Climate & Transportation R&D Program - Addressing Climate Change Impacts on Road Structures

1. Climate & Transportation R&D program conducted by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration 2007- 2010, cca 2,5 mill € Update design, construction, operation and maintenance of road structures a response to climate change.

2. Continues work carried out in NPRA since 2004 and aimed at adjustments to climate change. Cooperation partners: Norwegian State Railway Norweian Geological Survey Norwegian Geotechnical Institute Norwegian Meteorological Institute +

3. 2002 reportfor National Transportation Plan - main features of the climate change and their effects on transportation Climate changes in Norway • milder winters, • warm and dry summers in the SE of Norway, • higher precipitation, especially W coast, • higher storm and wind frequency

4. 2002 reportfor National Transportation Plan - main features of the climate change and their effects on transportation Climate changes in Norway Examination of the drainage systems along roads Examination of increased expenses for road management Improvement of alert systems (emergency release) Investigate the effect on ground water Consequences for traffic safety

5. 2002 reportfor National Transportation Plan - main features of the climate change and their effects on transportation Climate changes in Norway 2007: report being updated based on recent research results

6. Higher ground water levels, higher threat from floods and erosion; • Change in flood and slide pattern: higher frequency of slush avalanches, debris slide and mud flow. Also – other locations of slides; • Potentially incorrect premises for choice of structural solutions and dimensioning of physical protection; • Potentially insufficient safety level of existing slide protection • More exposure to freezing and thawing in some areas; • Reduced regularityof roads and railways • Need for improved preparedness systems Effect on roads

7. … all this assuming the planed level of maintenance is being carried out >> focus on maintenance– requires organizing efforts and /or better budgets Effect on roads

8. Weather data • Good documentation of land slides, floods and avalanches • + Relation between measurements and observations Challenges for Norwegian Roads • Design (choice of sollutions and dimensioning): draianage, foundation, land slide protection • Maintenance • Susceptibility analyses, alert systems

9. 1 The effect of climate change on transportation Literature survey with the aim to describe the climate changes and their effect on roads, railways and air transportation: temperature changes, precipitation, wind, rising of the sea level, land slides – changes in types and locations, increase in ground water level, freezing & thawing etc. Topics of research - Work packages

10. 2 Data - gathering and processing • Weather (meteorological stations – equipment and location, type of data, format, frequency of measurements, automatic logging etc.) • Registration of events: land slides, erosion, reduced friction, reduced bearing capacity etc. • Road authorities’ own routines • Requirements to contractors Topics of research - Work packages

11. 3 Flood and erosion • Design and maintenance and their adjustment to new climate conditions • New standard values   • Storm water • Wave erosion • Drainage • Erosion of artificial slopes Topics of research - Work packages

12. 4 Land slides, avalanches and rock falls • … adjustment to climatic conditions Topics of research - Work packages • Risk assessment: probability , consequence, acceptance criteria • Mitigation and protection plansfor land slides, priority models • Methods of physical protection, design premises • Quick clay

13. 5 Preparedness • Alert systems,warning, threshold values of critical parameters criteria for emergency action, • Automatic methods (closure in cases of risk of erosion or land slide for roads, strong wind or waves for bridges) Topics of research - Work packages 6 Consequences for winter operation Traffic in extreme conditions concerning snow and wind Winter friction

14. 7 Bearing capacity of roads due to the effect of changes in frost conditions and frequency of freeze-thaw cycles Topics of research - Work packages 8 General vulnerability Alternative routes or ferry connections in cases of road closure

15. * Climate issues relate to almost any activity in NPRA >> coordination with ongoing work is important! * Strategy – what do road authorities choose? * Huge interest from all sides requires a dynamic dissemination of results

16. RegClim: scenarios for regional climate change in Northern Europe, bordering sea areas and major parts of the Arctic, Research programs and efforts • ACIA -Arctic Climate Impact Assessment – 4-year project carried out through collaboration between 8 countries i the Arctic region: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, USA. Extensive evaluation and analysis of consequences of climate change for environment and social aspects of development. • NorACIA – Norwegian follow-up

17. International Centre for Geohazardshosted by the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute: research on the assessment, prevention and mitigation of geohazards, including risk of landslide in soil and rock, flooding… • Geoextreme – (4 year project by ICG) establish relations between meteorological conditions and geohazards, climate and geohazard scenaria for the next 50 years, socio-economic consequences, policy Research programs and efforts

18. University of Bergen, NTNU in Trondheim: • preparing project proposals Research programs and efforts • Clim Runoff (Norwegian University of Life Sciences): evaluating runnoff situations along roads by coupling global climate models, local hydrology models. Guidelines for road structures!!