NUNAVUT WHALE TAIL DIKE

Project Overview & Collaborative Engineering

Henry Foundation Drilling Inc. (HFDI) successfully executed the highly specialized installation of a deep secant pile cut-off wall on a dike structure in Nunavut. This critical mining infrastructure project was engineered to split a lake in half, facilitating safe and environmentally compliant resource extraction. Throughout the project, HFDI collaborated closely with an exceptional project team, including the mine owner, general contractors, and consulting engineers.

Deep Foundation & Water Barrier Specifications

Managing heavy civil construction and deep foundation works in an remote, sub-zero environment required rigorous planning, specialized drilling methodologies, and robust equipment mobilization:

  • Secant Wall Scope: Installation of approximately 950 pieces of 1-meter diameter secant piles, reaching deep structural depths of up to 20 meters.

  • Bedrock Socketing: Piles were advanced seamlessly through the dike body and successfully socketed into hard, challenging, and steeply sloping bedrock profiles.

  • Water Barrier Engineering: HFDI self-performed the precise mixing and high-pressure installation of a custom Bentonite/grout mixture to backfill the piles, creating a high-efficiency hydraulic water barrier.

  • Heavy Equipment Mobilization: Due to the extreme remoteness of the Nunavut site, a comprehensive logistical effort was executed to mobilize and de-mobilize an advanced fleet. This included Bauer BG30 and BG28 drill rigs, segmental casing, down-hole hammers, industrial welding equipment, full mechanical support, a high-capacity 25m³/hour grout plant, specialized bentonite mixers, bag unloaders, heavy-duty pumps, and storage silos.

Arctic Construction & Extreme Weather Execution

  • Sub-Zero Operations: All drilling, casing advancement, and grouting works were performed flawlessly in extreme arctic conditions, with temperatures dropping as low as -45°C and wind chills reaching a severe -60°C.

  • Strict Schedule Compliance: Despite the adverse geotechnical, logistical, and climatic challenges, HFDI completed the entire scope of work safely and perfectly on schedule within the client's tight timeframe.

  • A wide view of a marshland with yellow and brown grasses, a body of water in the background, and a yellow excavator near a tall pole, under a cloudy sky.
  • A person wearing a hard hat with a headlamp, safety goggles, a dust mask, and a winter coat, covered in frost and snow, working in a snowy, industrial environment.
  • A large construction drill at night breaking through a surface, with dust and smoke rising in the air, surrounded by yellow safety barriers.
  • Close-up of a massive yellow construction machine with worn and torn rubber parts, exposed hydraulic components, and chains, set against a dark background.
  • Construction site in a snowy landscape with three large drilling machines, a bus, a truck, and several workers.
  • Two large yellow and blue drilling machines on tracks working on a snowy landscape during sunset.