FLNRO Engineering Manual
Search the Engineering Manual
The FLNRO Engineering Manual provides information related to the administration, design, construction, maintenance and deactivation of forest resource roads and Forest Service roads and bridges.
Within the manual, ministry staff will find:
- Mandatory procedures
- Business and technical best practices
- Policy direction and due diligence
- Safety protocols
The Engineering Manual is regularly reviewed and continually improved as policies and practices evolve.
1.1 Mandatory Procedures & Best Practices
1.2 Types of Roads & Applicable Permits or Authorizations
- 1.2.1 Forest Service Roads
- 1.2.2 Road Permit Roads
- 1.2.3 Cutting Permit Roads
- 1.2.4 Special Use Permit Roads
1.4 Subdivisions Off Forest Service Roads
1.5 Signs on Forest Service Roads
1.6 Abandoned Vehicles on Forest Service Rights-of-Way
1.7 Temporary Closures of Forest Service Roads
1.9 Cancelling Road Use Permits
1.10 Cancelling Works & Special Use Permits
1.11 Protocol Agreements Related to Roads
2.1 Mandatory Procedures & Best Practices
2.2 Road Layout Professional Responsibilities & Considerations
- 2.3.1 Road Layout
- 2.3.2 Maps & Air Photos
- 2.3.3 Visual Impact
- 2.3.4 The Working Map
- 2.3.5 Land Alienations
- 2.3.6 Government Interests
- 2.4.1 Field Reconnaissance Procedures & Records
- 2.4.2 Specific Concerns
- 2.4.3 Drainage Structures
- 2.4.4 Harvesting Requirements
- 2.4.5 Use of Appropriate Professionals
3.1 Mandatory Procedures & Best Practices
3.2 Road Survey & Design Professional Responsibilities & Considerations
- 3.4.1 Survey Level 1
- 3.4.2 Survey Level 2 & 3
- 3.4.3 Survey Level 4 (For High-Order Survey Requirements)
- 3.5.1 Design Planning Considerations
- 3.5.2 Road Design Criteria
- 3.5.3 Swell & Shrinkage of Materials
- 3.5.4 Example Correction Factors
- 3.6.1 Log Culvert Design
- 3.6.2 Ford Design & Construction on Non-Fish Streams
- 3.6.3 Design Considerations
- 3.6.4 Cross Drain Culverts
- 3.6.5 Culverts on Non-Fish-Bearing Streams
- 3.6.6 Factors Affecting Runoff
- 3.6.7 High Water Estimation Method for Stream Culverts
- 3.6.8 Road Junctions
- 3.6.9 Other Structures
3.7 Geometric Road Design Requirements
3.8 Survey & Design Outputs - Road Plans
4.0 Design & Construction of Bridges & Major Culverts
4.1 Mandatory Procedures and Best Practices
4.2 Structure Design & Construction Professional Responsibilities & Considerations
4.3 Design Requirements for Retaining Structures
- 4.3.1 General Design Requirements
- 4.3.2 Factors to Consider in Selecting Facing Materials for MSE & GRS Retaining Structures
- 4.3.3 Geotechnical Report
- 4.3.4 Detailed Design Drawings & Specifications
- 4.3.5 Ministry Review of Externally Prepared Designs
4.4 Design Requirements for Crossings, Including Bridges & Major Culverts
- 4.4.1 Project & Design Responsibility & Considerations
- 4.4.2 Skill Set for CRP for Simple Crossings
- 4.4.3 Development & Use of Professional Engineer Forest Road General Arrangement Bridge Design Aids
- 4.4.4 Typical Bridge Design Approach
- 4.4.5 Design Opening
4.5 Types of Bridge Structures
4.6 Types of Major Culvert Structures
4.7 Site Data & Survey Requirements for Bridges & Major Culverts
- 4.8.1 Factors Affecting Runoff
- 4.8.2 Methodologies to Estimate Design Flood Discharge
- 4.8.3 Comparing Discharges Using Hydrological Information
4.10 Construction Drawings & Specifications
- 4.10.1 General Bridge Arrangement Drawing Requirements
- 4.10.2 Bridge Superstructure Drawing Requirements
- 4.10.3 Bridge Substructure Drawing Requirements
- 4.10.4 Log Bridge Superstructure on Log Crib Drawing Requirements
- 4.10.5 Major Culvert Drawing Requirements
- 4.10.6 Portable Bridge Superstructures
4.11 Bridge & Major Culvert Materials Acquisition
4.12 Bridge & Major Culvert Materials Quality & Fabrication
- 4.12.1 In-Plant Inspection of Bridge Materials & Fabrication
- 4.12.2 Structural Field Welding
- 4.12.3 Structural Field Grouting
4.13 Major Culvert Construction
4.14 Use & Role of Environmental Monitors
4.15 Construction Documentation
5.1 Mandatory Procedures & Best Practices
5.2 Road Construction Professional Responsibilities & Considerations
- 5.2.1 Field Reviews
- 5.2.2 Changed Conditions
- 5.2.3 Modifications During Construction
- 5.2.4 Project Assurance
- 5.3.1 Preparing the Site
- 5.3.2 Establishing Clearing Widths
- 5.3.3 Marking Clearing Widths
- 5.3.4 Establishing Pilot Trails
