News Roads & Paving Technology
New sub-base material to improve drainage for Winnipeg’s freeze-thaw cycles

More than 175 kilometres of infrastructure improvement worth $165 million are scheduled for the City of Winnipeg, and there are a couple of big changes to how the changes are made.

A new granular sub-base material was introduced to improve drainage for water run-off, particularly in spring and fall months when freeze-thaw cycles are more prevalent, said Ken Allen, communications co-ordinator for the city’s public works department.

The sub-base will be composed of different sizes of granular material, but fewer fine particles are included in the mix to maximize drainage. The sub-base of roads will not be as thick as projects completed in previous years, meaning construction crews will not have to dig deep holes on roadways.

Allen could not say if the new sub-base would result in better cost-effectiveness over a longer span, but he did say fewer materials are being used.

Additionally, a new type of concrete is being used with some projects for the first time this year: Portland-limestone has a higher concentration of limestone, but more importantly will reduce the carbon footprint, potentially up to 10 per cent.

(CBC News)