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Anticipating the impact of climate change on road earthworks

Climate change and its consequences are one of the main preoccupations of the beginning of the 21st century. The first part of the report presents, as an example, regional scenarios of the climate evolution for Quebec and Switzerland. The second part focuses on water: lack or excess of water and its state. It deals with the cases of embankments, natural slopes, rise of sea level, modifications of the permafrost, and the increase of the wind force. Various examples are presented in the third part. They show, more particularly, failures of embankments and slope slides, due to the presence of a large quantity of water. If they are not the result of climate change, the frequency of such damages is likely to increase in the future.

Information sheet

  • Date: 2008
  • Author(s): Comité technique 4.5 Terrassement, Drainage, Couche de Forme / Technical Committee 4.5 Earthworks, Drainage, Subgrade
  • Domain(s): Environment / Road Assets Management / Road Earthworks
  • PIARC Ref.: 2008R12EN
  • ISBN: 2-84060-212-1
  • Number of pages: 69