The 2008 Call “Road Owners Getting to Grips with Climate Change” was the first cross-border funded joint research programme in ENR. 11 National Road Administrations participated and committed a total budget of EUR1.35 million over 30 months. The call opened on March 31st and closed May 12th 2008, receiving 19 proposals from 18 different countries (including eight who did not fund the Call).
The end of programme report is available here.
The programme funded four projects, details of which are provided below.
IRWIN: Improved local Winter Index to assess Maintenance Needs and Adaptation Costs in Climate Change Scenarios
The objective of IRWIN was to develop an improved winter road index using historical observations from the Road Weather Information System (RWIS) networks in Sweden and Finland. This Index can be used as an assessment aid in present-day as well as future climate scenarios.
Project results and reports available here.
P2R2C2: Pavement Performance and Remediation Requirements following Climate Change
P2R2C2 aimed to study the likely differences in moisture (water) condition in the pavements of roads in Europe, estimate the likely consequences for pavement and subgrade material behaviour and for whole pavement needs, perform this study for a range of representative pavement types and representative climatic zones, assess uncertainties to permit risk / vulnerability to be evaluated, define options for responding to the changes, identifying key selection criteria, perform exemplar cost-benefit analyses to allow road owners to detrermine best options for their own situations and formulate findings into a wide range of formats.
Project results and reports available here.
RIMAROCC: Risk Management for Roads in a Changing Climate
RIMAROCC aimed to develop a common ERA-NET ROAD method for risk analysis and risk management with regards to climate change. The purpose is to support decision making concerning adaptation measures in the road infrastructure.
Project results and reports available here.
SWAMP: Storm Water prevention – Methods to Predict Damage from the Water Stream in and near Road Pavements in lowland Areas
The project dealt with drainage and drainage systems on or near the road network in lowland areas in e.g. The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and UK. The result of the project are guidelines on two levels: primarily on the overall level with purpose of finding places on the existing network which should obtain high priority in order to get best use of limited financial resources. Secondly guidelines on a more detailed level when preliminary studies and decisions should be taken, and which necessary initiatives should be undertaken on the chosen places to avoid or limit consequences of flooding.