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Slope Stabilization at the Ten Mile Slide

Mon, 11/07/2022 - 19:26
Slope Stabilization at the Ten Mile Slide
British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
2022.
CA6 ARH330 2022S45 - INTERNET


Slope stabilization at the Ten Mile Slide undertaken by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (Ministry) on Highway 99 has been completed resulting in improved long-term safety and reliability for people travelling the highway. Highway 99 is an essential route between the rural communities of Lillooet, Xaxli'p and the Thompson-Cariboo. Landslide activity has been ongoing for decades at the site which spans the highway approximately 17 km northeast of Lillooet on the south side of the Fraser River. Approximately 1,600 vehicles travel this section of highway every day, with 19 per cent of the traffic comprised of heavy vehicles (trucks and buses). The Ten Mile slide is located entirely within Xaxli'p Indian Reserve. Occasional highway closures were necessary to re-establish the roadway through the slide after accelerated movements triggered by very wet conditions. The Ten Mile slide is 200 m wide at the highway and 300 m long with an estimated volume of 1,000,000 m3 of soil material and forms part of a much larger, dormant "soil glacier" called the Tunnel Earthflow. The slide is a geotechnical anomaly being one of the only known continuously moving landslides in North America. From the project's initiation the team recognized its uniqueness in that it moves all day, every day. Prior to stabilization, average movement rates were 10 mm/day with rates up to 50 mm/day following rain or snow melt events. By late 2016, this section of highway was the most expensive, challenging and technically complex site for the Ministry to maintain in the province and was subject to 50% load restrictions with 24 hour flagging to maintain single lane alternating traffic. Four stabilization design options were shortlisted with the preferred option selected in Fall 2016. Significant slide movement resulted in an 8 day highway closure in September 2016. Government committed project funding in December 2016. Deteriorating site conditions due to slide movement, First Nations relationship building, and naturally occurring high metal soils delayed the delivery of the project which was ultimately delivered in 3 stages. The ultimate design solution needed to consider ongoing slide movement and ensure early installations could tolerate daily slide movement until enough support was installed to stop movement. The final design solution included 276 soil anchors installed above the highway, a tied-back pile wall (148 large diameter drilled shaft piles with 125 tie-back soil anchors) below the highway and reconstruction of the highway.

Victoria Street Widening and Reconstruction through Lynde Shores Wetland and Conservation Area

Fri, 11/04/2022 - 19:09
Victoria Street Widening and Reconstruction through Lynde Shores Wetland and Conservation Area
Regional Municipality of Durham.
2022.
CA6 ARH325 2022V31 - INTERNET


The reconstruction and widening of Victoria Street (Regional Road 22) through the Lynde Shores Wetland complex and Conservation Area is arguably the most technically complex and environmentally challenging project that The Regional Municipality of Durham (Region of Durham) has ever untaken. The project was completed over a period of 6 years and 5 contracts and involved widening Victoria Street from two to four lanes for approximately 1.5 km. In addition to the road widening the project included two new structures crossing the Lynde Creek and Lynde Creek tributary, two wildlife crossing culverts, a new multi-use path which served as a vital connection for the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, a new retaining soil system (RSS) wall adjacent to the wetland, a wildlife lookout, wildlife barrier on the west side of the project, new storm sewers, Eastern Pond Mussel habitat and the new Shisko wetland. Regional Road 22 which is Victoria Street in Whitby is the only east-west road located south of Highway 401 that is continuous through the communities of Pickering and Ajax (Bayly Street), Whitby (Victoria Street), and Oshawa and Clarington (Bloor Street). The high volume Type A arterial serves as a vital connection between east and west Durham Region and is part of the EDR (Emergency Detour Route) for Highway 401. The Environmental Assessment was completed in 2009 by McCormick Rankin Corporation and studied modifications and widening for 3.7 km of Regional Road 22 along Bayly Street and Victoria Street. The first section of this Environmental Assessment which included approximately 2.2 kilometers of Bayly Street from Shoal Point Road to Victoria Street to Halls Road from 2 lanes rural road to a four lane arterial road was completed in 2013. The most environmentally challenging section was left for 2015 to 2021 which included widening this 1.5 km section from 2 rural lanes to a 4 lane modern road with the Great Lake Water Front Trail. The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, which stretches over 3,600km from Sault Ste. Marie to the Quebec border, also uses Victoria Street through this project area. Until this project was substantially completed in 2018, Victoria Street did not include any proper trail infrastructure and this section was the “missing link” along the Great Lakes. The Trail map prior to construction had a note warning users to be cautious through this section. Throughout construction the entire project had to be completed without any road closures during the work week while maintaining two lanes of traffic and also maintaining the waterfront trail through the majority of construction. The existing AADT (Average Annual Daily Traffic) around 19,300 was already fully loaded for the two lane road. There was no ability during construction to place this traffic elsewhere during peak hours. Our most challenging project environmentally also has been our most challenging project geotechnically. This difficulty was added to as result of Victoria Street being not only an important road corridor but was also an important connecting corridor which included hydro poles, fibre optics and natural gas.

