National Transport Library Research Database

Improved local Road Winter index to assess maintenance needs and adaptation costs in climate change scenarios (IRWIN) (Improved local Road Winter index to assess maintenance needs and adaptation costs in climate change scenarios (IRWIN))

Sponsors, duration, budget: Vägverket ; 2008-11-01 -- 2010-04-01 ; 3560000 kronorRegistration number:
  • Vägverket AL90 A 2008:72539
  • Trafikverket 2010/2173
Subject(s): Online resources: Abstract: Improved tools for road owners are urgently needed to help them cope with rapidly progressing climate change. A very important tool for planning their activities is to have access to good scenarios regarding spatial and temporal resolution of what to be expected of climate variations in the future, especially regarding extreme events. Traditionally climate change scenarios are calculated based on ordinary meteorological data, which have large limitations in respect to resolution. The idea of IRWIN is to combine these best traditionally made scenarios with much more accurate spatial data from field stations in the Road Weather Information systems installed in most northern hemisphere countries. Goal is to develop improved winter road index capable of assessing implications of climate change from various weather parameters and assessing also related costs and benefits. Project will have two phases: first to develop a database for possible future road condition scenarios through combination of historic RWIS-data with widely accepted climate change scenarios. As the RWIS-data traditionally are used for decision making regarding winter maintenance needs, the combination will lead to a straightforward connection with mapping of present day situation as well as the future needs in relation to scenario calculations. The second part will develop and test winter index technique to evaluate such things as the spatial variations of winter maintenance needs as well as the cost/benefit from various winter strategies. With the help of the database and index calculations, other types of weather related events, such as strong winds, heavy precipitation, flooding, freezing and thawing, can be mapped and assessed. With well-defined interfaces, new system can be easily adapted to other countries outside the project test areas in Sweden and Finland.Abstract: Improved tools for road owners are urgently needed to help them cope with rapidly progressing climate change. A very important tool for planning their activities is to have access to good scenarios regarding spatial and temporal resolution of what to be expected of climate variations in the future, especially regarding extreme events. Traditionally climate change scenarios are calculated based on ordinary meteorological data, which have large limitations in respect to resolution. The idea of IRWIN is to combine these best traditionally made scenarios with much more accurate spatial data from field stations in the Road Weather Information systems installed in most northern hemisphere countries. Goal is to develop improved winter road index capable of assessing implications of climate change from various weather parameters and assessing also related costs and benefits. Project will have two phases: first to develop a database for possible future road condition scenarios through combination of historic RWIS-data with widely accepted climate change scenarios. As the RWIS-data traditionally are used for decision making regarding winter maintenance needs, the combination will lead to a straightforward connection with mapping of present day situation as well as the future needs in relation to scenario calculations. The second part will develop and test winter index technique to evaluate such things as the spatial variations of winter maintenance needs as well as the cost/benefit from various winter strategies. With the help of the database and index calculations, other types of weather related events, such as strong winds, heavy precipitation, flooding, freezing and thawing, can be mapped and assessed. With well-defined interfaces, new system can be easily adapted to other countries outside the project test areas in Sweden and Finland.
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