Addressing Canada's aging infrastructure: soil contamination assessments and materials testing

Our infrastructure is aging – and much of it is aging faster than originally planned. We’re hearing about pipes that were designed to last 100 years failing after 50 years. While some of it may just be bad design, the good news is that preventative maintenance can help extend the life of much of our infrastructure.

One of the elements that shortens the lifespan of our roadways, bridges, and underground pipes is salt exposure. According to the federal government, approximately five million tons of road salt is used every year in Canada to mitigate ice and snow conditions and provide for safer roads. Much of it is sodium chloride, but calcium chloride is also common. The road salt eventually makes its way into the soil and groundwater through snow melt and precipitation – accelerating the deterioration of underground utilities and infrastructure.

Thurber’s environmental team has extensive experience supporting both the private and public sector assessing and remediating salt-impacted sites including oil and gas facilities, highways, and salt storage and maintenance yards. Our services include:

• Phase I, II, and III Environmental Site Assessments
• Risk Management Plans
• Groundwater monitoring
• Fabricating and operating groundwater recovery systems
• Developing soil and groundwater remediation programs
• Risk assessment including fate and transport modelling and application of the subsoil salinity tool
• Remedial options evaluations

Learn more about our environmental services.

By understanding the levels of salt in the soil and groundwater, we can begin to pinpoint some of the infrastructure at risk of corrosion.

Our construction materials engineers help assess the structures that are impacted by the salt: bridge decks, timber, steel, and concrete. We look at corrosion, chloride content, coatings, and more to see how existing structures are holding up to the elements. Following these assessments, we can predict a structure’s remaining service life and if desired, select an appropriate repair or maintenance approach.

Learn more about our construction materials engineering and testing services.