The Gore Road Reconstruction - realignment of Clarkway Drive Tributary and floodplain restoration

Fri, 11/04/2022 - 19:02
The Gore Road Reconstruction - realignment of Clarkway Drive Tributary and floodplain restoration
Regional Municipality of Peel.
2022.
CA6 ARH325 2022G56 - INTERNET


The Gore Road is an arterial road in the Regional Municipality of Peel that extends from Highway 50 in the City of Brampton near the City of Toronto border and terminates at Highway 9 in the Town of Caledon. The subject section of The Gore Road between Highway 50 and Queen Street East attracts high volumes of traffic travelling between Brampton and Toronto. To address identified substandard geometry, drainage issues, traffic congestion and safety concerns within this section, the Region of Peel (the Region) retained SNC-Lavalin to carry out engineering studies, detailed design, tender preparation, contract administration and construction inspections to implement required improvements, which included widening from 2-lanes to 4-lanes, correction of horizontal and vertical alignment deficiencies, mitigation of road flooding at the Clarkway Drive Tributary of West Humber River, protection of culturally sensitive resources at the Hilltop cemetery and Cherry Wood Farm -- an old farmstead (circa 1840s), stormwater quality treatment and management, and provision of active transportation facilities. The work was constructed between 2017 and 2020 by Graham Bros. Construction. To accommodate the improvements to The Gore Road and address local flooding of the road and its risk to public safety, the project team assessed and completed the design for the realignment of Clarkway Drive Tributary and floodplain restoration, which required the removal of an existing bridge, construction of a new bridge over the new creek channel, and addition of relief culverts under Manswood Crescent. Clarkway Drive Tributary is classified as a permanent watercourse that supports small riverine warmwater habitat for species such Creek Chub, Common Shiner, Blacknose Dace and White Sucker. The existing Clarkway Drive Creek Tributary was contained within the east roadside ditch and overall was considered degraded fish habitat with the channel exhibiting various degrees of disturbance and active erosion resulting from development impacts. As such, the road improvements provided an opportunity to enhance habitat conditions of the tributary and re-establish a functional floodplain to address flooding. The main objective of the natural channel design for the Clarkway Drive Tributary was to restore, and where feasible, enhance channel form and ecological functions. The easterly relocation of the channel required the construction of new stream banks with encapsulated soil treatments, combined with river run stone at outside meander bends/banks of the channel. As well, a live crib wall for bank protection was designed immediately upstream and downstream of The Gore Road. The stream realignment replicated the existing meandering pattern of the tributary upstream of the site and considered the constraints represented by The Gore Road and property/physical toe of the valley feature to the east. Overall, the stream realignment of 260 metres in length represented an increase in channel length and overall aquatic habitat compared to existing conditions and included a series of pools and riffles to provide diverse habitat (i.e., rearing and refuge) for fish. The design also involved extensive grading and lowering of adjacent lands to create a floodplain (0.5 hectares) along with supportive landscaping plan to improve and restore ecological functions and connectivity and provide terrestrial habitat for small mammals and birds. Overall, the design provided ecosystem services, and also introduced climate change resiliency. Key ecological service benefits included: improved water quality, carbon sequestration through the extensive landscaping and protected vegetation, increased habitat for flora and fauna and natural flood storage/stormwater retention. During construction, environmental inspectors, biologists and a fluvial geomorphologist collaboratively worked with the Contractor to ensure the stream realignment habitat features (e.g., live crib wall, riffle, pools, plantings) were constructed in compliance with the Off-setting Plan under the Fisheries Act Authorization for the project. Annual fisheries monitoring and reporting during- and post-construction was also undertaken to fulfil conditions of the Authorization. In Year One of the monitoring an unexpected aquatic species at risk (Redside Dace) was documented as present in the stream realignment and this outcome was favorably recognized by provincial and federal regulators, attributed to the innovative planning and design of the habitat enhancements undertaken by the project team. In order to conduct subsequent fisheries monitoring, SNC-Lavalin also retained permits under the Ontario Endangered Species Act and federal Species at Risk Act. During the planning and design phase regulatory agencies were routinely engaged to exchange design approaches and transfer of lessons learned on applying similar design solutions to road improvement projects. Key agencies engaged, and also to secure permits/approvals for the Project, included: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.

