Field testing and modelling the effects of climate on geotechnical infrastructure - A collaborative approach

Slopes make up a large proportion of UK transport networks and failure of these slopes causes disruption to network operation and frustration to the public. Our climate is predicted to change significantly over the next century; future change is likely to have a significant effect on much of our infrastructure. There is evidence that the scenario of more intense rainfall is already having an impact on the UK transport infrastructure including major landslides in Scotland (e.g. Stromeferry) and, in the winter of 2000/1, which was documented the wettest on record, over 100 slope failures in the Southern Region of Railtrack alone. Newcastle, Southampton, Belfast, Durham and Loughborough Universities have all been carrying out research into the impacts of climate and vegetation on embankment and cut slope stability. These five Universities, along with international partners in Canada, Singapore, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Spain, are conducting a collaboration programme the aim of which is to link research groups undertaking full-scale monitoring of slopes in order to ensure that there is an understanding of the resources required to maintain transport infrastructure in a changing global climate. This paper presents results of current full scale infrastructure slope monitoring and model development at the involved universities and plans for future collaborations.