NEW ROAD DESIGN STANDARDS WILL SEE THICKER ASPHALT & IMPROVED DRAINAGE
The City of Saskatoon has adopted new pavement design guidelines which will shape the way new roadways are constructed in the city and will be mandatory beginning January 1, 2015.
“These new standards will result in stronger, longer lasting and more cost-effective roads in Saskatoon,” says Mike Gutek, Director of Major Projects. “The City’s current design standards allowed us to develop a quality road network for our climate and existing soil conditions but as Saskatoon expands we need to make improvements to accommodate different soil conditions and water table issues.”
The new guidelines are based on the design procedures outlined in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide for Design of New Pavement Structures.
The key differences include:
- Thicker asphalt – This will result in a stronger more robust roadway.
- A required sub drainage system for all roadways – Water and frost are the primary cause of road failure in Saskatoon. A drier road means a stronger road.
- A deferred asphalt layer – A final layer of asphalt applied once new neighbourhood house construction is complete, typically two years after the roadway is built. This will address road issues related to increased heavy traffic during build out of neighbourhoods.
“These differences will help to minimize the risk of future full structural rehabilitations, which are extremely costly and disruptive,” says Gutek. “The new guidelines set a more robust design standard geared towards urban roadways with over 20 years of proven reliability.”
The AASHTO guidelines are used in many jurisdictions in Canada including BC, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, as well as most of the United States.
The City is already beginning to build new roads in line with the improved standards; for example in the new Kensington neighbourhood.
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