Leslie Street Low Impact Development (LID) Project

Fri, 11/04/2022 - 18:20
Leslie Street Low Impact Development (LID) Project
Regional Municipality of York.
2022.
CA6 ARH325 2022L27 - INTERNET


An enhanced stormwater management system including exfiltration trenches and an underground stormwater retention structure was implemented to minimize the environmental impacts of the Leslie Street improvement project. The project involved widening and improvements to Leslie Street between Elgin Mills Road and 19th Avenue, in the City of Richmond Hill, York Region upgrading the road from a two-lane rural cross-section with ditches, to a four-lane urban cross-section including curbs, storm sewers, LID measures, active transportation infrastructure, sidewalks and streetlights. The east boulevard would include a sidewalk and the west boulevard would include a multi-use path (MUP). The MUP would form part of the Lake to Lake Cycling Route and Walking Trail system, a network of trails that connect Lake Ontario to Lake Simcoe. The proposed widening and improvements would increase the impermeable surface area within the Right-of-Way (ROW) by more than 100 percent. These improvements were required to accommodate growth in the area and improve traffic flow. Work started in Fall 2019 and was completed in Summer 2021.

Électrification du parc d'équipements roulants gouvernemental

Fri, 11/04/2022 - 16:15
Électrification du parc d'équipements roulants gouvernemental
Ministère des Transports du Québec.
2022.
CA6 ARH315 2022E42 - INTERNET


Le projet consiste à électrifier le parc d'équipements roulants du gouvernement du Québec, qui compte maintenant plus de 1 500 véhicules électriques. Les acquisitions de véhicules électriques (VE) requièrent la mise en place d'une infrastructure de recharge importante. Également, le Centre de gestion de l'équipement roulant (CGER) du ministère des Transports du Québec participe à différentes évaluations dont : les véhicules à hydrogène, la conversion à l'électricité de camionnettes et de camions électriques. L'électrification du parc de véhicules légers et de camions diminue les émissions des gaz à effet de serre, responsables du réchauffement de la planète. Elle permet également l'utilisation d'une énergie renouvelable. Ce projet permet aux ministères et organismes de diminuer leur consommation énergétique, mais également de favoriser l'émergence de solutions et de compagnies innovantes. Par l'avancement de l'électrification de son parc de véhicules, le Québec est un leader nord-américain. Cette démarche nécessite une collaboration de plusieurs parties prenantes, notamment pour le déploiement d'infrastructures de recharge. Il est pionnier dans l'expérimentation de véhicules à hydrogène et collabore avec des chercheurs universitaires afin de maximiser les apprentissages. L'atteinte des cibles ambitieuses d'électrification du parc de véhicules du gouvernement du Québec montre l'exemple aux autres gestionnaires de parc de véhicules et entreprises. Cette démarche démontre aussi la faisabilité technique et opérationnelle d'un tel projet. Le CGER participe à différentes tribunes pour partager cette expérience et est souvent sollicité par différents gestionnaires de parc afin de bénéficier de conseils en la matière.

Stratégie d'électrification des transports 2021-2023

Fri, 11/04/2022 - 15:05
Stratégie d'électrification des transports 2021-2023
Ville de Montréal.
2022.
CA6 ARH315 2022S76 - INTERNET


