Climate-change impacts on long-term performance of slopes

Abstract

The UK biological and engineering impacts of climate change on slopes (Bionics) project was funded to bring together key stakeholders and academics to research advanced procedures for maintaining serviceability and safety of strategic embankments and cuttings in addition to advancing the science base. This paper summarises some of the evidence that suggests climate change will have an effect on the behaviour of infrastructure slopes and their management, and provides an overview of future climate scenarios for the UK. It also shows how climate data have been used in numerical and physical models and full-scale tests within the Bionics project to begin to determine the magnitude and timing of the effects of climate change on infrastructure slopes.