Service life predictions for RC bridges under time-varying climate conditions and traffic loads

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Jiang ◽  
Junyu Chen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Service Life ◽  
Prediction Model ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Concrete Cover ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Reliability Level ◽  
Depth Prediction

<p>This paper evaluated the service life of RC bridges subjected to carbonation under a changing climate. Through integrating the carbonation depth prediction model, fatigue damage prediction model and climate model into a Monte Carlo simulation procedure, a case study was conducted to assess the service life of an RC bridge based on time-dependent reliability analysis, which considered the time-variant stochastic nature of environmental actions and fatigue damage, uncertainty of concrete properties and randomness of concrete cover thickness. The case study showed that the higher the reliability level, the shorter the service life. Moreover, climate change has noticeable effects on the service life. Under the reliability level of 1.5, the service life predicted at RC bridge bottom (top) with considering tensile (compressive) fatigue damage under RCP8.5 can be 33% (22%) shorter than that predicted under the climate 2013 without considering climate change. In addition, fatigue damage also poses obvious influences on the service life of RC bridges. Under the reliability level of 1.5, the service life with consideration of tensile (compressive) fatigue damage can be 49% (20%) shorter than that without consideration of fatigue damage under RCP4.5.</p>

scholarly journals Time-Dependent Reliability-Based Service Life Assessment of RC Bridges Subjected to Carbonation under a Changing Climate

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1187
Author(s):  
Chao Jiang ◽  
Jing Fang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Service Life ◽  
Prediction Model ◽  
Fatigue Damage ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Concrete Cover ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Damage Prediction ◽  
Reliability Level ◽  
Cover Thickness

This paper assessed the service life of RC bridges subjected to carbonation under a changing climate based on time-dependent reliability analysis. First, a simplified carbonation model and the corresponding incremental method were briefly reviewed. Then, the fatigue damage prediction model and climate model were briefly introduced. Afterward, the Monte Carlo simulation-based time-dependent reliability analysis procedure for service life assessments was presented, which integrated the carbonation depth prediction model, fatigue damage prediction model and climate model. Based on the analysis procedure, a comprehensive case study was conducted to estimate the effects of climate change, fatigue damage, concrete cover thickness and concrete grade on the service life under different reliability levels. The case study showed that the service life under a reliability level of 2 is around half of that under the reliability level of 1. Under the reliability level of 1.5, the service life under RCP8.5 (a high emission scenario defined by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) can be 28 years shorter than that under no climate changes. The service life at girder top undergoing compressive fatigue damage can be 49% shorter than that without fatigue damage and 25 years shorter than that at girder bottom undergoing tensile fatigue damage. The service life at girder top with a concrete cover thickness of 45 mm can reach 2.6 times that with a concrete cover thickness of 25 mm. The service life of C50 concrete can reach approximately 2–3 times that of C30 concrete. These findings inform civil engineers that for existing RC bridges, the effects of climate change and fatigue damage should be properly considered when the remaining service life of RC bridges is concerned. Moreover, for planned RC bridges, higher concrete grade and thicker concrete cover are two effective choices to achieve a longer service life.

scholarly journals "Changes" of the thermal continentality in Central Europe between the years 1951 and 2013: case study – Slovak Republic

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 1261-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Vilček ◽  
J. Škvarenina ◽  
J. Vido ◽  
R. Kandrík ◽  
J. Škvareninová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Central Europe ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Slovak Republic ◽  
Vegetation Distribution ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Air Temperatures

Abstract. The influence of continents and oceans plays conceptually the key role in the climate conditions of Europeans regions. Continentality is also an important phytogeographic factor of vegetation distribution in Slovakia. This study analysed continentality development at six meteorological stations in Slovakia during the periods 1951–2013, or 1961–2013. Rising trend of the maximal and minimal temperature has been observed at all meteorological stations (lowland as well as mountainous stations) in this periods. However the results showed non-significant increase of continentality index during the monitored period of 63 (53) years. Based on the results of CCM 2000 climate model we cannot expect significant changes of continentality by the end of the 21st century, but the climate change will be significantly manifested by the increase of maximum and minimum air temperatures.

scholarly journals Synergistic impacts of global warming and thermohaline circulation collapse on amphibians

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julián A. Velasco ◽  
Francisco Estrada ◽  
Oscar Calderón-Bustamante ◽  
Didier Swingedouw ◽  
Carolina Ureta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Thermohaline Circulation ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Climate Conditions

AbstractImpacts on ecosystems and biodiversity are a prominent area of research in climate change. However, little is known about the effects of abrupt climate change and climate catastrophes on them. The probability of occurrence of such events is largely unknown but the associated risks could be large enough to influence global climate policy. Amphibians are indicators of ecosystems’ health and particularly sensitive to novel climate conditions. Using state-of-the-art climate model simulations, we present a global assessment of the effects of unabated global warming and a collapse of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) on the distribution of 2509 amphibian species across six biogeographical realms and extinction risk categories. Global warming impacts are severe and strongly enhanced by additional and substantial AMOC weakening, showing tipping point behavior for many amphibian species. Further declines in climatically suitable areas are projected across multiple clades, and biogeographical regions. Species loss in regional assemblages is extensive across regions, with Neotropical, Nearctic and Palearctic regions being most affected. Results underline the need to expand existing knowledge about the consequences of climate catastrophes on human and natural systems to properly assess the risks of unabated warming and the benefits of active mitigation strategies.