Montréal a récemment renouvelé son engagement dans la lutte contre les changements climatiques. L'atteinte des objectifs de réduction de GES et de carboneutralité qui y sont fixés dépend de sa capacité à enrayer les émissions du secteur du transport. Profitant d'une production énergétique faible en carbone, l'électromobilité y représente une solution porteuse. Ainsi, en août 2021, Montréal adopte sa 2e Stratégie d'électrification des transports 2021-2023, jalon important dans l'atteinte de ces cibles. Son plan d'action comprend 61 actions ainsi qu'un cadre financier triennal de 885 millions $, qui bénéficie d'aide financière des gouvernements québécois et canadien. Sept orientations y sont proposées : 1- Investir prioritairement dans l'électrification des transports collectifs et faire d'eux la pierre angulaire de l'électromobilité montréalaise; 2- Bonifier les services de mobilité électrique partagée et encourager le remplacement des voitures individuelles par des modèles électriques; 3- Démocratiser l'accès à la recharge pour les propriétaires de voitures électriques; 4- Intensifier les efforts pour encourager l'électrification du transport des marchandises en milieu urbain; 5- Renforcer l'exemplarité, l'agilité, l'ouverture et l'efficience de la Ville à l'égard de l'électrification; 6- Utiliser les zones à faible émission (ZFE) puis les zones réservées aux véhicules électriques (ZVE) pour rehausser la qualité de vie des Montréalais; 7- Développer un environnement d'affaires attractif, innovateur et propice à la croissance des entreprises et institutions oeuvrant à l'électrification et l'efficacité énergétique des transports. Résultats - Pour maximiser ses retombés, la stratégie mise sur différentes prémisses: - Des actions qui permettent d'améliorer considérablement la performance de tous les systèmes de transport de biens et de personnes de Montréal. Plusieurs cibles ambitieuses ont été fixées pour ces deux types de systèmes. - L'approche réduire, transférer et améliorer (RTA). D'abord, parce que la stratégie permet d'induire un transfert vers les modes de transport collectifs et partagés. Ensuite, parce que l'électrification est indispensable pour améliorer la performance et l'efficacité énergétique des systèmes de transport et des véhicules. - Des solutions aux enjeux environnementaux et de mobilités, mais aussi plusieurs co-bénéfices sociaux et économiques. La recherche de résultats dépasse donc ces deux premiers spectres. Par exemple, en offrant de nouveaux services d'électromobilité partagé dans un maximum de quartiers (équité territoriale); en misant sur les véhicules électriques pour réduire certaines nuisances, dont le bruit (impact du transport dans les quartiers vulnérables); en explorant le potentiel de la filière du recyclage des batteries au lithium (économie circulaire). - L'analyse différenciée selon les sexe dans une perspective intersectorielle (ADS+). Elle concrétise une volonté municipale d'offrir des modes de transport électriques qui ne laissent personne derrière, qui sont inclusifs et mieux adaptés aux différents usagers. Une stratégie portée par une cinquantaine d'intervenants internes, mais aussi externes. Elle appelle notamment les entreprises et institutions montréalaises à accentuer leur soutien à l'électromobilité, par exemple, en participant au développement du réseau de bornes de recharge publiques. Elle sollicite aussi les partenaires gouvernementaux. Innovation - L'électromobilité a recours à plusieurs technologies émergentes qui continuent d'évoluer à une vitesse importante. Cela justifie l'adoption d'une stratégie de trois ans et la poursuite de plusieurs veilles. Montréal reste agile face à cette nouvelle technologie. L'électromobilité jouit d'ailleurs d'une riche culture d'innovation et de collaboration interentreprises et intersectorielle. On retrouve notamment au Québec une trentaine de centres et de groupes de recherche spécialisés, dont les plus importants sont implantés dans la région de Montréal. Dans la stratégie, la valorisation de l'innovation passe par plusieurs mesures, dont: - compléter les essais d'une première ligne d'autobus à recharge rapide 100% électrique; - développer de nouvelles solutions de recharge publique et de tarification de celles-ci; - soutenir le développement projets d'électrification de la livraison urbaine; - poursuivre l'expérimentation de prototype de matériel roulant électrique au parc municipal; - tester des concepts innovants d'aménagement du territoire, notamment les zones à faible émission, pour accélérer l'électrification des transports. Transférabilité - Le potentiel de transférabilité de la stratégie est grand pour les administrations municipales. Plusieurs de ses actions permettent de développer des connaissances inédites en contexte nord-américain. Montréal étant activement impliquée auprès de plusieurs organisations internationales, dont le Cities Climate Leadership Group, le potentiel de transférabilité va même de ces frontières. Certaines organisations ont d'ailleurs démontré de l'intérêt pour les initiatives suivantes de la stratégie: - Livraison urbaine décarbonée - Stratégie de déploiement de bornes de recharge publiques et privés - Zones à faibles ou à zéro émission - Navette autonome électrique - Vélo en libre-service à assistance électrique.

Montgomery Main Streets - Where a street becomes a community

Thu, 11/03/2022 - 18:09
Montgomery Main Streets - Where a street becomes a community
City of Calgary.
20xx.
CA6 ARH310 2022M55 - INTERNET


Bowness Road (recently given the dual street name of Montgomery Way) runs through the heart of the community of Montgomery in north-west Calgary, AB. The street is fronted by a mix of residential housing, small businesses, and mixed-use buildings. It also connects to recreation centers, schools, and large regional parks along the Bow River. Bowness Road was identified as a corridor in the City of Calgary’s Main Streets Program. This program was established to transform our main streets into places where people want to live, work, and play. Montgomery was one of the first communities in Calgary to see re-investment in the public realm and streetscape as part of this program. The City committed funding for streetscape improvements following the land-use re-designation for the community. From 2018 to 2019, the City of Calgary worked with prime design consultant Urban Systems to prepare the streetscape master plan and detailed design of the corridor. Public engagement for the project began in 2018 to gather input on people’s values and vision for the community and for Bowness Road, and to identify local issues and opportunities. Along with site analysis and data collection, the engagement findings were used to develop the project vision and goals.

