The major road system has been in place for more than 30 years. Because of the harsh climate, frost penetrates deep into the ground, causing extensive deformation. In periods of thaw, the bearing capacity of supersaturated ground is greatly diminished, which may cause the premature degradation of the road. Besides age and intemperate climate, increased continual use, particularly by heavy vehicles, aggravates deterioration. Over the past few years, an increased volume of merchandise carried by road has continued to cause damage not only to the pavement, but to the structural support originally conceived for lighter loads. Consequently, more than half of the department's annual expenditures, approximately $1 billion, goes toward protecting, maintaining and improving road structures whose replacement value is estimated at more than $30 billion, or almost the entire annual budget of Quebec. (Author/publisher)
Abstract