Expresso 17 | Shaping tomorrow

We are pushing the limits of engineering to find the best possible solutions to build a durable bridge that is in harmony with its surroundings and offers an enhanced user experience.” Sylvain Denis, P.Eng.

climate forecasts for the coming century were taken into account. Experts drew on past data to predict future trends and find solutions to current and future challenges brought on by climate change. “Projected changes to freeze-thaw cycles and the gradual scouring of marine soil are some of the factors that must be taken into consideration,” Sylvain explains. “Since changes to freeze-thaw cycles will result in rising water levels in this area and the expansion of the

floodplain, the project will also involve raising the road leading to the bridge. The anticipated scour of the riverbed, at a depth of about 49 feet over the next 100 years, will also lead to changes to the conditions and loads to which the foundation and support elements of the bridge’s structure will be exposed. This meant they needed to be designed to preserve their integrity and weather these changes and the passage of time.”

The art of engineering is understanding, considering and combining thousands of project specifics while looking to the future. The design of the new Île- d’Orléans bridge is an inspiring example of the way engineers are able to build for tomorrow, today.

SHAPING TOMORROW | 5