Region of Durham - Moving Towards a Flood Resilient Trabsportation System: A Systems Level Flood-Risk Assessment

Wed, 11/02/2022 - 20:31
Region of Durham - Moving Towards a Flood Resilient Trabsportation System: A Systems Level Flood-Risk Assessment
Regional Municipality of Durham.
2022.
CA6 ARH315 2022R23 - INTERNET


The Region of Durham (Durham) in partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) completed a systems-level riverine flood risk assessment within the TRCA watersheds for present and future flood scenarios including climate change effects. This study would help Durham and its local area municipalities identify vulnerable river crossings (bridges and culverts) and road segments for current and future flood scenarios, and plan for improving their adaptive capacity and resilience. The study also included an innovative criticality assessment to examine how important or critical a particular vulnerable road is, based on a suite of indicators. This approach would enable Durham to prioritize its implementation plan not only based on the infrastructure’s physical vulnerabilities but also based on several other criteria (such as spatial distribution of vulnerable communities) to render climate justice. The recently observed extreme flood events and their impacts on communities worldwide, including communities on the west coast of Canada, has emphasized the significance of improving the resilience of our transportation systems. It is our belief that the holistic approach followed in this study has not been widely used in Ontario or across the country. The interests shown and requests received from several Ontario municipalities asking Durham to share our approach to help with their flood risk assessments confirm that belief. This holistic approach is easily transferable and replicable to other jurisdictions that are preparing to face flood impacts.

L’axe Berri-Lajeunesse Saint-Denis du Réseau Express Vélo (REV)

Wed, 11/02/2022 - 19:25
L’axe Berri-Lajeunesse Saint-Denis du Réseau Express Vélo (REV)
Ville de Montréal.
2022.
CA6 ARH310 2022R22 - INTERNET


Dès 2015, Montréal figure parmi les villes en Amérique du Nord où le vélo a la plus grande part modale pour les déplacements. Le dynamisme sur deux roues qui y règne et la grandeur de son réseau cyclable surpasse celui de la plupart des grandes villes canadiennes. Pour conserver son statut de capitale du vélo en Amérique du Nord, Montréal doit s’assurer de continuer à innover! En 2017, Montréal publie le Plan Cadre Vélo avec lequel elle se donne comme objectif que, d’ici 2030, les déplacements à vélo représenteront 15% de tous les déplacements à Montréal. La Ville souhaite aussi faire en sorte que plus de Montréalais-es utilisent leur vélo au quotidien en vue d’atteindre une mobilité durable et de soutenir la transition écologique amorcée. Pour atteindre cet objectif ambitieux, un mandat est donné au Service de l’urbanisme et de la mobilité et plus précisément à la Division de Planification et Développement de la Mobilité (DPDM) dans la direction de la Mobilité, pour cibler les meilleurs moyens d’y arriver. La Division lance donc en 2018, en collaboration avec le Service des communications et de l’expérience citoyenne, un vaste exercice de consultation auprès de la population montréalaise et lui demande notamment d’énumérer les éléments qui la motiveraient à utiliser le vélo dans ses déplacements quotidiens. Trois éléments principaux sont identifiés. D’abord la présence de pistes protégées, ensuite la connectivité des pistes cyclables vers les grands secteurs d’emplois ou d’étude et enfin des pistes cyclables aménagées sur les artères. C’est à partir de ces besoins exprimés par la population montréalaise que la vision pour le Réseau Express Vélo (REV) est née: Doter Montréal d’une infrastructure cyclable de grande capacité, conviviale, attrayante et accessible douze (12) mois par année; Le REV constitue ainsi la colonne vertébrale du réseau cyclable montréalais auquel se greffent les réseaux cyclables locaux; Il offre des liaisons confortables, efficaces et continues entre les grands pôles d’activités et les principaux pôles de transport collectif; Le REV est accessible aux cyclistes de tous les niveaux et de toutes les aptitudes; Ce réseau contribue à la transformation de l'environnement urbain en véritable milieu de vie.

ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Project

Wed, 11/02/2022 - 18:45
ActiveTO Midtown Complete Street Project
City of Toronto.
2022.
CA6 ARH310 2022A17 - INTERNET


Yonge Street is a major arterial corridor running north-south through the heart of Midtown Toronto. Yonge Street serves various business improvement areas (BIAs), neighbourhoods, and key destinations. It is an iconic main street within the City of Toronto, serving competing demands for transit access, mobility, public realm and active transportation connections. In 2021, the City of Toronto led the design and delivery of a temporary Complete Street Pilot along Yonge Street between Bloor Street and Davisville Avenue as part of the City's COVID-19 pandemic response. The transformation includes removing one vehicular travel lane per direction to add protected bike lanes, curb lane cafés and parking/loading space.

Richards Complete Green Street

Wed, 11/02/2022 - 18:00
Richards Complete Green Street
City of Vancouver.
2022.
CA6 ARH310 2022R31 - INTERNET


The City of Vancouver recently completed critical street infrastructure upgrades along Richards Street between Cordova and Beach/Pacific streets. The project coordinated substantial scope including green infrastructure, sidewalk, curb ramp, signal, electrical, repaving, utility, public bike share, and a new downtown park right at its heart. In December 2021, we opened the final phase of a new, 1.75km bi-directional protected bike lane with a raised treed median and green infrastructure among other transportation upgrades to benefit all users.

