 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Relations &
Planning Division
| Subjects |
| Divisions |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Directories |
| Links |
Municipal Infrastructure Design Guideline Manual
Introduction
The Master Municipal Construction Documents Association is a non-profit society whose membership consists of BC municipalities, consulting engineers and contractors involved in the design and construction of local government infrastructure. MMCDA’s main purpose is the development and sharing of guidelines for the construction of municipal infrastructure, such as roads, sidewalks, traffic lights, street lighting, sewer and water.In partnership with the Ministry of Community Services, the Association has
prepared an up-to-date "Design Guideline Manual" for review by
municipalities, regional districts, contractors and consultants.
Background
The guidelines have evolved from the 1980 "Residential Standards and Site Planning Standards." The Design Guideline Manual provides a standardized set of criteria that can be adopted by municipalities and regional districts around British Columbia, as well as the Ministry of Transportation, for development in unincorporated areas.The manual is intended for use on municipal infrastructure projects in British Columbia. Use of this document makes building new infrastructure less expensive by decreasing transaction costs for developers, their contractors and local governments. The manual highlights current infrastructure design improvements and includes:
- consideration of the principles of sustainability and asset management;
- design criteria for municipal infrastructure in British Columbia;
- alternative criteria relating to specifics such as field conditions, climatic conditions, development standards and density;
- standard reference criteria to reduce variations in standard design criteria; and
- material which is complementary to the Municipal Construction Documents Specifications and Standard Detail Drawings.
The standards in the manual are general and do not cover all
cases. The manual is not intended to be a substitute for engineering
expertise. It is the infrastructure designer’s responsibility to
exercise professional judgement on technical matters in the best
interests of the owners and users of the infrastructure.
Conclusion
The next steps are to introduce the design guidelines to all areas of the province through workshops, which are scheduled for 2004 in Kelowna, Castelgar, Cranbrook, Prince George, Terrace, Qualicum Beach and the lower mainland.These workshops will highlight the value of communities adopting
the guidelines to help develop building lots which meet engineering
best practices at the lowest cost possible.
A draft copy of the Design Guideline Manual 
(492 KB)
is available on the Master Municipal Construction Documents Association web site.
Master Municipal Construction Documents Association:
Phone: (604) 681-0295
Fax: (604) 681-4545
Web site: www.mmcd.net
