MORICE - Maintenance and Operation of Road and rail Infrastructure subjected to Climate change Effects

Most parts of the highway and railway network in Austria were designed or renewed during the period of 1950 to 1980. These structures were planned according to standards and regulations based on the fundamental approach that the environmental conditions are constant over their entire service life. Recent models and simulations on the topic of climate change have shown, that there was a significant increase in climate dynamics during the past thirty years. Future challenges towards infrastructure rise from increasing variability of seasonal effects, localized high-intensity rainfall or drought events and changes of vegetation on adjacent slopes. While today’s models are still vague on the prediction of the total climate effects in the future, even the increased dynamic during this time span puts the existing road and railway infrastructure under additional stress, added to the general ageing and deterioration of structures. The MORICE research project focuses on the delimitation and definition of climate change-related damage mechanisms and the development of a methodological strategy for the early determination of the hazard potential. The damage potential caused by changing environmental conditions is categorized and the structures are classified in terms of their vulnerability to these processes. This process forms the starting point for the adaptation of existing test methods and the development of new maintenance strategies for structures. The results will be incorporated directly into the FSV's working papers and guidelines. This provides decision-makers in Austrian infrastructure management with a thematic overview and explicit recommendations for adapting the maintenance strategy to future challenges.