infrastructure-standards

name: infrastructure-standards version: "1.0" description: "Looks up and interprets Ontario Provincial Standard Drawings (OPSD), Ontario Provincial Standard Specifications (OPSS), CSA standards, and MTO design guidelines for municipal infrastructure. This skill should be used when a design question, standard reference, or material selection needs authoritative Ontario infrastructure standards." source: "OPSD, OPSS, CSA S6:19, MTO Drainage Management Manual, MTO Geometric Design Standards" authority: "Province of Ontario, Ministry of Transportation Ontario, Canadian Standards Association" data_as_of: "2026-03-08" pipeline_position: 2 pipeline_inputs: "condition_assessment.json (optional)" pipeline_outputs: "standards_lookup.json" pipeline_upstream: "infrastructure-assessment" pipeline_downstream: "report-generator"

Infrastructure Standards

Purpose

Retrieve and interpret the correct Ontario and Canadian infrastructure design standards for a given question, asset type, or design scenario. Provide the authoritative standard reference, key requirements, and applicable design parameters. Do not perform the engineering design — provide the standard requirements that a designer needs.

Keep this skill narrow:

• Identify the applicable standard (OPSD, OPSS, CSA, MTO manual)
• Extract the relevant requirements and parameters
• Note exceptions, recent amendments, and jurisdiction-specific overrides
• Provide the standard reference for traceability

Use when

• A design question requires an Ontario infrastructure standard lookup
• Material selection needs OPSD/OPSS guidance
• Drainage design needs MTO manual parameters
• Bridge design needs CSA S6 requirements
• A condition assessment references a standard that needs interpretation

Do not use when

• The task is to assess existing asset condition (use infrastructure-assessment)
• The task is to produce a final engineering design (outside scope — requires P.Eng.)
• The task is a planning or zoning question (use planning skills)

Inputs

{
  "project_id": "uuid",
  "query_type": "standard_lookup | material_selection | design_parameter | specification_check",
  "asset_type": "storm_sewer | sanitary_sewer | watermain | bridge | culvert | manhole | catchbasin | road | sidewalk",
  "query": "What is the minimum cover for a 600mm storm sewer under a municipal road?",
  "context": {
    "municipality": "Toronto",
    "road_classification": "local | collector | arterial | expressway",
    "design_flow_m3s": null,
    "pipe_material": null,
    "span_m": null,
    "conditions": []
  },
  "condition_assessment_path": "condition_assessment.json (optional)"
}

Required fields:

• query_type
• query (natural language question or standard reference number)

Optional fields:

• asset_type (improves lookup accuracy)
• context (provides design scenario details)
• condition_assessment_path (links to upstream assessment)

Outputs

Produce standards_lookup.json.

{
  "project_id": "uuid",
  "lookup_timestamp": "ISO datetime",
  "query": "original query",
  "applicable_standards": [
    {
      "standard_id": "OPSD 802.010",
      "title": "Bedding and Cover for Flexible and Rigid Pipes",
      "category": "OPSD | OPSS | CSA | MTO",
      "version": "November 2019",
      "requirements": [
        {
          "parameter": "Minimum cover — rigid pipe under roadway",
          "value": "1.2 m",
          "conditions": "Measured from top of pipe to finished road surface",
          "exceptions": "May be reduced to 0.6m with engineered concrete encasement"
        }
      ],
      "related_standards": ["OPSS 410", "OPSD 802.030"],
      "notes": ""
    }
  ],
  "design_parameters": {},
  "municipality_overrides": [],
  "facts": [],
  "inferences": [],
  "assumptions": [],
  "unknowns": []
}

Reference Router

Load only the reference file relevant to the query:

Workflow

1. Parse the query

• Identify the asset type and design scenario
• Determine whether the question is about a specific standard number or a general design requirement
• If a standard number is provided (e.g., "OPSD 701.010"), go directly to that standard
• If a general question, identify the applicable standard category

2. Identify applicable standards

Follow the Ontario infrastructure standards hierarchy:

Municipal standards override provincial where they exist. Always note when a municipal override applies.

3. Extract requirements

For each applicable standard:

• State the exact requirement with units
• Note conditions and exceptions
• Identify the standard version and date
• List related standards the designer should also consult
• Flag any recent amendments

4. Check for municipal overrides

Common Toronto-specific overrides:

• Toronto Wet Weather Flow Management Guidelines (supersedes MTO for SWM)
• Toronto Green Standard (additional requirements beyond OPSD/OPSS)
• Toronto Development Infrastructure Policy and Standards (DIPS)
• City of Toronto Road Classification System (affects design parameters)

5. Note design parameters

When the query involves design calculations, provide the applicable parameters:

For drainage:

• Manning's n values by pipe material
• Rational method C values by land use
• IDF curve references for the municipality
• Minimum pipe grades by diameter

For structures:

• Design loading (CL-625 for bridges)
• Clearance requirements
• Barrier and railing standards

6. Flag jurisdictional nuances

• Note when standards are in transition (e.g., metric conversion issues)
• Flag differences between MTO standards (provincial highways) and municipal standards
• Note when CSA standards have been adopted with Ontario-specific modifications

Quality Bar

• Always cite the specific standard number and version
• Never provide a requirement without its source standard
• Distinguish between mandatory requirements ("shall") and recommendations ("should")
• Note when multiple standards apply and which takes precedence
• Flag when a standard is under review or recently revised

Stop Conditions

Stop and return a partial artifact when:

• The query is outside Ontario/Canadian infrastructure standards scope
• The specific standard cannot be identified from available references
• The query requires engineering judgment beyond standard lookup (flag for P.Eng. review)
• The municipality has unpublished standards that override provincial ones

Reference Files

Read only the reference file relevant to the current query.

External References