Publication Type:

Book Chapter

Authors:

Rousell, Don H.; Jansons, Karlis J.; Richards, Peter A.

Source:

Urban geology of Canadian cities, Geological Association of Canada, Toronto, ON, Canada, Volume 42, p.207-224 (1998)

ISBN:

0072-1042

Keywords:

Archean, Canada, compressive strength, construction, eastern canada, engineering properties, environmental analysis, excavations, foundations, fractures, frost heaving, glacial environment, glaciolacustrine environment, gravel deposits, ground water, igneous rocks, lacustrine environment, land use, metal ores, Metamorphic rocks, metasedimentary rocks, mineral resources, mines, Ontario, polymetallic ores, Precambrian, production, sands, settlement, slope stability, strength, Sudbury District Ontario, Sudbury structure, urban environment, volcanic rocks, water supply

Abstract:

Sudbury (present population near 90,000) began as a railroad construction village in 1883 and became the center of the local nickel mining and smelting by the turn of the century. Surrounded and penetrated by rocky hills with unconsolidated silts and sands in intervening depressions, and crossed by streams prone to flooding, it nevertheless became the major urban center in northeastern Ontario. Most of the city is underlain at shallow depth or in abundant outcrops by Precambrian metasedimentary rocks, volcanic rocks and gabbro, with gneissic rocks to the southeast. The bedrock is strongly fractured with varying intensity, which affects its excavation properties. Unconsolidated Pleistocene glaciolacustrine deposits range from clay to gravel. Finer sizes are subject to frost-heave and may cause differential settlement. Local peat deposits must be excavated prior to construction. Sudbury draws 45.5.10 (super 6) L.d (super -1) from the Wanapitei River and 22.7.10 (super 6) L.d (super -1) from Ramsey Lake to provide the municipal water supply. In addition to local engineering consultants' files of data, Provincial government offices store ongoing water well data and the 1972 Geological Survey of Canada geotechnical data.

Notes:

GeoRef, Copyright 2018, American Geological Institute.<br/>1998-074183