TAC BC Talk: Durability Engineering and Service-Life Analysis for Tunnels
Date: February 24, 2026
Time & Itinerary:
5:30 PM – Check in
6:00 PM – Presentation
Location:
Steamworks Brewpub – Uber Room
375 Water St., Vancouver, BC
Registration Cost:
$5 for members, $10 for non-members
About the Talk:
As tunneling projects evolve to meet the demands of urbanization, climate resilience, and long-term asset performance, the need for durable, low-maintenance infrastructure is paramount. This presentation introduces a performance-based durability framework specifically tailored for new tunnel construction, with a focus on achieving a 100-year service life. Key components of this include the development of performance bas d concrete mix desigs as well as thermal control planning and early age cracking mitigation strategies. This is particularly relevant for projects utilizing concrete elements (ie. Cast-in-place, precast segments, shotcrete) which are increasingly favored for their speed of installation, quality control, and reduced environmental impact.
This presentation will include case studies from recent metro and transportation tunnels in North America and Europe that demonstrate how this approach has been successfully implemented, including examples where tunnel projects were optimized for both structural and durability performance.
Francis Mongeon Bio:
Francis Mongeon serves as Director of Business Development at SIMCO. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal and an MBA from Athabasca University. With over twenty years of experience in construction management, technical sales, and business development in those sectors, Francis has extensive expertise within the transit, transportation and energy industries with a focus on construction management, technical sales, and business development.