- 5.3.5 Felling & Yarding Within the Clearing Width
- 5.5.1 Piling & Burning
- 5.5.2 Scattering
- 5.5.3 Burying
- 5.5.4 Endhauling Debris for Disposal
- 5.5.5 Location of Disposal Sites for Debris
- 5.6.1 Construction Near Licensed Waterworks
- 5.6.2 Construction in Riparian Management Areas
- 5.6.3 Fan Destablilization
- 5.6.4 Wildlife Measures & Features
- 5.6.5 Construction Surveys
- 5.6.6 Modifying the Road Layout & Design
- 5.6.7 Sidecast Construction
- 5.6.8 Full Bench & Partial Bench Construction
- 5.6.9 Endhauling Surplus Excavation Materials
- 5.6.10 Location of Disposal Sites for Excavation Spoil
- 5.6.11 Rock Excavation
- 5.7.1 Construction of Short-Term Roads
- 5.7.2 Winter Construction of Permanent Roads
- 5.7.3 Turnouts & Widenings
- 5.7.4 Location of Borrow Pits
5.8 Road Drainage Construction
- 5.8.1 Maintaining Surface Drainage Patterns
- 5.8.2 Drainage Practices & Water Quality
- 5.8.3 Ditch Construction Considerations
- 5.8.4 Cross-Drain Culvert Location
- 5.8.5 Cross-Drain Culvert Installation
- 5.8.6 Log Culvert Construction
- 5.8.7 Temporary Stream Crossings
- 5.8.8 Construction of Open & Closed Bottom Metal Culverts on Non-Fish Streams
- 5.8.9 Construction of Open & Closed Bottom Metal Culverts on Fish Streams
- 5.8.10 Fords on Non-Fish Streams
5.9 Stabilizing the Subgrade & Surfacing the Road
- 5.9.1 Ballasting
- 5.9.2 Surfacing
- 5.9.3 Surfacing Compaction
- 5.9.4 Protecting Erodible Fills Located Within Floodplains
- 5.9.5 Litter, Petroleum Products & Other Waste Materials
5.10 Construction & Use of Snow & One-Season Winter Roads
5.11 Soil Erosion & Sediment Control
5.12 Road Works Shutdown Indicators
- 5.12.1 Procedures for Shutting Down Operations
- 5.12.2 Limiting Road Use to Minimize Adverse Impacts
- 5.12.3 Emergency Road Maintenance
6.0 Road & Structure Inspection & Maintenance
6.1 Mandatory Procedures & Best Practices
6.2 Road & Structure Inspection & Maintenance Professional Responsibilities & Considerations
- 6.2.1 Road Maintenance Works
- 6.2.2 Maintenance Plan
- 6.2.3 Inspections of Roads
- 6.2.4 Engineered Structure Inspection & Maintenance
- 6.2.5 Project Assurance
6.3 Road & Structure Maintenance Levels
6.4 Road Maintenance Inspections
- 6.4.1 Road Risk Ratings & Maintenance Inspection Priorities
- 6.4.2 Road Inspection Frequencies
- 6.4.3 Road Maintenance Inspection Reports
6.5 Engineered Structure Inspections
- 6.5.1 Types of Inspections
- 6.5.2 Structural Deficiencies Noted in Inspections for FSR Structures
- 6.5.3 Clarification of GVW as Applicable to Bridge Load Rating
- 6.5.4 Engineered Structure Inspection Frequencies
- 6.5.5 Engineered Structure Inspection Reports
- 6.5.6 Engineered Structure Inspection Documentation
6.7 Scheduling Maintenance Works
6.8 Road User Safety Considerations During Maintenance Works Operations
6.9 Routine Types of Road Maintenance Works
- 6.9.1 Clearing Width Maintenance
- 6.9.2 Ditch & Culvert Maintenance
- 6.9.3 Road Prism Maintenance
- 6.9.4 Subgrade Maintenance
- 6.9.5 Road Surface Maintenance
- 6.9.6 Winter Operations: Snowplowing & Sanding
- 6.9.7 Spring Break-Up: Temporary Vehicle Weight Restrictions
6.10 Routine Types of Structure Maintenance Works: Bridges & Stream Culverts
- 6.10.1 Bridge Maintenance
- 6.10.2 Stream Culvert Maintenance
- 6.10.3 Bridge & Major Culvert Replacement
6.11 Other Maintenance Works Along Roads
7.1 Mandatory Procedures & Best Practices
7.2 Road Deactivation Professional Responsibilities & Considerations
- 7.2.1 Involvement of Specialists in Road Deactivation
- 7.2.2 Professional Field Reviews
- 7.2.3 Project Assurance
7.3 Planning Road Deactivation
7.4 Deactivation Prescriptions
- 7.4.1 Prescription Requirements
- 7.4.2 Phases of Prescription Development
- 7.4.3 Modification of Prescriptions
- 7.5.1 Project Management
- 7.5.2 Cost Estimate of the Planned Works
- 7.5.3 Carrying Out the Works
- 7.5.4 Submission Requirements After Completing the Works
- 7.5.5 Inspections After Deactivation
7.6 Deactivation Hazard Warning Signs
7.7 Road Deactivation Objectives
7.8 Road Deactivation Techniques
- Chapter 1: Resource Road Channel Assignment Limitations
- Chapter 2: Road Layout - Appendix
- Chapter 3: Road Survey & Design - Appendix
- Chapter 4: Design & Construction of Bridges & Major Culverts - Appendix
- Chapter 5: Road Construction - Appendix
- Chapter 6: Road & Structure Inspection & Maintenance - Appendix
- Chapter 7: Road Deactivation - Appendix
