testing operation focuses on providing quality services following applicable standards and best practices.

TREK Lab services include quality control/quality assurance testing of aggregate materials, concrete quality control field testing, field density testing, grain size analysis, Standard and Modified proctors, LA Abrasion and Micro Deval among other aggregate durability tests. TREK also performs soil index testing and has advanced soil testing capabilities. Combined with our engineering field services, including geotechnical site investigations, soil sampling, and engineering inspections, we are capable of seeing a project from information gathering, design through to construction.

Location:
200 km North of Winnipeg, Manitoba

Owner/Client:
Manitoba Infrastructure

Key Services Provided:

• Sub-surface investigation
• Installation of instruments
• Analysis/design of channel slopes and structures
• Construction support (not yet completed)

Following the 2011 flood, the Province of Manitoba embarked upon a flood protection initiative aimed at reducing the potential for flooding on Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin during periods of high runoff. This initiative centered around the design and construction of two separate flood control channels and associated gated control structures to improve the conveyance of flood waters from these areas into Lake Winnipeg. The Lake Manitoba Outlet Channel (LMOC) represents one half of this overall flood protection initiative, and is a 26 km long channel with five main components: the Channel proper; a gated Control Structure with integral bridge; three new road bridges that will cross the Channel, an Inlet excavation; and an Outlet excavation.

TREK involvement included providing geotechnical engineering related to sub-surface investigations, instrumentation monitoring, channel slope stability assessments, bridge and control structure foundation design, and to also provide additional geotechnical support for other elements of the project. The channel poses very challenging geotechnical design and construction conditions due to a relatively shallow confined bedrock aquifer with artesian pressures 3 to 6 m above existing grade.

Client:
Sison Blackburn Consulting

Key Services Provided:

• Drain Hydrology
• Hydraulic Assessment
• Autodesk Sanitary & Sewer Analysis
• Erosion and Sediment Control

TREK Geotechnical was retained by SBC to provide a hydrologic and hydraulic analyses and design of the Deerfield Drain diversion to allow for the development in the corner of the Old Tom Road/Loewen Blvd intersection as part of the Loewen Blvd North Development (LBND) within the City of Steinbach, MB. The proposed development will require the infill of the local drain bed and the diversion of the Deerfield Drain. Autodesk Stormwater and Sanitary Analysis software was used to develop a diversion option consisting of 519 m of 1.35 m diameter reinforced concrete culverts and four (4) manholes. The proposed RCP culvert diversion alignment and manhole locations were delineated in ArcGIS and incorporated into Autodesk Stormwater and Sanitary Analysis. Different model scenarios were simulated to determine the required pipe diameter necessary to prevent surcharging in the manholes and flooding of the roadway and adjacent properties.

Owner/Client:
City of Winnipeg

Key Services Provided:

• Sub-surface Investigations
• Riverbank Instrumentation and Monitoring
• Slope Stability Analysis and Design of Stabilization Works
• Public Engagement
• Environmental Regulatory Submittals and Review
• Detailed Design, Tendering and Contract Administration

The banks of the Red River have a long history of instability along Lyndale Drive, which most recently resulted in unstable movements that caused retaining wall distress and pavement cracking in the spring of 2013. Given the importance of Lyndale Drive for flood protection and as an important corridor for transportation and underground utilities, an emergency stabilization program was undertaken, which has since been expanded to include a 500 m long portion of deteriorating retaining wall and the enhancement of the area with active transportation facilities.

TREK Geotechnical was retained for the design and contract administration of emergency riverbank stabilization works, and has since been retained as the prime consultant for a preliminary and detailed design program that included a retaining wall condition assessment, public engagement and river hydraulics evaluation. TREK’s assembled team of various respected consultants and landscape architects has developed a riverbank stabilization design and park enhancement that will improve flood protection reliability, provide active transportation connections throughout the neighborhood and minimize long-term maintenance costs for the City of Winnipeg.

Owner:
City of Winnipeg

Client:
Tetra Tech

Key Services Provided:

• Design and Construction Inspection of Riverbank Stabilization works
• Design of Deep Foundations, and Construction services

The Ness Avenue crossing over Sturgeon Creek is a vital connection between the Crestview and Heritage Park neighbourhoods in Winnipeg. In 2015 and 2016, the project included construction of a new bridge and active transportation pathway at the crossing, as well as stabilization works, including a gravity retaining wall, bank re-grading, and riprap placement to improve creekbank stability and protect the bank against future erosion. The new crossing has created a pedestrian friendly transportation option and a stable bridge design to accommodate many years of use.

TREK Geotechnical was the geotechnical consultant for the project and played a key role in the design of the bridge foundations and creekbank stabilization measures. TREK completed a sub-surface investigation for the project and provided geotechnical engineering support services during the design and construction phases.

Owner:
RM of West St. Paul Village of Winnipegosis

Key Services Provided:

• Evaluation of Temporary Earth Dikes for Feasibility of Permanent Upgrading, Preliminary and Detailed Design of Permanent Upgrades
• Development of Operation and Maintenance Manual for Permanent Dikes
• Development of Guidelines for use of Supplemental Temporary Flood Protection Products

The 2011 flood on the Red and Assiniboine Rivers required operation of the Portage Diversion and other water control structures at record levels and still resulted in widespread flooding and displacement of residents of numerous communities. Following the flood the Province of Manitoba initiated the Community Flood Protection Program to provide permanent protection to communities affected in the 2011 flood.

TREK Geotechnical was retained to provide flood protection options including flood management plans that incorporated both permanent flood protection works and supplemental temporary flood protection options. TREK provided preliminary design for permanent upgrading of emergency temporary clay dikes in the community of West St. Paul and Winnipegosis. Additional services included detailed design and contract administration for construction of permanent earth fill dikes.

Owner:
Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation (MIT)

Client:
Tetra Tech Inc.

Structural Consultant:
Dillon Consulting Ltd.

Key Services Provided:

• Geotechnical investigations
• Foundation and riverbank stabilization design
• Construction support services
• Assistance with pile inspections

The 2011 spring flood on the Souris River was the highest ever recorded and caused extensive scour at bridge. The first phase of the project involved a temporary ACROW bridge crossing to convey traffic until a permanent bridge replacement is developed.

TREK Geotechnical was the geotechnical sub-consultant for the temporary ACROW crossing foundations. Our project services included sub-surface investigations, instrumentation monitoring, design of embankments, riverbank stabilization works and deep foundations, as well as resident and non-resident support during construction. TREK also developed and administered a PDA Test Pile program to gain valuable information on driven piles in shale.