Nicholas Kozachuk
Why did you join the RMC GeoCORE team?
I joined the RMC GeoCore team last January for a 12-month internship and will be returning to Queen’s in 2023 to finish the last two years of my undergrad degree in Civil Engineering. I was attracted by the prospect of learning more about Geotechnical Engineering in the context of real-world challenges in compelling locations. The team has been extremely welcoming, and I’ve learned a lot over the past year!
What do you like about the RMC?
I like the collaborative approach to problem solving that is the norm at RMC. No matter the project, if (when) problems arise there is a vast network that I can tap into to help produce creative solutions. Whether it is from technicians, professors, or other students, there is no shortage of people I can turn to when things don’t go as planned. I also like the freedom that has been provided to pursue projects I find interesting, and the ability to design them in ways that work for me.
What is your research topic?
As my year with RMC nears its end, I can look back on multiple projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on throughout my time. The highlight of my year has been helping to implement a ground temperature monitoring program at a research site along the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH) in the Northwest Territories. The research done at this site is centered around infrastructure resilience on permafrost in the face of climate change. As part of this project, I’ve had the opportunity to perform two field trips to the NWT, for the purpose of installing monitoring equipment and collecting data. Other areas of research I’ve been involved in include synthesizing a historical ground temperature database for former military outposts across the Arctic, and physical modelling of shallow foundations in a drum centrifuge.
Any interesting results to share?
Because the ground temperature monitoring program along the ITH is still in the early stages, the results so far do not provide a great amount of insight into the project’s long-term resilience. However, our data shows that the ground froze back as expected following construction activities in early 2021, which is encouraging to see! Going forward these temperatures will be monitored, and input into numerical models along with other climate data to predict how the changes to permafrost characteristics will affect the overlying infrastructure.
What do you like to do for fun outside of school?
Outside of RMC I enjoy being active and in the outdoors. In the summertime I enjoy running, biking, or doing activities with friends like camping or sitting around a fire. In the wintertime you might find me on the ski hill or the outdoor rink playing shinny. I also enjoy reading and listening to music. I’m currently reading Barbarian Days by William Finnegan, and the song I have on repeat is “Here On Out” by Dave Matthews Band.