Abstract:
There is strong evidence for climate change leading to a rise in temperatures and achange in precipitationtrends. These environmental changes pose a threat to pavement infrastructure worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to modifypavement designprocedures to consider climate change. In addition, it is necessary to consider suitablepavement materialsfor future climate. The objective of this study is to develop a framework for selecting an appropriate adaptation strategy to mitigateclimate change impact. To fulfill this, the influence of climate change on long-termpavement performancein Canada has been quantified over sixteen Canadian pavement sections located over various provinces in Canada. In addition, the fundamental causes of pavement deterioration due to climate change were determined using ten differentclimate change models. Various adaptation strategies such as upgradingasphalt bindergrade, increasing the thickness of asphaltic concrete layer, increasing the base layer thickness, and using stabilized base layers were analyzed to reduce pavement deterioration and to extend the service life of the pavement. Unlike the other studies, pavement temperatures were determined using Enhanced Integrated Climate Model (EICM) to determine the change in binder grade for the future climate in the adaptation process. The study found that by 2070 all examined locations will require an upgrade in binder grade and the majority will require an upgrade in mixture gradation. Furthermore, the east and west coast will be more vulnerable to climate change and require additional measures in comparison to Central Canada. Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island are the only locations that will need to consider a change in asphalt thickness while British Columbia is the only location eventually requiring a stabilized base. This study emphasizes the necessity of climate change adaptation strategies for Canadian asphalticconcrete pavements.
Authors: Swarna S T, Hossain K, Mehta Y A, Bernier A.
Link(s) for the Paper: Journal Website | ResearchGate