scholarly journals A Weighted-Time-Lag Method to Detect Lag Vegetation Response to Climate Variation: A Case Study in Loess Plateau, China, 1982–2013

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 923
Author(s):  
Qianqian Sun ◽  
Chao Liu ◽  
Tianyang Chen ◽  
Anbing Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
New Method ◽  
Climate Factors ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Lag Effect

Vegetation fluctuation is sensitive to climate change, and this response exhibits a time lag. Traditionally, scholars estimated this lag effect by considering the immediate prior lag (e.g., where vegetation in the current month is impacted by the climate in a certain prior month) or the lag accumulation (e.g., where vegetation in the current month is impacted by the last several months). The essence of these two methods is that vegetation growth is impacted by climate conditions in the prior period or several consecutive previous periods, which fails to consider the different impacts coming from each of those prior periods. Therefore, this study proposed a new approach, the weighted time-lag method, in detecting the lag effect of climate conditions coming from different prior periods. Essentially, the new method is a generalized extension of the lag-accumulation method. However, the new method detects how many prior periods need to be considered and, most importantly, the differentiated climate impact on vegetation growth in each of the determined prior periods. We tested the performance of the new method in the Loess Plateau by comparing various lag detection methods by using the linear model between the climate factors and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The case study confirmed four main findings: (1) the response of vegetation growth exhibits time lag to both precipitation and temperature; (2) there are apparent differences in the time lag effect detected by various methods, but the weighted time-lag method produced the highest determination coefficient (R2) in the linear model and provided the most specific lag pattern over the determined prior periods; (3) the vegetation growth is most sensitive to climate factors in the current month and the last month in the Loess Plateau but reflects a varied of responses to other prior months; and (4) the impact of temperature on vegetation growth is higher than that of precipitation. The new method provides a much more precise detection of the lag effect of climate change on vegetation growth and makes a smart decision about soil conservation and ecological restoration after severe climate events, such as long-lasting drought or flooding.

Regional biogeographical model of vegetation zones in doctoral programme Regional Biography in Olomouc (Case study for Norway spruce)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivo Machar ◽  
Marián Halás ◽  
Zdeněk Opršal
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Vegetation Zones ◽  
Landscape Research

Regional climate changes impacts induce vegetation zones shift to higher altitudes in temperate landscape. This paper deals with applying of regional biogeography model of climate conditions for vegetation zones in Czechia to doctoral programme Regional Geography in Palacky University Olomouc. The model is based on general knowledge of landscape vegetation zonation. Climate data for model come from predicted validated climate database under RCP8.5 scenario since 2100. Ecological data are included in the Biogeography Register database (geobiocoenological data related to landscape for cadastral areas of the Czech Republic). Mathematical principles of modelling are based on set of software solutions with GIS. Students use the model in the frame of the course “Special Approaches to Landscape Research” not only for regional scenarios climate change impacts in landscape scale, but also for assessment of climate conditions for growing capability of agricultural crops or forest trees under climate change on regional level.

scholarly journals Key drivers of ozone change and its radiative forcing over the 21st century

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 6121-6139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Iglesias-Suarez ◽  
Douglas E. Kinnison ◽  
Alexandru Rap ◽  
Amanda C. Maycock ◽  
Oliver Wild ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Radiative Forcing ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Stratospheric Ozone ◽  
Atmospheric Composition ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Radiative Balance ◽  
Radiative Forcings ◽  
Year 2000

Abstract. Over the 21st century changes in both tropospheric and stratospheric ozone are likely to have important consequences for the Earth's radiative balance. In this study, we investigate the radiative forcing from future ozone changes using the Community Earth System Model (CESM1), with the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM), and including fully coupled radiation and chemistry schemes. Using year 2100 conditions from the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario, we quantify the individual contributions to ozone radiative forcing of (1) climate change, (2) reduced concentrations of ozone depleting substances (ODSs), and (3) methane increases. We calculate future ozone radiative forcings and their standard error (SE; associated with inter-annual variability of ozone) relative to year 2000 of (1) 33 ± 104 m Wm−2, (2) 163 ± 109 m Wm−2, and (3) 238 ± 113 m Wm−2 due to climate change, ODSs, and methane, respectively. Our best estimate of net ozone forcing in this set of simulations is 430 ± 130 m Wm−2 relative to year 2000 and 760 ± 230 m Wm−2 relative to year 1750, with the 95 % confidence interval given by ±30 %. We find that the overall long-term tropospheric ozone forcing from methane chemistry–climate feedbacks related to OH and methane lifetime is relatively small (46 m Wm−2). Ozone radiative forcing associated with climate change and stratospheric ozone recovery are robust with regard to background climate conditions, even though the ozone response is sensitive to both changes in atmospheric composition and climate. Changes in stratospheric-produced ozone account for ∼ 50 % of the overall radiative forcing for the 2000–2100 period in this set of simulations, highlighting the key role of the stratosphere in determining future ozone radiative forcing.

scholarly journals Downscaling a global climate model to simulate climate change over the US and the implication on regional and urban air quality

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 1429-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Trail ◽  
A. P. Tsimpidi ◽  
P. Liu ◽  
K. Tsigaridis ◽  
Y. Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Southeastern Us ◽  
The Us ◽  
Ozone Levels

Abstract. Climate change can exacerbate future regional air pollution events by making conditions more favorable to form high levels of ozone. In this study, we use spectral nudging with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to downscale NASA earth system GISS modelE2 results during the years 2006 to 2010 and 2048 to 2052 over the contiguous United States in order to compare the resulting meteorological fields from the air quality perspective during the four seasons of five-year historic and future climatological periods. GISS results are used as initial and boundary conditions by the WRF regional climate model (RCM) to produce hourly meteorological fields. The downscaling technique and choice of physics parameterizations used are evaluated by comparing them with in situ observations. This study investigates changes of similar regional climate conditions down to a 12 km by 12 km resolution, as well as the effect of evolving climate conditions on the air quality at major US cities. The high-resolution simulations produce somewhat different results than the coarse-resolution simulations in some regions. Also, through the analysis of the meteorological variables that most strongly influence air quality, we find consistent changes in regional climate that would enhance ozone levels in four regions of the US during fall (western US, Texas, northeastern, and southeastern US), one region during summer (Texas), and one region where changes potentially would lead to better air quality during spring (Northeast). Changes in regional climate that would enhance ozone levels are increased temperatures and stagnation along with decreased precipitation and ventilation. We also find that daily peak temperatures tend to increase in most major cities in the US, which would increase the risk of health problems associated with heat stress. Future work will address a more comprehensive assessment of emissions and chemistry involved in the formation and removal of air pollutants.

scholarly journals Brief Communication: An update of the article "Modelling flood damages under climate change conditions – a case study for Germany"

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1617-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred Fokko Hattermann ◽  
Shaochun Huang ◽  
Olaf Burghoff ◽  
Peter Hoffmann ◽  
Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Considerable Increase ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Global Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Impact Modelling ◽  
Flood Damages

Abstract. In our first study on possible flood damages under climate change in Germany, we reported that a considerable increase in flood-related losses can be expected in a future warmer climate. However, the general significance of the study was limited by the fact that outcome of only one global climate model (GCM) was used as a large-scale climate driver, while many studies report that GCMs are often the largest source of uncertainty in impact modelling. Here we show that a much broader set of global and regional climate model combinations as climate drivers show trends which are in line with the original results and even give a stronger increase of damages.

POSSIBLE CHANGES OF CLIMATE CONDITIONS IN UKRAINE TO THE MIDDLE OF THE XXI CENTURY

2020 ◽  
pp. 94-100
Author(s):  
L.V. Malytska ◽  
V. O Balabukh
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Wind Speed ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Temporal Distribution ◽  
Climatic Parameters ◽  
Average Wind Speed ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
A1b Scenario

In Ukraine, as in the world, substantial climatic changes have happened throughout past decades. It is a fact that they are manifested in changing of parameters of the thermal regime, regimes of wind and humidity. It is expected that they will be observed also in future that will lead to aggravation of negative effects and risks due to climate change. That determines the relevance of the problem of forecasting such changes in future both globally and regionally. After all, knowledge of climate’s behavior in future is very important in the development of strategies, program and measures to adapt to climate change. The article is devoted to assessing spatio-temporal distribution main climatic indicators (air temperature, wind speed and relative humidity) in Ukraine, their variability and the probable values to the middle of the 21st century (2021-2050). Projection of changes in meteorological conditions was made for A1B scenario of SRES family using data of the regional climate model REMO and data from the hydrometeorological observation network of Ukraine (175 stations). Estimated data obtained from the European FP-6 ENSEMBLES project with a resolution of 25 km. For spatial distribution (mapping) we used open-source Geographic Information System QGIS, type of geographic coordinate system for project is WGS84. In the middle of the XXI century, if A1B scenario is released, it is expected a significant changes of climatic parameters regarding the 1981-2010 climatic norm: air temperature is rise by 1,5 °C, average wind speed is decrease by 5-8%, relative humidity in winter probably drop by 2%, but in summer it rises by 1,5%. The unidirectionality of the changes is characteristic only of air temperature, for wind speed and relative humidity the changes are in different directions. The intensity of changes is also not uniform across the country for all climatic parameters, has its regional and seasonal features. Statistical likelihood for most of highlighted changes for all climatic parameters is 66 % and more, the air temperature change is virtually certain (p-level <0.001).

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