Addressing Climate Change Resilience in Pavements: Major Vulnerability Issues and Adaptation Measures

Abstract

Climate change is the one of the greatest challenges of our time, and it poses a threat to the surrounding built and natural environments. This review paper addresses climate change resilience in pavements by considering major vulnerability issues and adaptation measures. First, a review on foundational information of climate change related to transportation infrastructure is provided to bring all transportation professionals and practitioners to the same knowledge base on climate change terminology. Such information includes sources of climate information, climate scenarios, downscaling climate data, and uncertainty in climate projection information. Relevant climate stressors to pavements are discussed in some depth, including the most significant ones, which are increases in temperature and precipitation intensity. Thus, the proposed different engineering-informed adaptation measures relevant to the climate stressors of interest were evidence-based with reference to published peer-reviewed articles and case studies. Such adaptation solutions are related to monitoring pavement key performance parameters and pavement adaptations in structural design, robust materials and mix design, along with adaptation in maintenance, regulation, and construction. Efforts to adapt pavement systems to climate change are ongoing. In addition to such research works, this study concludes that impacts of adaptation measures on pavement and environment should be incorporated in the decision-making process in planning and design. This makes it important to integrate practical adaptation strategies in design and construction standards and guides, and implement awareness and education of climate change adaptation among engineers and practitioners.