Centre of Excellence Had a Busy 2008

The new Saskatchewan Centre of Excellence for Transportation and Infrastructure “hit the road” with a full slate of activities this year.  The Centre was launched in May of 2008 to further applied transportation research and specialized training programs, through an affiliation with the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Engineering.

“We already have twenty undergraduates and six graduate students doing work at the centre,” says Director Curtis Berthelot. “We have also completed our implementation of project selection criteria, and have been involved in twelve publications of research results.”

The Centre has a wide-ranging mandate to work with the academic community, government, and private sector companies to find new solutions for the existing challenges in transportation infrastructure.  It has a strong working relationship with Communities of Tomorrow, including the participation of CT President John Lee on the Centre’s board of directors.

Given the provincial direction for infrastructure, the benefits to be realized from the new Centre of Excellence in Transportation & Infrastructure include:

• A world class research institute with the ability to access world lead researchers and practitioners.
• Improved transport infrastructure engineering design and construction systems that directly support Saskatchewan infrastructure renewal.
• Improved transport infrastructure engineering management systems that explicitly and defensibly optimize value for money regarding infrastructure investments.
• Contract research for Saskatchewan private sector transportation technology firms, generating economic growth and export potential for the province.
• World class training of highly qualified practitioners in the Saskatchewan transportation sector.

The Centre is also a partner with Communities of Tomorrow is in the Saskatchewan Alliance for Sustainable and Innovative Transportation (SASIT).

Among the projects now on the agenda for the Centre are: implementation of cold recycling and strengthening systems; structural asset management to support commercial transportation; improved life cycle costing methods that have more accurate long term performance prediction; and optimal preservation treatments.

For more information contact Curtis Berthelot at curtis.berthelot@usask.ca.