ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE ON SUCCESS AND FAILURE CASE STUDIES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN - THE GARDINER EXPRESSWAY

• Published in: Proceedings of the Canadian Engineering Education Association (CEEA)
• Main Authors: Berjis, P., Panesar, D. K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 06.08.2011
• ISSN: 2371-5243; 2371-5243
• DOI: 10.24908/pceea.v0i0.3670

Civil engineering education at graduate and undergraduate levels commonly draws on structural engineering case studies, such as the 1907 Quebec Bridge Collapse or the 1981 Hyatt Regency Collapse to illustrate the significance of technical engineering design decisions, and their implications. A study of the Gardiner Expressway in a senior level civil engineering design course is valuable for a variety of reasons and are discussed in the paper. Construction of the Fredrick G. Gardiner Expressway, which acts as a main commuter route through Downtown Toronto, began in 1956 and was completed in 1965. Today, at over 50 years old, the expressway is experiencing traffic congestion, and visible degradation of structural materials, and consequently public safety may be compromised. This paper explores the history of the Gardiner Expressway and aspects of its design as it pertains to the current state of the aging infrastructure. There is a need for students to gain an understanding, exercise design skills and the design process in application to current, real world engineering design challenges such as aging structures and infrastructure.