Transportation Association of Canada Maintenance … · Transportation Association of Canada Maintenance and Construction Standing Committee 2014 Fall Meeting Notes Presentations

Transportation Association of Canada Maintenance and Construction Standing Committee

2014 Fall Meeting Notes


Meeting Notes Fall 2013, Winnipeg, MB Sunday September 22, 2013 1. Opening Remarks and Introductions (Chair) Welcome from Harvey Olsen and note of good participation observed in

Standing Committee and Sub-Committees

2. Regular Business 2.1. Introduce Executive Members

Harvey Olsen, Chair Phil Hutton, Vice Chair Len Frass, Secretary Ron Weatherburn, Past Chair

2.2. Review Minutes from previous meeting No comments on previous minutes.

2.3. Mandate of this committee and membership discussion Reviewed highlights of committee membership including

approach to classify as active, corresponding and guest. 2.4. Messages from Chief Engineers Council

No specific messages from Chief Engineers Council. 2.5. Montreal Presentations – Phil Hutton

Proposed new format for Montreal Conference Papers with presentation or presentations only Current procedure

o Abstract submitted o Reviewed o Accepted o Write paper o Reviewed and commented o Presentation developed

Propose approach where proceed directly from abstract to presentation



Presentations are mainly good ideas that don’t require a paper Can be difficult to find time to write a paper component of

accepted abstract Panel Discussion Solicit people to participate on a panel for a specific topic Workshops Workzone safety Can be difficult to get through information in this type of

format Poster Sessions Continue with current selection process and format Motion – that Maintenance and Construction Standing Committee be a pilot study at the Montreal Conference where delegates can submit abstracts that are presentations

o Standing committee has the choice how to proceed with the presentations

o Delegate submitting abstract must indicate abstract, paper and presentation or abstract and presentation

Unanimous vote by Maintenance and Construction Committee to forward motion to Chief Engineers Council.

3. Reports From Subcommittees and Others 3.1. Best Practices Database management group

No updates from this group. Can be viewed on line.

3.2. Public Utilities Management subcommittee Ten attendees at Fall 2013 meeting. Task group will continue National Guideline development in

house through winter. Developing flow chart. Develop terms of reference for Spring 2014 meeting.

3.3. Summer – Winter Maintenance Subcommittee Excellent attendance for Fall 2013 meeting. Terms of Reference for Summer and Winter Maintenance

Subcommittee reviewed and passed. Environment Canada reviewed and discussed the Code of

Practice with respect to: o National Targets for salt useage



o Salt Vulnerable Area identification o Online reporting

Presentations: o Snow Plow Lighting Presentation. o Alberta Infrastructure MDSS – Lessons learned from

Winter 2013. o City of Toronto 2013 Flood o MTQ Winter Severity Index o MTQ Culvert Management System

Round Table o Discussed operational efficiencies in each jurisdiction. o Most jurisdictions challenged

3.4. Construction Subcommittee – Final Mandate Document Sixteen delegates attended Fall 2014 meeting. Collecting information on contract services – liquidated

damages and what agencies are doing. Presentation Costs for Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) on the Road –

what are agencies paying. Projects – Workzone Review Interested in investigating national standards – forward to CEC Difficulty finding funding – common to all subcommittees. Roundtable – good discussion between all agencies.

3.5. Environment Council Discussion Items:

o NPA legislation changes for Spring 2014 o CEAA have added international bridges and bridges

that cross provincial borders to their activity list. o Fisheries Act – DFO wants to expand use of standards

and other tools that would ease regulatory burden. o Environmental Achievement Awards – MTQ Hwy 175

Project o Expanding 2014 Session topics

Presentations: o Manitoba Flood Protection and Prevention Effort o Accommodating Rare Species and Ecosystems during

MTI Project Reviews Toured Fort Whyte Area



Salt Management Guide is approved and available to purchase. Synthesis of Environmental Best Practices is approved and

being printed. Canadian Guide for Green Roads has been approved and is

being edited by TAC. 3.6. Asset Management Task Force

Excellent attendance at 2013 Fall meeting – lack of attendance from consultants and municipalities.

City of Edmonton presentation on their asset management system.

Discussion Items: o Asset Management Synthesis of Best Practices will be

forwarded to the Chief Engineers Council. o Proposing an Asset Management Paper Session for

2014 Fall Conference o Chief Engineers Council will be discussing how the

Asset Management Task Force will continue to proceed.