Traffic Tuesday: Changing the Culture of Traffic Safety

Tue, 11/01/2022 - 18:32
Traffic Tuesday: Changing the Culture of Traffic Safety
by Kruis,J.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5127 - INTERNET


Traffic safety and safe driving habits are typically not topics of discussion that are exciting or fun to discuss. While they may not be topics that are actively avoided, there is little desire to breach these topics unless an incident occurs that prompts the discussion (i.e. car accidents, tickets, etc.). The result is commonly a negative and even aggressive attitude between fellow road users, and a lack of discussion promoting safe driving practices. In an effort to change the culture to be more positive and collaborative, many jurisdictions have begun adopting programs that present safety messaging with a more lighthearted approach in their delivery. This document outlines the implementation and reception of Traffic Tuesday, a new initiative managed by the City of Calgary’s Traffic department. Traffic Tuesday was inspired by a similar program started by Iowa’s Department of Transportation (DOT) called Message Monday (ITS Canada, 2020). The idea is to increase safety awareness and improve safe driving practices. Awareness is brought through the use of unconventional messages that are posted weekly on Dynamic Message Signs (DMS). The style of the messages incorporates a variety of themes, ranging from upcoming holidays to pop culture references to rhyming schemes and more. The conversation prompted through these atypical messages attempts to shine a light on the current state of safety while increasing the road education and driving moral of the average driver and citizen.

Towards Developing a National Guidelines in Design, Implementation, and Maintenance of Pavement Instrumentation Systems in Canada

Tue, 11/01/2022 - 18:10
Towards Developing a National Guidelines in Design, Implementation, and Maintenance of Pavement Instrumentation Systems in Canada
by Varamini,S; Shafiee,M; Gionet,E.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5126 - INTERNET


With the recent evolutions of Mechanistic-Empirical (M-E) pavement design methods in Canada, there is an ever-increasing demand for measuring and monitoring of key structural and environmental parameters using turnkey pavement instrumentation solutions. However, the effectiveness of such experiments can be challenged if appropriate and reliable systems are not used. This paper presents a summary of common evaluation criteria and important site factors for consideration depending on the principal problems under study. The characteristics and benefits of various innovative technologies that are deployed for pavement instrumentation are discussed. The paper aims to offer a methodological and decision-based approach in design and implementation of pavement instrumentation programs. This is a practical paper based on field and authors experience related to design, execution, and maintenance of heavily instrumented pavement structures. Details provided in this paper will provide a roadmap required in developing a national-level guideline that is much required for Canadian pavement industry in transferring some of the roadway sections into a data collection hub. All information and guidelines provided in this paper can be further aggregated into a decision-making approach on how essentially “smart pavements” can be constructed and maintained over intended design years, and how such pavements can help transportation agencies in their informed decision-making concerning material selection and construction practice.

The City of Edmonton Micro-surfacing Program: A 30-Year Successful Pavement Preservation Program

Tue, 11/01/2022 - 17:41
The City of Edmonton Micro-surfacing Program: A 30-Year Successful Pavement Preservation Program
by Soleymani,HR.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5125 - INTERNET


The City of Edmonton has used micro-surfacing (MSF), as a pavement preservation program, for 30 years. Every year, the City uses MSF to resurface several neighborhoods, minor collectors, and some industrial roads. This paper provides the latest in the City of Edmonton’s MSF applications and practices and compares it with other surface treatments such as slurry seals and mill and pave. Several MSF application sites in the City of Edmonton with different ages, rate of applications, and aggregate gradations were visited, as case studies, to investigate their effectiveness. Other Alberta’s municipal agencies and Alberta Transportation were contacted to learn about their MSF experiences and practices to compare them with the City of Edmonton’s practices. A contractor’s perspective about MSF has been included. Based on the City of Edmonton’s experience, the following are the most important considerations in a successful MSF program: a long-term project commitment, right project selection, material components (asphalt and aggregate), mix design, equipment calibration, monitoring, and local adjustment of rate of application. Environmental aspects, challenges, future improvements, and research topics in the area of MSF will be discussed.

Technical process of transportation policy change and implementation

Mon, 10/31/2022 - 19:32
Technical process of transportation policy change and implementation
by Bradley,AH; Thiam,P-M.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5124 - INTERNET


Canadian resources, such as forest products, are generally transported to mills by trucks using road sections that are under the jurisdiction of provincial governments. Trucks, therefore, must comply with weight & dimension regulations governed by these administrations. While there are interprovincial conventions, each province has its own regulations, restrictions, and trucking programs. There is a need for transportation competitiveness to ensure the sustainability of industries in each province. To do so, there are several ways to promote transport efficiency, such as implementing a new truck configuration; implementing or increasing winter weight premiums; reducing the length or severity of spring road restrictions, etc. This paper describes the technical process used in Canada to improve transportation efficiency while preserving road user safety and the integrity of affected infrastructure. This process involves the five following phases: 1. Defining the need for transportation efficiency. Evaluating the need from the industry, selecting the champion and stakeholders, analyzing preliminary economic impact for all parties involved. 2. Feasibility study and strategy. Study provincial administration regulations, incorporating government priorities, etc. 3. Scientific methodology and technical approach. Infrastructure data acquisition, study impact of proposed change on infrastructure, safety, economy, environment. 4. Presentation of study results to responsible transportation officials. 5. Implementation. Process of changing transport policy. A practical case that illustrates this process is highlighted in this paper, namely the introduction of a 9-axle tandem-drive truck in Ontario.

