Climate change impact on safety and performance of existing and future infrastructure

Purpose and goal

The primary aim of the project was to improve the management of climate change related risks to our infrastructure and specifically our bridges. The project furthered this goal by: 1. Identifying relevant risks to future and existing bridge 2. Developing a framework for prioritizing these risks and/or bridges 3. Reviewing relevant mitigation and adaptation strategies 4. Assessing in-depth selected risks 5. Presenting a framework for designing bridges in light of climate change

Expected results and effects

The results in the project included: 1. A list of climate change related risks to bridges 2. A method for prioritizing these risks and/or bridges 3. An overview of viable mitigation and adaptation strategies 4. An understanding of some selected risks (creep in concrete, durability of timber, thermal actions) 5. A framework for designing bridges in light of climate change. These results are an important basis for improved treatment of climate change related risks to our bridges and can be expanded to include other types of transport infrastructure.

Planned approach and implementation

The project was a PhD project carried out at the Division of Structural Engineering, Lund University. The approach in the project relied on interpreting climate change scenarios based on established research/studies to determine their potential effects to bridges. A risk based methodology was adopted which concerned risk identification, assessment and evaluation with emphasis on existing as well as future bridges (i.e. operation and design). The project was very successful in achieving its goals although there are multiple future research needs and challenges.