Road damages and changes in the climate

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Road embankments

There may occur stability problems with road embarments more frequently in the future Long term rain events as well as heavy precipitation (perhaps in conjunction with a preceding dry spell) may be significant causes.

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Zero temperature crossings

Depending on the region even a slight increase of the average winter temperature gives reason to a pronounced increase of these events.

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Rutting

high temperature and large amounts of incoming solar radiation is (aside from the traffic

load) perhaps important influencing quantity. Sometimes spring thaw events are mentioned in this context too.

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Frost heave

Low temperatures are certainly of importance in this context as well as the presence of rather moisty air conditions.

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Thawing of permafrost

Roads in high up regions and areas in Northern Europe may face this more often as in the past. This should come along in regions that show annual temperatures close to zero degrees and will experience a pronounced warming of the average temperature.

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Icy road conditions

Maintenance works may significantly increase where presently temperatures are well below freezing and will be shifted to temperatures across zero degree.

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Snow drifts

Changed wind conditions together with altered amounts of snow may lead to increased maintenance efforts. This phenomenon also depends on the consistency of the snow(fall) which is also dependent on temperature conditions (during the fall and even afterwards)

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Maintenance issued with salting

Heavy snowfall events and icy road conditions require the salting of roads (with all involved problems) may occur more often in the future as the same amount of precipitation is brought down in less events.

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Avalanches

The interplay of temperature evolution and snowfall does control the likeliness of averlanches. In a changed climate probanilities may change as well.

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Erosion of roads

Heavy rain events (in particular when the soil is soaked) are often responsible for road erosion. The frequency of events chausing erosion may increase if heavy precipitation events take place more often.

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Bridge stability issues

Flooding events are often damaging bridge piles

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Flooding

Flooding is linked to soaked soil, rather long therm heavy precipitation and underdimensioned drainage systems. The dimensioning of drainage systems is of high importance in a changing climate (not just along roads but also in cities, etc.)

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Landslides

Landslides often occur when soaked soil in hilly terrain is affected by an additional rain event. Certanly, the vegetation and supporting constructions play an important role too.

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Falling boulders

Frost burst due to increased temperature variations near to freezing together with moist conditions.

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Drainage systems

Anything that gets stuck in the system is a porblem. As such fallen tree branches (caused by windthrow), mudslides (heavy precipitation), movement of rock formation (precipitation, frost burst), ground movement etc. are potentially dangerous.

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Thanks to our partners for their attention and

cooperation!

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