3.7. Climate Change Task Force No updates from this group

3.8. Snow Plow Configuration and Lighting Committee working on developing national guidelines Will provide update at the 2014 Spring meetings. Ontario conducting a human factors study

3.9. Education Council Will be making a presentation Montreal conference regarding

the SNC story Discussed Ontario example of training Investigating training with FHWA/TRB

4. Presentations 4.1. Manitoba’s Experience with the Unmanned Aircraft Survey System

and the Bathosphere for Remote Survey Small size with large capabilities Technology becoming mainstream Implemented to minimize risk to Manitoba employees Useful for: Data Collection



o Steep terrain o High traffic areas o Remote locations o Land issues

Extensive Infrastructure o Survey data is significant and deliverables are

impressive Photogrametry Terrain models Surveying in targets Use Trimble Gatewing X-100 Applications

o Planning o Alignment o Project reconnaissance o Infrared options o Inventory mapping, etc

Weight: 2 kg Wingspan: 1.0 m Cruise Speed: 75 kph Max Speed: 130 kph Wind: Up to 60 kph Max Altitude: 700 m Battery Life: 45 min Visual contact must be maintained during flight Automatic from launch 300 m take off and 600 m landing Cost: Approximately $65,000 Not allowed to fly over populated areas If flying over private land, require owner’s approval 40 flights for each body - $2,200 replacement cost Can be affected by trees Data download time: Approximately 6 hours Bathymetry Mobile lidar system and echo sounder Pro



o Good data in deep water Cons

o Large boat required o Difficult to launch o Difficult to maneuver in small bodies of water o Boat rental costly and difficult at certain times of the

year Performance in shallow water is not very good Manufacturers: King Fisher, Ocean Science

4.2. Canadian Construction Association – Canadian Construction

Industry Trends Established 1918 65 associations across Canada Road Builders in each province 20,000 members 1 in 13 work in construction Invest approximately $280 Billion annually across Canada Most construction companies are family owned Anticipate 1/3 of labour force will retire in next 10 years World market anticipated to grow approximately 70% in next

10 years o Top 3 – China, United States, Japan o Canada is number 5.

Trends Distribution between Federal, Provincial and Municipal

governments has changed 1944 – 50% Federal/50% Provincial 2012 – 11% Federal/44% Provincial/46% Municipal Scale of projects increasing Public sector relying on consultants

o Institutional memory in public sector declining o Documentation declining o CCA would like to see more emphasis on

documentation Public Private Partnerships (P3’s) growing

o Provides utilization of innovation in private sector



Foreign construction firms now operating in Canada Labour Presenting a challenge for industry Need to attract approximately 250,000 people over next 10

years Recruiting abroad Competing with other countries such as Australia United States is moving slower Mining and resource extraction are main areas of concern

4.3. The Flood of 2013 – City of Calgary Affected 726 km2 and approximately 1.3M people Storm came in from the south and turned west toward Rocky

Mountains – rain fell on east side of the Rocky Mountains Two rivers converge downtown and could not handle the flow Created unique challenges for the City of Calgary regarding

emergency response Citizens of Calgary and Alberta came together assist with the

effects of the flood 4.4. Snow Plow Alert System – Dr. Yasser Morgan, University of Regina

Vehicle to vehicle information and location via cellular network controlled by a central server

Alerts driver of vehicle that they are approaching a vehicle at a faster rate than the other vehicle is travelling

Applications include: vehicles approaching snow plows, construction zones and areas of congestion

4.5. #Cycle ON – Ontario’s Cycling Strategy – Ministry of Transportation Ontario Revamping strategy to a broader approach in response to a

number of cycling fatalities Twenty year strategy to provide a safe cycling environment

with the goal of zero fatalities Would require annual action plans each year for 20 years Legislation changes would be required

o Travelling on shoulders o Cycling only signals o Cycling in 2 directions o Passing laws



o Mandatory helmets for all cyclists Challenges

o Bringing others on board i.e. municipalities o Development of a provincial highway bicycle design

guide o Funding – currently fund cycling in many ways such

as tourism o Resources – not much expertise in this area

4.6. Canadian Review of Asphalt Paving Contract Methodology and Costs – MIT Hot Mix Asphalt in place 2010 to 2012 Construction Seasons End Product Specification and Methods Based comparison Seven provinces completed the survey Liquid AC ranged from $609 to $926/tonne Tack – some used and some did not Average in place cost ranged from $91 to $207/tonne

o Included overhead, engineering, taxes, construction costs and material costs

Variation of mix design across the country was alarming 5. Round Table Discussion

