DEVELOPMENT SERVICES COMMITTEE
	TO:	Mayor and Members of Council
	FROM:	Alan Brown, Director of Engineering
	PREPARED BY:	Phil Watts, P.Eng. Manager of Development Enginering
	DATE OF MEETING:	2003-Jun-17
	SUBJECT:	Engineering Design Criteria and Standards - 2003

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the Engineering Department’s report entitled “ Engineering Design Criteria and Standards - 2003“, be received,

AND THAT the final Engineering Design Criteria and Standards – 2003 be utilized for the design and construction of civil works in Markham,

AND THAT the Director of Engineering be authorized to update the Engineering Design Criteria and Standards - 2003 documents as required in the future, in consultation with other affected Town of Markham departments and the development industry.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to seek Council authorization to utilize the Engineering Design Criteria and Standards – 2003 (“the documents”) for the design and construction of civil works in Markham.

BACKGROUND:

In general, engineering design criteria and standard drawing documents form the basis of the design of all engineering services which are to be approved and constructed by either the development industry or Markham itself. This infrastructure will be municipally owned and maintained (sanitary, storm drainage, water supply, roads, illumination, sidewalks etc.).

Such documents are required for consistency amongst design approvals and clarity of Town requirements to outside users (consultant engineers, agencies, development industry, contractors, etc.) and the Town staff.

The design criteria and drawings of the Engineering Department were last formally issued in 1978 when it was still the “Works Department”. Since then, updates to various components have been produced on an individual need basis in order to address updated industry practices and changes in regulations etc. In 2002, the Engineering Department engaged a consulting engineering firm to assist staff in rewriting the criteria and standard drawings. Issuance of the 2003 documents will provide for the consolidation of modified practices over the years into one package and incorporation of new sections, which are accepted norms of the industry.

OPTIONS/DISCUSSION:

Benefits:

Up to date, consolidated documents will provide the basis for:

· clarity amongst stakeholders including various Town departments, engineering consultants, landowners and the general public

· consistent designs

· greater efficiency in the engineering design approvals process

· cross referencing to other regulatory requirements such as that from MOE, MNR, DFO, TRCA

· adding new sections to address: recycled asphalt paving, electrical (streetlighting), roadway design criteria, well monitoring, sidewalk location criteria and utility standards

Process:

The process undertaken in 2002 to update the documents is outlined as follows:

• Earth Tech Canada Inc. engaged as primary consultant with experience in writing such documents for other municipalities and ability to benchmark against industry practices
• Golder Associates Ltd. engaged as sub-consultant, geotechnical specialist, to perform comprehensive review of road makeup design and past performance as well as address up-to-date requirements for use of recycled asphalt and concrete materials, retaining wall design and granular base materials
• Consultation with staff of various Town departmental sections including; Street Services, Waterworks, Fire Department, Urban Design, Roads, Construction Inspection, Capital works, Development Engineering and Planning
• Consultation with a 3 consultant team representing UDI
• Consultation with 3 additional engineering consultant firms

Document Status:

Development industry comments are currently being considered for incorporation into the final document. It is expected that final documents will be ready for release in early July, 2003. It is recommended that the Director of Engineering be authorized to release the final documents on completion in a hardcopy format.

The matter of electronic format and availability of the documents via the internet is under review along with possible fees for purchase.

FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

There are no new financial considerations resulting from this report.

BUSINESS UNITS CONSULTED AND AFFECTED:

Various sections of the Community Services and Development Services commissions were consulted in the preparation of the documents as specified in this report.

ATTACHMENTS:

Table of contents from document

Alan Brown, C.E.T. Director of Engineering

Jim Baird, M.C.I.P., R.P.P. Commissioner of Development Services

Q:\Development\Engineering\REPORTS\2003\6\Design Criteria.doc