2024 BAST - Pave4Climate

Pave4Climate - Data- and risk-based development of innovative construction methods for a climate-adapted transport infrastructure

Project staff

Dr.-Ing. Anita Blasl
Dipl.-Ing. Loreen Heinrich
Dipl.-Ing. Josef Keller

Contracting authorities

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Project period

06/2024 - 05/2027

Downloads

Emergency action plan

Motivation

Climate change is a reality, causing weather-related natural disasters such as heavy rainfall, flash flooding, storms, droughts, and long-lasting heat waves. In the future, we can expect an increased risk of localized heavy rainfall events associated with flood conditions. Depending on the topography and surface characteristics, these events may lead to intense surface runoff and significant hydraulic loads, such as flooding, overtopping, scouring, and the formation of erosion holes, which impact road infrastructure. In the context of risk management, the usability of transport infrastructure before, during, and after a flood or heavy rainfall event is important for society as a whole (e.g., ensuring supply and evacuation routes in the event of a disaster). This is reflected in the resilience of transport infrastructure in the face of natural disasters — its ability to withstand, adapt to, or quickly recover from specific impacts.

Objectives and methodology

The Pave4Climate project aims to develop methods and measures for constructing and maintaining climate-resilient road infrastructure. The project focuses on risk-based adaptation strategies in response to extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as flooding and heat waves. Cause-effect chains are identified to derive climate-adapted reinforcement measures and prioritize high-risk road sections for adaptation interventions. Based on the current state of research, the project employs laboratory experiments, simulations, and artificial intelligence to analyze the complex relationships between floods and damage. Additionally, the project is developing innovative construction materials and methods that mitigate the impacts of heavy rainfall and flooding and can withstand rising temperatures resulting from climate change. The project considers the influence of climate change on natural disasters and emphasizes the importance of resilient transportation infrastructure.

Sub-objectives

Compilation of damage data for various pavement structures resulting from hydraulic and thermal loads
The assessment of damage susceptibility of different pavement structures is conducted through physical laboratory testing of dominant hydraulically induced damage processes
Identify damage mechanisms and evaluate the erosion resistance of road construction materials under flow attack
Risk assessment of damage to road infrastructure based on an overarching cause-effect model
Development and application of semantic digital models, as well as identification of road infrastructures with elevated damage risk, using AI techniques
Design and evaluation of temperature-adapted asphalts and construction methods
Identification of critical, temperature-induced stress conditions in concrete pavements
Assess pavement structures in terms of their load-bearing capacity under high moisture conditions
Proposals for dimensioning climate-adaptive and resilient road infrastructures and recommendations for selecting construction materials and material mixtures

Further Informations

Project page Pave4Climate - Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Technical Hydromechanics