Roads and innovation

Since the start of the 2014-20 EU programming period, JASPERS has advised on the preparation of climate change risk assessments for numerous EU-projects and across all sectors, notably roads. This case study is based on a pilot approach developed by the Polish national roads authority in cooperation with JASPERS. The document should enable road network operators (and transport operators in general) to integrate climate change resilience into networks management and artificial intelligence (AI).

Building upon the assessment and mapping of the national road network climate vulnerabilities, the work undertaken  identifies the need to implement climate resilience investments on the existing network, as well as informs climate proofing for new developments. The publication also includes a business case on climate adaptation for roads.

Roads are at the heart of the climate debate, both as a source of greenhouse gas emissions and as assets exposed to climate change risks. The past decade has seen, for instance, multiple cases of floods flushing road sections away and heat waves making concrete pavement joints burst in many locations across Europe.

New questions are now emerging for road infrastructure managers: How vulnerable are roads to extreme weather events? What can be done to make roads more climate-resilient? Which parts of the network are most exposed? Are existing design guidelines adequate? What cost-effective responses can be implemented?

Issues like these can be addressed with an approach referred to as Climate Resilience Analysis for Road Networks, which JASPERS can help road authorities to implement.

By nature, tunnels interfere with surface and underground water flows. As soon as excavation begins, it starts to modify the hydrogeological set up and to attract water from aquifers. The risks of encountering water inrushes, infiltrations or leaks at some point in a tunnel’s lifetime are high.

Water in tunnels may put safety at risk and cause irreversible damages to the environment. Both the construction phases and the long-term operation of a tunnel may be disrupted, resulting in losses of time and reputation. Cost overruns can also be sizeable. 

Assessing the hydrogeological situation at a very early stage in the project cycle is crucial, as is the systematic monitoring of water levels throughout a tunnel’s lifetime.

With this in mind, JASPERS has adapted a methodology called Hydrogeological Excavation Code (HEC), to help transport infrastructure authorities manage the hydrogeological risks in major underground projects.