Condition assessment is a key component of successful asset management, and many diverse condition assessment protocols exist for sewer mains. These protocols are used to generate condition grades for sewer mains after inspection. Condition assessment protocols are important because renewal actions for sewers are prioritized based on condition grades. If condition grades assigned to sewers do not reflect actual pipe conditions close enough, the resulting allocation of resources will not be the best. This paper presents a comparison of three possible sewer condition assessment protocols for the City of Edmonton: the Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program quick grading method, the Manual of Sewer Condition Classification fourth edition, and the City of Edmonton's Sewer Physical Condition Classification Manual. The results show that structural sewer condition grades depend significantly on the protocol used; therefore, protocol selection has significant financial consequences for asset management programs in the city.

Returning the streets to safe driving conditions during wintertime is a priority in cold regions. Using Real-Time Traction Tool (RT3)-Curve’s lateral friction measurements, the effectiveness of plowing and three rates of sanding on different road conditions was investigated. Even a low amount of sand caused a significant reduction in friction on bare dry surfaces. Plowing did not provide significant benefits on ice; though it was a critical operation for snow conditions. While low sanding did not necessarily improve friction over plowed ice and snow, medium and high sanding considerably increased friction over plowed ice and snow. Regression analysis on the collected data revealed that abrasive mixtures can quickly scatter off the road due to high-speed traffic; it also showed that the salt portion of the mixture was not able to melt the ice before it was scattered from the road; however, it was immediately effective for snow at −8 °C.