Six Years of Performance Monitoring of A Geogrid Reinforced Test Section on an Alberta Highway

Mon, 10/31/2022 - 19:07
Six Years of Performance Monitoring of A Geogrid Reinforced Test Section on an Alberta Highway
by Saha,J; Karim,M; Juhasz,M.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5123 - INTERNET


Many studies indicate that geosynthetic reinforcement can help prolong the service life of a flexible pavement by reducing the required structural number of the pavement, and improving rutting resistance and subgrade capacity. However, not enough long-term geosynthetic field performance studies are available to help understand the benefits of reinforcing a pavement on a reasonably good subgrade soil. To that end, in 2015, Alberta Transportation constructed a geogrid reinforced test section on Hwy 63 north of Wandering River. A contiguous segment of the highway with the same pavement structure, environment, traffic, and similar subgrade was selected as an unreinforced control section against which to compare field performance. This highway is the major route to Fort McMurray and the oil sands and carries annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 4,000, with approximately 28 percent trucks. The highway is part of the oversize overload highway network and sees some very unique truck and axle configurations. The pavement structure of the geogrid reinforced test and unreinforced control sections was designed for staged construction. The second (or final) stage pavement was delayed to accelerate pavement distress development and pavement performance comparison. Performance data such as International Roughness Index (IRI), rutting measurements, Laser Crack Measurement System (LCMS), Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), and pavement surface condition from visual inspections were collected for six consecutive years. These data were analyzed for both the geogrid reinforced test section and the unreinforced control section. This study did not find any significant differences in the analyzed data or visual condition between the reinforced and the unreinforced sections over six years. This paper has also attempted to investigate the possible reasons behind these findings. Both sections have reached a condition where further delay in final stage pavement construction would be imprudent. The longer-term performance will be monitored after the final stage pavement construction and reported in the future to confirm the findings.

Sensitivity of the Pavement ME Design Software Predicted Distresses in Flexible Pavements to Subgrade Soils and Granular Subbase Materials

Mon, 10/31/2022 - 18:53
Sensitivity of the Pavement ME Design Software Predicted Distresses in Flexible Pavements to Subgrade Soils and Granular Subbase Materials
by Ahammed,MA; Podborochynski,D; Chan,S; Dhaliwal,A.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5122 - INTERNET


Subgrade is the foundation of a pavement structure and ultimately bears the stress from the applied traffic load. Based on the historical design methods and agency experiences, subgrade soils including granular fills and their stiffness have significant impact on the design and construction of pavements. Alternatively, granular subbase and base material constitute significant portions of flexible pavement structures. In empirical design methods, 1 mm of asphalt concrete (AC) equates to 3-5 mm of granular subbase thickness. By substituting a part of AC layer with additional granular subbase, agencies could design and construct economic pavement structures that provide adequate structural capacity with improved drainage and frost protection. There are concerns that the newest pavement design and analysis tool, named the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design (PMED) software, is not yet able to consider the effect of unbound base, subbase and subgrade materials properly. Between November 2021 and January 2022, Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) ME Pavement Design Subcommittee completed two sets of design trials to assess the sensitivity of PMED software predicted distresses to the physical and mechanical properties of different subgrade and subbase materials. The design trials included: i) four different untreated native subgrade soils and a select granular fill with varying physical and mechanical properties, and ii) three different subbase material types with varying stiffness, thickness and gradation. The results have shown negligible to high sensitivity of the predicted distresses to the variation of subgrade types and their stiffness as well as the subbase material stiffness, thickness and gradation with some inconsistencies.

Sensitivity of the Pavement ME Design Software Predicted Distresses in Flexible Pavements to Granular Base Materials

Mon, 10/31/2022 - 18:19
Sensitivity of the Pavement ME Design Software Predicted Distresses in Flexible Pavements to Granular Base Materials
by Ahammed,MA; Roby,J; Karim,M; Esfandiarpour,S.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5121 - INTERNET


Granular base materials constitute a considerable portion of flexible pavement structures. In empirical design methods, 1 mm of asphalt concrete (AC) thickness generally equates to 3-4 mm of granular base thickness with no concern related to pavement performance. Experience has also shown that an increased base layer thickness and a stiffer base material can significantly enhance the performance of flexible pavements. However, there are concerns that the newest pavement design and analysis tool, named the AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design (PMED) software, is not yet able to consider the effect of unbound materials properly. Between May and November 2021, Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) ME Pavement Design Subcommittee completed five sets of design trials to assess the sensitivity of the PMED software predicted distresses to the physical and mechanical properties of granular base materials. The design trials included: i) six different granular base specifications with varying physical and mechanical properties with no subbase layer, ii) six different granular base specifications with varying physical and mechanical properties with a subbase layer, iii) six different sources of granular base materials with varying stiffness with two different gradations, iv) three different granular base gradations with constant stiffness value, and v) varying base layer thickness for two different materials. The results have shown negligible to excessive sensitivity of the predicted distresses to the variation of base material stiffness, gradations and thickness with some inconsistencies.

