Adapting road infrastructure to climate change: innovative approaches and tools

Extreme climate events have major direct impacts on all road infrastructures. The consequences are mainly economic, but also concern safety. Climate change considerably modifies infrastructure’s vulnerability to these impacts. Usually, infrastructure is designed on the basis of regulations and calculation codes which supply typical intensity values for climatic phenomena associated with a return frequency (e.g. a 10 year rainfall or a 100 year flood). While this reference event concept, based on return frequency, has been extremely useful in the past, it is becoming dangerous insofar as the underlying assumption that the climate of tomorrow will be similar to that of yesterday is no longer correct. Despite persistent scientific uncertainties with regard to climate change issues, the cost of “inaction” clearly demonstrates the essential need to act now and in a relevant manner. Concrete and effective solutions are currently made available to road owners and operators. The present paper aims to present several outstanding initiatives, from upstream institutional approaches to real-time risk management, stemming from national and international research undertaken in recent years, local implementations with infrastructure owners, and international networking.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.piarc.org/en/order-library/13949-en-Proceedings%20of%20the%20XXIVth%20World%20Road%20Congress,%20Mexico%20-%202011.htm
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of the World Road Association – PIARC.
• Corporate Authors:

  World Road Association (PIARC)

  La Grande Arche, Paroi Nord, Niveau 5
  F-92055 La Defense Cedex,   France 
• Authors:
  • Ennesser, Y
  • Ray, M
• Conference:
  • 24th World Road Congress
  • Location: Mexico City , Mexico
  • Date: 2011-9-26 to 2011-9-30
• Publication Date: 2011

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: 24th World Road Congress Proceedings: Roads for a Better Life: Mobility, Sustainability and Development

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Climate change; Infrastructure; Reconstruction; Risk assessment; Risk management; Roads; Technological innovations; Uncertainty
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; I61: Equipment and Maintenance Methods;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01515911
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 2840602679
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 25 2014 10:05AM