Construction of marine infrastructure assets in Nunavik Québec

The Makivik Corporation wanted to equip 10 Inuit villages in Nunavik with adapted and secure marine infrastructure assets to improve the functionality of docking sites for various types of vessels. 

This large-scale and highly complex project was executed in multiple phases over a period of nearly 10 years, with a view to improving the functionality of docking sites for commercial fishing boats, barges, commercial transportation vessels and boats from communities in Northern Québec. 

Weather-related constraints 

The port and coastal structures involved in this project are extremely large, with varying lengths and heights, due to their exposure to tides that are among the highest in the world. They extend over a distance of many kilometres and were designed to last more than 50 years while resisting the harshest conditions. Many of the port infrastructure assets, including breakwaters, are subjected to multiple major constraints (geotechnical, environmental, ice, winds, tides, etc.), not to mention a significant coastal erosion problem and specific vulnerability related to the impact of climate change.  

One of the main technical challenges involved construction of the installations, including breakwaters and coastal protection ripraps, quickly and efficiently in order to comply with the initial schedule, taking into account the extremely short Arctic summer.  

Remote region  

Considerable logistical support was required to deal with the specific constraints and challenges associated with a project being executed in a remote region, in order to ensure access to the necessary material resources and skilled human resources. In addition, the bulk of the work supervision was carried out by teams of Inuit workers under the supervision of the CIMA+ team. 

Major awards earned by the team 

The Puvirnituq project earned a prestigious Canadian Consulting Engineering Award in the Transportation Infrastructure category, awarded by the ACEC and Canadian Consulting Engineer Magazine, and the Umiujaq project was a finalist in the Succession category at the 7th edition of the Grands Prix du génie-conseil organized by the Association des ingénieurs-conseils du Québec.

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