As of March 27, 2014, Canadian provinces, cities and municipalities can apply for their share of the federal government’s New Building Canada Fund, which provides $14 billion over 10 years to help improve infrastructure across the country. This comes as structures like the Champlain bridge in Montreal and the Gardiner expressway in Toronto are already starting to crumble. In fact, a 2012 report by Canada’s civil engineers and municipalities indicates that nearly a third of our national infrastructure – roads, water pipes, pumping stations and more – is in need of repair or replacement, with an estimated cost of over $170 billion.
No structure can last forever, especially in Canada’s harsh environment. At the same time, we can learn from past mistakes and develop new materials, new designs and new planning regimes that will ease the burden on future generations. On April 8, 2014, as potholes begin to open up across the country, a panel of engineering experts convened by the Science Media Centre of Canada will be available to answer questions such as:
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Why are structures like the Champlain bridge and the Gardiner expressway already in trouble?
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What does the coming wave of repairs look like?
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How can the latest engineering techniques help improve structures from bridges to potholes, and ensure we don’t face this situation again in another 50 years time?
Speakers:
Saeed Mirza, Professor of Civil Engineering, McGill University. Mirza is an expert in structural engineering and infrastructure policy. He uses the Champlain bridge as a case study to teach graduate students about both the technical and policy issues surrounding infrastructure development. He will provide a summary of the lessons to be learned from this example and his perspective on the challenges facing Canada.
Nick Larson, Project Manager, R.V. Anderson Associates Ltd. Larson specializes in asset management for municipal infrastructure, and was one of the principal forces behind the Canadian Infrastructure Report Card. He will provide an overview of the situation facing Canadian cities and some insight into possible solutions.
Hugh Donovan, Construction Services Engineer, City of Edmonton. Donovan is a “pothole guru” who runs one of Canada’s only laboratories dedicated to evaluating and testing new asphalt mixes, and is in the middle of an extensive research program on new materials for filling potholes. He will explain the causes of potholes and how new materials and formulations will help make our infrastructure more robust and sustainable.
Daniel Cusson, Senior Research Officer, National Research Council of Canada (NRC). Cusson is part of NRC’s Construction Portfolio, and will talk about new methods of formulating concrete that can extend the useful service life of bridge decks up to 100 years and reduce their life-cycle cost by a factor of 3.
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View the slide decks:
Listen to the audio presentation:
