27/3/2019 Climate change impact on buildings and constructions

Climate change impact on buildings and constructions

Buildings and roads etc. must be designed for future climate conditions.
Wetter winters and sudden, heavy downpours make it even more important to direct
rainwater and meltwater away from houses, paved areas, roads etc.

A milder climate will reduce the durability of building materials and affect the indoor
climate of buildings. Warmer summers will introduce a greater need for cooling.

Higher groundwater levels, higher water levels in streams and watercourses, and
greater risk of storm surges along the coastline, make it pertinent to safeguard
buildings against seepage and flooding.

Buildings
Buildings can be vulnerable to climate change. In the future there may be an increase
in the risk of collapse, declining health and significant loss of value as a result of more
storms, snow or subsidence damage, water encroachment, deteriorating indoor
climate and reduced building lifetime. In the short term stronger storms are the
greatest challenge. 

Storms will constitute a safety risk in those parts of existing buildings that do not
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meet the building code's safety requirements. In the longer term, more and longer-
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lasting heat waves could have health-related consequences, especially for the elderly
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27/3/2019 Climate change impact on buildings and constructions

Adapting buildings to climate change

Adaptation in Denmark may be  with regard to limiting snow-load and storm damage
as well as controlling indoor climate in particular. With respect to strengthening
existing buildings, however, autonomous adaptation will be limited if owners are not
familiar with weaknesses in the bearing elements of their buildings. Adaptation will
only occur in new constructions if standards are enhanced. As for counteracting
consequences of heat waves, installation of air conditioning in existing buildings could
be expected, along with a demand for buildings with more efficient indoor climate
control.

In Denmark, it is the responsibility of individual building owners to see that applicable

regulations are complied with, and it is also they who will seek solutions for
satisfactory indoor climate. I n the short term there will be no  changes in the laws
pertaining to building safety under extreme weather conditions. For countering heat
waves, the new regulations regarding the energy framework in the building code
represent a step towards promoting solar screening and heat-deflecting windows,
which will make it easier to regulate indoor climate.

For the time being, no  measures are recommended for building extensions or
renovation.

In the future, there may be a need to inform owners of existing buildings of the typical
weaknesses in the bearing elements, with corresponding instructions on how to
remedy them. In the same manner, there may be a need for instructions on new
building solutions to reduce indoor temperature extremes during heat waves,
especially for vulnerable buildings. Finally, there may be a need to inform
construction technicians of recommended future-oriented design parameters, for
example, concerning maximum snow load and wind speed, temperatures and
durations of future heat waves and the maximum precipitation intensity a building
should withstand.
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The roads
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27/3/2019 Climate change impact on buildings and constructions

have therefore been launched to clarify how to update current guidelines for
planning, constructing and managing roads.

Rain the biggest risk factor

For existing roads, the risk of more rain poses the greatest challenge. Surface water
must be directed away from roads in order to ensure their durability, avoid
aquaplaning and reduced pass ability for road users. Danish road authorities are
therefore currently looking at how road drainage systems may be adapted to future
climate, both with regard to new construction and when managing existing
infrastructure.

Traffic reports during extreme weather events

During extreme weather events such as heavy downpours, storms etc., traffic reports
play a central role for road users. They can continuously receive fresh traffic and
weather reports,  e.g. via the radio, mobile phone, or GPS, as well as via traffic
management systems.

Research in roads and climate

Both in Denmark and internationally, research is being carried out into roads and the
climate. This research provides new knowledge to road authorities on how to best
carry out future construction and management of Danish roads, vis-à-vis the
consequences of climate change for society.

Adapting railways to climate change

Powerful storms and increased wind speeds could have financial and traffic-related
consequences for electric railways, e.g. because overhead wires are vulnerable to
higher wind speeds.

An increase in the groundwater level could lead to increased risk of erosion of railway
cuttings. Heavier showers could pose problems for the railway drainage system, and
the risk of erosion could become greater where watercourses intersect the railway
line.
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Rail Netwhen
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27/3/2019 Climate change impact on buildings and constructions

Rail Net Denmark, which manages the Danish railway infrastructure, is preparing for
how to cope with greater volumes of precipitation, including especially heavy
downpours. Rail Net Denmark has already implemented routines for intensified
inspection and control of problematic embankments and dikes in the event of
continuous large volumes of rain, and is also securing well-functioning drainage
systems for ditches along the railway.

Rail Net Denmark is also investigating drainage systems at railway stations.  Focus is
on railway stations where drainage problems have been observed which e.g. have
caused unintended track movement.

Furthermore, Rail Net Denmark is establishing a cooling plant that is to protect the
interlocking system against increases in temperature, and they are felling and
trimming trees to reduce the risk of falling trees.

Early warning system

To prevent accidents on the railway following heavy downpours, Rail Net Denmark
has introduced a new early warning procedure which can shut down the train service
in the event of problems. 

Bridges and tunnels

The construction of the two large Danish bridges, the Great Belt bridge and the
Oresund bridge, took into account future climate change.  

The bridges and their shore-based installations are directly exposed during events
with high water levels. The shore-based installations are therefore protected by dykes.
However, the accessibility of these installations could be affected by more frequent
storms.

Tunnels
Railway traffic across the Great Belt is via a tunnel, and the link across Oresund also
includes
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27/3/2019 Climate change impact on buildings and constructions

Continuous control of dykes

Dykes protect the installations against water impacts. There is ongoing control of the
state of the dykes. This control is carried out as annual routine inspections and as
inspections after events such as storms, extreme water levels, ice winters etc. 

Regular risk analyses

Regular risk analyses are carried, mapping future risks of flooding of installations on
the basis of developments seen in the previous five to ten years.

Increasing water levels due to climate change will happen over a period of many
years, but as the installations are also expected to have long-term durability, constant
focus is on appropriate and adequate dyke protection and efficient emergency
measures in the event of extreme weather.

Ministry of the Environment and Food of Denmark / Enviromental Protection Agency

In collaboration with several other ministries, agencies and organisations

Show collaborators

Contact

Haraldsgade 53 2100 Copenhagen East

Telephone: +45 72542000

Email: klimatilpasning@mst.dk

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