Sealed Granular Pavements for Low Volume Airports

Mon, 10/31/2022 - 15:22
Sealed Granular Pavements for Low Volume Airports
by Gorin,D; Anthony,AM; Dutton,D.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5120 - INTERNET


Canadian national standards for airport surfaces define the allowable runway surface types as paved or unpaved. Prior to recent changes implemented because of the work described in this paper, paved runways were defined as asphalt concrete or Portland cement concrete pavements. Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways (MoH) partnered with Transport Canada to create new technical guidance document that allows Canadian airport authorities to utilize thin bituminous surfacing as a recognized surface type for paved runways. MoH has a long and successful history of using thin bituminous surfaces for low volume roads and airports. These surfaces are comprised of two layers of graded aggregate seal coat placed on granular base course and are locally referred to as sealed granular pavements. Since the runways did not meet the previously governing definitions for paved surfaces, aircraft operators using the runways were required to treat them as gravel surfaces. Taking full advantage of these surfaces has important benefits for the Saskatchewan economy because it has the potential to increase aircraft payload. Recognizing the importance of this work, commercial air carrier Rise Air participated with MoH and Transport Canada in the review of sealed granular runways and their performance. This paper summarizes the work that was completed to evaluate and confirm the suitability of MoH sealed granular surface runways for classification as paved surfaces. This paper also addresses the key principles of the newly published Guide to Sealed Granular Airport Pavements in Saskatchewan. Further, it introduces a new national standard document published by Transport Canada, the Advisory Circular AC 300-021 Thin Bituminous Surface Runways, which now allows the use of thin bituminous surfacing as paved runways. Now that they have been implemented, these changes can be taken advantage of to benefit provincial, municipal, and private airport and aerodrome operators across the country, and as a result, the Canadian aviation industry as a whole.

Reusing Settlement Sensitive and Reclaimed Soils for Roadway Embankment Construction

Mon, 10/31/2022 - 15:12
Reusing Settlement Sensitive and Reclaimed Soils for Roadway Embankment Construction
by Lee,K; Yonan,J; Predika,R.
2022.
Transportation Association of Canada 2022 Conference and Exhibition - Changing Ways for our Changing Climate // Association des transports du Canada 2022 Congrès et Exposition - Approches Adaptées pour un Climat changeant.
CA6 ARH_10 2022A5119 - INTERNET


This paper documents the construction and settlement monitoring of an 18 m high roadway embankment that was constructed over two gravel quarry wash ponds for James Walker Trail located in Cochrane, Alberta. The primary objective of the work was to ensure that embankment settlement would not adversely affect the performance of the future roadway/pavement structure. In addition, the project focused on reducing the amount of imported backfill and reusing available on-site soils. The key challenge of the project was determining how to reuse the existing wash pond sediment to safely construct the embankment without adversely impacting the future roadway performance. The existing pond sediment consisted of wet, fully saturated, soft, sandy silt, varying between 2 m and 5 m thick with an estimated volume of up to 50,000 m3. The optimized simple design approach and proposed construction plan consisted of using a combination of geotextiles for soil stabilization and installing a drainage blanket connected to multiple drain outlets to drain the excess porewater out of the pond sediments during and after construction. The existing wash pond sediment material was able to be left in place and was reused as part of the embankment structure, thereby reducing the need to remove the pond sediment and import new fill. The roadway embankment fill was subsequently placed in a staged approach to allow construction to continue safely while monitoring porewater pressure and settlement using a series of vibrating wire piezometers, vibrating wire settlement gauges, and settlement monuments. The embankment fills also reused reclaimed cobbles/boulders and on-site available soils including clay, silt, and sand to reduce the amount of import fill required. The project was successful in reusing the estimated 40,000 m3 of pond sediment, reusing available on-site soils, and minimizing the amount of import fill required. In addition to the cost savings related to these activities, several environmental benefits were also indirectly realized. Energy use and carbon emissions decreased due to reduced construction equipment operation and hauling activities associated with the pond sediments (i.e., up to 80,000 m3 for the exporting of pond sediments and importing of new fill). Reusing on-site soil materials also reduced the environmental footprint of the project by minimizing the need to extract more fill from other sites, disposal of pond sediments, and reduced hauling activities along with any associated traffic congestion.

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