Geotechnical Site Investigations for Building Foundations in Permafrost Zones

Following the completion of SCC’s Duplication Resolution Mechanism (DRM), the duplication complaint regarding CAN/ASC 2.3 has been withdrawn. This completes processing the raised duplication for CAN/ASC 2.3. Purpose This standard specifies the minimum requirements applicable to the planning, conducting and reporting of geotechnical site investigations for building foundations in permafrost zones. The purpose of this standard is to define a consistent methodology for performing geotechnical site investigations so that the results can be used to design building foundations with due consideration, in a risk management framework, of the conditions prevailing at the building site, including: the distinctive characteristics of permafrost; the seasonal and interannual climate conditions as well as the projected climate conditions over the service life of the building foundations; the other conditions that may have an impact on the design of the building foundations. Scope This standard applies to geotechnical site investigations performed in permafrost zones to provide essential information for the design of: foundations for all types of buildings; rehabilitation plans for existing building foundations. It also applies to the measuring of site-specific conditions in the process of performing geotechnical site investigations. It does not apply to post-construction monitoring of the building site conditions, which is covered in the document CAN/CSA-S501 [12]. NOTE — The principles laid out in this standard are specific to geotechnical site investigations performed to support the design of building foundations. They may apply to other types of infrastructure located in permafrost zones. It is the user’s responsibility to judge the suitability of this document in these cases. This standard is primarily aimed at geotechnical consultants. It is also intended to be used by the owners of buildings, designers of buildings, contractors and regulators.