6 research outputs found
Monitoring of northern climate exposure
Currently, facility managers are faced with many advanced decisions
regarding when and how to inspect, maintain, repair or renew existing facilities in a costeffective manner. The evolution of the deteriorations of road structures in reinforced
concrete depends on the exposure of the elements to water in liquid form or vapour and to
other aggressive agents such as chloride. Current models of ionic transport neglect the
effect of real ionic concentration in contact with concrete structures, it means boundary
conditions are considered with simple tendency as uniform concentration during the winter
period and model parameters are derived from the fitting method. Therefore, it implies in
ineffective prediction models of deterioration, i.e. steel rebar corrosion by chloride
presence or carbonation, alkali-granular reaction, acid attacks, etc. Structure are sensitive
to their environment and their interaction with it is directly related to the processes of
deterioration. The degradation of structures exposed to salt-laden mist is faster in the wetter
areas. On the contrary, the deterioration of the structures caused by salt spray in the drier
zone is slower. The structures, exposed to splashing (precipitation, wind, splash, etc.), have
a slower rate of degradation in the wetter regions. The amount of rain has an indirect effect
in the process of deterioration of the structure exposed to salt-laden mist because it changes
the contact time of chloride on the surface of the structures. For this purpose, a unique
exposure monitoring was developed. This mobile station, named MExStUL, contains an
atmospheric sensor and new possibilities of chloride detection contained in splashes, mist
and static water near the road improving the real exposure of structure and the boundary
conditions. First results highlight the real influence of environmental parameters on
structures durability on highways. Salt concentration is not uniform during winter period
and water thickness demonstrate important periods of drying
Inter-city bus services in Canada: time for deregulation
The regulatory framework for inter-city bus operators in Canada is facing multiple challenges with regard to productivity, consumer satisfaction and cost controls. In spite of government reports calling for deregulation, there has been little action by provincial governments to deregulate entry and pricing. As a result, Canadians are paying higher fares and service quality is lower than in the more deregulated markets of the United Kingdom and the United States