Caledon is a town of approximately 80,000 people located northwest of Toronto in the Regional Municipality of Peel. The town has experienced significant growth in the past 10 years, and their 2024 Official Plan forecasts the town’s population to increase to 300,000 by 2051.

The town’s population growth and associated traffic has impacted its existing bridge infrastructure. The town conducts regular assessments of its bridges to assess their condition and safety. In 2021, the town retained Associated Engineering to assess four pedestrian bridges and two culverts to determine their condition and the need for rehabilitation or replacement. Project Manager, Sarvejit Nagi in our Toronto office, tells us, “After the condition assessment, we identified that Duffy’s Lane Bridge and Mill Lane Bridge on the Caledon Trailway needed maintenance.”

The Caledon Trailway follows a Canadian National Rail line built in 1877 and later abandoned. The 35 kilometre Trailway runs from the hamlet of Terra Cotta to the community of Palgrave in Caledon. Today, the multi-use trail is heavily used by the public for cycling, walking, and horseback riding.

Duffy’s Lane Bridge and Mill Lane Bridge have a length of 12.9 metres and 7.9 metres respectively, and both are 2.17 metres wide with short railings. The Town sought to rehabilitate the structures according to the Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) reports and make the bridges structurally safe. In addition, the Town wished to replace two culverts.

“We completed preliminary design and prepared life-cycle costs, which showed that rehabilitating the bridges was more cost effective than replacing them. We subsequently prepared the detailed design for the rehabilitation, as well as applications for permit approvals, and tender documents for four of the structures.”

Without available record drawings, the team conducted surveys to capture dimensions and confirmed the design with field measurements and survey information.

Bridge Engineer, Jim Thomas, says, “We designed higher bridge railings, 1.37 metres tall, to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. As well, the bridges were widened to three metres to accommodate maintenance vehicles.”

Bridge Engineer, Shuhao Chen, tells us, “To improve the durability of the bridges, we specified that the timber for main structural members be Spruce-Pine-Fir (SPF), Hemlock Fir, Grade No. 2 or better.” In addition, the team specified that connections use galvanized steel lag bolts with predrilling holes to prevent timber cracking and the deck boards were fastened with GSK RSS Screws, rather than nails.”

The Town awarded the construction contract for Duffy’s Lane and Mill Lane bridges in May 2024 and retained Associated Engineering to conduct contract administration and site inspection. We also reviewed the traffic plan and coordinated the construction with adjacent road construction contractors. The team also worked with the Town to provide notices and detour maps to trail users.

Caledon’s Chief Administrative Officer, Nathan Hyde said, “In improving accessibility from the trailway to local businesses, we are supporting our strategic priority of community vitality and livability, enriching the vibrancy and liveliness of our hamlets and villages.”

Key Associated Engineering staff included Sarvejit Nagi, Shuhao Chen, Jim Thomas, Catherine Du, Hannah Murphy, Don McBrayne, and Navjot Dureja.

The post Replacing and rehabilitating structures increases safety of Caledon Trailway first appeared on Associated Engineering.

In high school, Sarvejit Nagi, Manager of our Bridges & Structures team in Toronto, was a high performing student in mathematics and physics. He also enjoyed building structures with Lego. These combined interests led Sarvejit to pursue a degree in civil/structural engineering. While at the University of Toronto, Sarvejit was mentored by a professor who specialized in reinforced concrete and steel design, which fostered his interest in structures. He also credits his sister, who runs a pharmaceutical consulting business, with providing mentorship.

As an engineering graduate, Sarvejit took on roles in materials inspection and as a construction assistant superintendent. Eventually, positions arose in structural inspection and bridge design. Sarvejit recalls, “I worked hard to improve my bridge design skills and was offered a permanent position as a transportation design engineer, which was a rare opportunity at the time.”

He tells us, “The first structural drawing I sealed was a tall cantilever retaining wall; this was a personal milestone.” Since, then Sarvejit has gained experience with more complex designs; each has given him a sense of satisfaction, particularly in-slab and beam-type bridges and three grade-separated rail bridges. 

After eight years with Caltrans, the California Department of Transportation Engineering Services, Sarvejit pursued positions in consulting engineering, motivated by the faster-paced environment. 

About eight years ago, Sarvejit became aware of Associated Engineering.

“I reviewed some of Associated’s engineering documents and appreciated the technical content. I was attracted to Associated by the quality of the work.”

Since joining the company in 2016, he says the management team, opportunity for personal development, growth, planning, and collaboration has kept him excited about working at Associated.

Some of Sarvejit’s project highlights include the Don River Boulevard Bridge Replacement; multiple (ten) bridge repairs in Toronto; and Steeles Avenue Rehabilitation; and Prince Edward Viaduct and Rosedale Valley Viaduct Rehabilitation. In particular, the luminous veil was an enormous undertaking, with a well-planned bridge inspection that led to evaluations, design, and construction administration. Working on the Owner’s Engineer team for the $1.88 billion Regina Bypass project was another highlight. 

“Our staff are our most valuable resource. We need to guide them in their career paths, provide mentorship, and share our experiences.”

As a Senior Structural Engineer and manager, Sarvejit says, “I enjoy seeing our staff grow and develop, including technical staff and Engineers-in-Training to Professionals. If you instill trust in staff, provide them with interesting and challenging projects and guidance, they can and will deliver.” Sarvejit believes in keeping communication open with staff, collaborating with other disciplines, providing support, and identifying key design considerations in their solutions. 

“My approach to working with clients and project delivery is to seek client input on the design, and understand their concerns and risks, so that the design meets their requirements.” 

Outside of work, Sarvejit is an avid sports fan, and a longtime Toronto Maple Leafs supporter. He enjoys tennis, golf, and badminton, and loves the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. He is also a member of a motorcycle club that supports local charities in Ontario.

The post Making connections has been key to Sarvejit Nagi’s career in consulting engineering first appeared on Associated Engineering.