The Planning & Design Section is responsible for planning the annual Part B capital and rehabilitation programs using a systematic approach that provides the best performance for the preservation, improvement and operation of our infrastructure given the available resources. It also carries out structural assessment; functional and structural design; undertakes geotechnical engineering which provides subsurface soil data; produces drawings for construction, rehabilitation, and environmental submissions; and reviews revisions to bridge design standards. Design also supervises the work of professional engineering consulting firms engaged by the Branch for design projects. Structures are rated for reduced load-carrying capacity due to structural deterioration and increased allowable truck loading. Overload and blanket permit applications are also reviewed.
The Design Section produced structural designs and/or structural drawings for several structures in the 2005/2006 fiscal year. In-house designs include the following:
• CPR/PTH 101 Overpass
• PTH 9/PTH 101 Overpass Repair • LaSalle River/PTH 3
• LaSalle River/PR 247
• Seine River Diversion/PTH 59S • Culdesac River/PR 283 • Libau Drain/PTH 59N • Assiniboine River/PTH 100 • PTH 59/PTH 101 Interchange • Jackson Creek/PTH 83 • Brandon Eastern Access • Hansen Creek
• Hansen Drain
• Manning Canal/PR 311 • Little Pine Creek/PR 373 • First Creek
• Sulphur Creek • Thomas Spence Bridge • Proulx Creek • Picket Creek • Mink Creek • Beaver Creek • Whitemud River • St. Anne Overpass
• Miscellaneous Overhead Sign Structures Consultant assignments managed by the Design Section include the following:
• Bield Overpass/PTH 5 • Gods River Acrow • Red River/PTH 100 • Letellier Bridge/PR 201 (new) • Letellier Bridge/PR 201 (existing)
• PTH 59 over PTH 44 Overpass • Fairford River/PTH 6
• Mystic Creek
• Brandon 18th Street Bridge • Partridge Creek/Garland River The design section was also involved in the following other projects.
• Geopak Software training • Preparing a draft design manual • Updating the PPCC design standards • Updating information of microfilm • Revising concrete specifications • Reviewing rehabilitation requirements
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Some of the activities of this section in 2005/06 included:
• The design section rated 40 bridges, reviewed and approved 10 Raw Forest Product and Productivity Permits, and processed many overload permits.
• Subsurface investigations were carried out at 7 sites. In addition, slope inclinometers, piezometers and standpipes monitored 5 sites.
• Geotechnical evaluation and design commenced at 28 sites. Studies were completed for 7 of these sites.
• Hydrologic studies were undertaken and completed for 273 sites throughout south eastern and south western Manitoba
• The development of a Best Management Practices Manual for Working In and Near Water was commenced and will be completed this year.
• Preliminary hydraulic designs for six sites were completed.
• Environmental approvals were obtained and mitigative measures for scour were completed at 14 sites.
Technical Services
This section is responsible for Inspection, Maintenance and Part A Preservation works.
Inspections are categorized as Level 1, 2 or 3 which include emergency and specialized inspections of structures on PTH’s, PR’s and miscellaneous roads, including winter roads and main market roads throughout the province.
Level 1’s are walk-about inspections carried out annually by regional staff to identify general deficiencies, Level 2 inspections are detailed visual inspections and are generally scheduled based on Policy, and Level 3’s include detailed condition assessments which quantify deficiencies and are usually carried out one to two years before rehabilitation. In addition our in-house inspection program, forty six sites were consulted out for Level 2 inspections at a value of $160k.
As part of the maintenance planning the section provides a program that is delivered by Operational Services bridge maintenance crews. Typical work activities include concrete deck patching, concrete curb and median repairs, continued upgrading of timber and steel guard railing, repairing bridges damaged by vehicular collisions, and placing stone rip-rap at various sites to repair or prevent scour problems. The section provides support in the way of expertise, engineered drawings, environmental approvals, field support, and guidelines for quality control and assurance. The $2M available for the maintenance program includes funding for all equipment, labor, and material.
The section also plans and designs preservation projects which include small to mid sized rehabilitation works that are Part B funded at a value of $650k. Other responsibilities include providing hydraulic design support to the Planning and Design section.
Construction
The Construction Section is responsible for the construction and contract administration (resident and non- resident) of capital work projects included in the annual program. This section reviews all construction drawings and prepares tender documents. This section supervises professional engineering consulting firms engaged in contract administration.
The total value of construction activities that took place in the 2005/06 Fiscal Year was approximately $18 million which included construction, rehabilitation and repairs to bridges and structures; consulting engineering services; funds for advanced composite material research; sub-soil investigations; and general engineering.
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The major activities of this Section in 2005/06 included the following:
• Supervised the construction, rehabilitation and damage repair to structures throughout the province; • Reviewed construction plans and prepared tender documents;
• Ensured quantity, quality and survey control on all construction projects; • Reviewed cofferdam designs and other contractor prepared designs; • Recorded information for "as-constructed" plans; and
• Prepared monthly progress payments to the Contractors.
Bridge Asset Management Project
Select staff have been assigned a special project to investigate, provide recommendations, and assist in the implementation of a Bridge Management System. These staff are dedicated to this select project to expedite the process. It is becoming more necessary to implement such a system as manually manipulating the large amount of data associated with a decaying infrastructure system becomes unmanageable.
2 (c) Bridges and Structures
Actual Estimate
Expenditures 2005/06 2005/06 Variance Expl.
Sub-Appropriation $ FTE $ Over(Under) No.
(1) Salaries & Employee Benefits 2,329.1 35.00 2,552.5 (223.4)
(2) Other Expenditures 521.7 460.5 61.2
(3) Less: Recoverable from Other
Appropriations (364.7) (397.0 32.3
Total Sub-appropriation 2,486.1 35.00 2,616.0 (129.9)
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