Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan present Awards to Associated Engineering for Highway No. 9 in Saskatchewan

Model of design in CAiCE

Associated Engineering recently received Awards of Excellence for Technology Innovation and Infrastructure from the Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan for our work on Highway No. 9 Improvements in the City of Yorkton.

The provincial highways located through Yorkton are major routes for moving people and goods in Saskatchewan and across Western Canada. These include Highway No.’s 9, 10, 16 (Yellowhead), and 52. Highway No. 9 from Queen Street to Darlington Street is an important part of the local and regional roadway network, carrying a mix of local and through traffic. Located within this section is the intersection of Broadway Street (Highway No. 10), the busiest intersection in the City, serving over 10,000 vehicles per day. The increase in truck traffic and weights, poor soil conditions, and poor surface drainage contributed to severe deterioration of the existing roadway surface, resulting in extreme cracking and poor ride.

The City of Yorkton formed a partnership agreement with Saskatchewan Highways and Transportation to complete improvements to Highway No. 9. The Partnership engaged Associated Engineering to complete the survey, functional and detailed design, tendering, and construction inspection and administration, and provide overall project management.

RTK GPS has several benefits over conventional survey layout and total station stakeout.

The project team's mandate was to complete the detailed design, considering the following issues:

• Approved surfacing design
• Constructability and traffic management
• Existing and future traffic patterns and volumes
• Roadway geometrics and drainage
• Other city work
• Budget.

Associated Engineering completed the design using CAiCE design software. The preliminary survey was compiled and imported into CAiCE Visual Survey and Roads. The team then created a digital terrain model, which provided an accurate three-dimensional representation of the existing ground surface. CAiCE Visual Survey and Roads provides tools for developing cross-section design templates, horizontal alignment, vertical profile, automated superelevation, and two-dimensional and three-dimensional visualization. All CAiCE design data is easily exported to AutoCAD for completing design drawings.

The team completed off-tracking analysis for every turning movement using AutoTurn 4.0 vehicle off tracking simulation software. This software allows the designer to simulate the turning movements of large tractor- trailer units, thus optimizing the surface area required at each radius.

The improvements to the roadway result in good drainage, a structure with a 15 year design life, and cross section elements which complement the urban design classification.

In addition, Associated Engineering completed project stakeout using total station and real time kinematic (RTK) GPS survey methods. This method allowed for electronic transfer of design data and field stakeout with sub-centimetre accuracy at significantly reduced cost. RTK GPS was also used during the construction phase of the project. It has several benefits over conventional survey layout and total station stakeout, including the following:

• Data pick up is quicker, less costly, and can be performed by a single person.
• Each shot is to sub-centimetre accuracy.
• The real time display provides the surveyor with continuous on-screen updates reducing the amount of time required on the road during stakeout.
• It allows for easier layout of design coordinates in congested areas as a visual line of sight does not need to be maintained.

Highway No. 9 was completed in October 2005, improving the transportation corridor and providing economic and social benefits for the City of Yorkton and Province of Saskatchewan. Congratulations to Jason Horner, and the project team!