5.1. Issues and Advances Across Canada Alberta Transportation

o Maintenance contracts expire in 2014-15 o Maintenance budget to remain stable for 2014-15 o Anthony Henday North East Bypass expected to be

completed by 2016 o Calgary Ring Road South West component working

with local First Nation to determine an agreement o Track environmental costs on construction projects o Forming and Innovation Group within Alberta

Transportation MMM Group

o TAC Guidelines update – Geometric Design Toronto

o Discussed challenges of the 2013 Flood o Conducting Winter LoS review

Newfoundland



o Fatality on Trans Canada Highway – triggered OHS review

Ministry of Transportation Ontario o Developing RWIS strategy o Line retroreflectivity performance measures o Investigating FAST Sprayers o PHM Strategic Plan o Bridge Repairs – limited in-house resources to deliver

projects o Investigating chloride runoff on 401 o Geometric Design Standards – adopting TAC

Guidelines and writing exceptions Manitoba

o Asset Management and Capital programming improvements

o Capitalizing sealcoats Hatch Consulting

o Developing Roundabout Guide T2 Utility

o Involved in North East Anthony Henday project New Brunswick

o Cost reduction and efficiency investigation and implementation

o Effects summer maintenance, winter maintenance, procurement, fleet management, etc.

Yukon o Experienced floods, fires, washouts o Static budgets o Experiencing struggles with pavement marking o Succession planning and retention issues

Saskatchewan o Tender and contract language being challenged by

out of province contractors Calgary

o Recovering from the 2013 Flood o Improving efficiency of operations

PEI



o Experiencing success with prewetting salt o Investigating anti-icing technology o Implemented 511

Nova Scotia o Observed a 15% reduction in chip seal costs since

moving in-house o Implemented anti-icing practices



6. Presentations 6.1. Asset Management in a P3 World (H Olsen)

Much to be learned by both owner and contractor Much to be gained for infrastructure in Canada through P3’s Owners have not thought about how to monitor P3’s More owners including a clause in specifications to inspect the

infrastructure every 5 years Additionally, starting to add clause that contractor employs an

Asset Management system to track condition and address concerns with concession funding

Asset Management can enhance the risk for P3’s Contractors are reluctant to bid in an Asset Management

program unless identified in the specifications UK – starting return of first P3’s

o Some in exceptional condition, others will require rebuilding

Owner should have right to inspect asset during the maintenance contract

6.2. Snow Plow Lights (J Suwala)

Chief Engineers Council identified concerns in some jurisdictions which were identified to the committee

Discussion o Roadside Safety – Responsible for education o Maintenance and Construction – Responsible for

lighting configuration Maintenance and Construction Standing Committee supports

the Snow Plow Lighting Study Resolution Passed: MCSC supports the ‘plow lighting’ realted

aspects for the on-going work. RSSC should be requestedto address the safety aspect. John Suwala will chair the on-going work.

7. Project Updates

7.1. Syntheses of Practices for Implementing P3’s in Transportation-Related Projects (Published?) Confirmed publication



7.2. Road Condition Terminology Guideline Change – Approved Of the Letter Ballots submitted, 74% were in favour

8. Additional Items

8.1. Montreal Paper Session Keep theme broad Ensure papers identify where they were previously and where

they see practices going in the future 8.2. Spring 2014 Meeting – Ottawa

Looking for presentations and new topics to bring forward 8.3. Next Meeting Sponsor

Harvey will investigate next meeting sponsor



8.4. Report on Surface Condition and Safety of Rural High Speed Roadways Survey (Ron Weatherburn) Reviewed survey results of surface condition and collision data

from contributing provinces 8.5. Winter severity Index – ( status –yet to be funded) 8.6. Future Projects – Arising from sub committees

No projects raised Participants should review and forward ideas for 2013 Fall

Conference New projects should be raised at the subcommittees and then

brought forward through the subcommittee to the standing committee.

9. Proposed MCSC Projects partnering ( John Sulwala)

7.1. The Road Safety Standards Committee (RSSC) has requested that we partner with them on two projects:

Flagger safety Traffic Accommodation in Work Zones Discussion???

10. Possible Presentations/Agenda Topics for Fall 2013 meeting in Winnipeg.

Manitoba Survey Group Drone Ontario

o Erosion and Sediment Control – performance approach where contractor produces plan

Transport Cananda o Update on funding plan

Documents

Transportation Association of Canada Maintenance … · Transportation Association of Canada Maintenance and Construction Standing Committee 2014 Fall Meeting Notes Presentations