Municipal Pavement Design and Construction in Central Canada

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Assess the condition of existing municipal roadways and identify appropriate rehabilitation strategies
• Select suitable pavement types and design approaches based on roadway context, constraints, and future needs
• Apply current best practices to identify pavement distress and match them with effective treatments
• Use recognized pavement design tools and standards to support sound engineering decisions
• Interpret and apply municipal construction specifications during construction inspection and quality control

Description

Designing, rehabilitating, and reconstructing municipal roadways in urban and semi-urban environments requires balancing technical performance, constructability, cost, and long‑term serviceability, often within tight physical constraints imposed by utilities, curbs, drainage systems, and adjacent development. Making the right pavement decisions has a direct impact on lifecycle costs, public safety, and future maintenance requirements.

This course provides practical, decision‑focused guidance on pavement design, rehabilitation, and construction practices commonly used by municipalities in Central Canada. You will develop a structured understanding of how to assess existing pavements, select appropriate rehabilitation or reconstruction strategies, and apply recognized design methods for flexible, rigid, and composite pavement systems.

Through applied examples, design tools, and construction case considerations, the course strengthens your ability to translate pavement engineering principles into effective design decisions and reliable field inspection practices that align with current municipal standards and best practices.

Who This Course Is For

This course is designed for professionals involved in the planning, design, construction, or inspection of municipal roadways, including:

• Pavement and municipal engineers
• Civil technologists and technicians
• Engineering consultants and design professionals
• Construction inspectors
• Contractor superintendents and field personnel

Day I

Pavement Engineering: An Overview

• Types of municipal pavements
• Roadway classifications
• Basic design inputs
• Challenging municipal environments
• Interaction with other roadway features

Assessment of Existing Roadways

• Pavement distresses
• Functional pavement assessment
• Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pavement assessment
• Structural pavement assessment
• Non-Destructive Tools (NDT)
• Considerations of future roadway needs

Pavement Design Tools

• Municipal Design Charts/ Standard Pavement Designs
• Asphalt Institute
• AASHTO Guide for the Design of Pavement Structures
• CPCA Pavement Design Charts
• StreetPave 12
• OptiPave2
• AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design Software
• CAC Street Smart Reports

Pavement Preservation Treatments

• Surface Treatment
• Cold Recycling Mix
• Bonded Wearing Course
• FibreMat

Pavement Rehabilitation Alternatives

• Asphalt overlay
• Asphalt resurfacing with base repairs
• Asphalt overlays (with stress-absorbing membranes)
• Full-depth reclamation with expanded asphalt stabilization
• Cold-in-place recycling
• Hot-in-place recycling
• Concrete pavement repairs
• Concrete overlays (white-topping)
• Flexible pavement reconstruction
• Rigid pavement reconstruction
• Composite pavement reconstruction
• Roller-compacted concrete pavement reconstruction
• Life cycle cost analysis

Day II

Pavement Platforms

• Rural roadways
• Urban roadways
• Semi-urban roadways

Drainage Considerations

Design Details: Asphalt

• Asphalt material selection
• Joint construction
• Tack coat
• Temporary detour pavements

Design Details: Concrete

• Type of concrete materials
• Joint reinforcement
• Surface texturing
• Concrete curing
• Joint sealing
• Joint Layout
• Construction staging

Construction Specifications

• Subgrade preparation
• Proof-rolling
• Granular base/subbase material
• Hot asphalt paving
• Concrete paving
• Roller compacted concrete

Construction Preparation

• Subgrade preparation

• Application of Geotextiles and Geogrids
• Construction on Expansion Soils

Construction Inspection: Concrete Paving

• Pre-paving site inspection
• Concrete placement
• Dowel/ tie-bar
• Concrete Finishing
• Surface texture
• Surface curing
• Joint cutting/ sealing
• Dowel bar orientation verification

Construction Inspection: Asphalt Paving

• Pre-paving site inspection
• Asphalt mix design
• Asphalt paving
• Compaction
• QC/QA material testing

Innovation Materials and Processes

• Infrared thermography
• GPR asphalt density measurements
• Safety edge

Questions and Answers, Feedback on Achievement of Learning Outcomes

Concluding Remarks and Final Adjournment