Schnieder: Heat Protection of Transport Infrastructure Becomes an Ongoing Task

Blow-ups: When Concrete Bursts Under Heat

At the center of the discussion are so-called blow-ups, meaning heat damage to motorways with concrete surface courses. The concrete expands under intense heating and suddenly bursts open. „Die Blow-ups betreffen Autobahnen mit Betonfahrdecke. Und Beton hat eben bei Hitze bestimmte Neigungen, sich auszudehnen und aufzubrechen", the minister explained. For drivers it is dangerous, „weil Sie mit dem Auto 10, 15 Zentimeter Beton plötzlich vor sich haben, gegen den Sie fahren".

Schnieder also stressed that the number of such incidents has fallen significantly in recent years. The reason is more modern materials that were installed when replacing older concrete roadways. Asphalt surfaces can also become problematic in heat, because the surface becomes soft. Overall, however: „Deshalb ist der beste Hitzeschutz, technisch auf dem neuesten Stand zu sein."

More Modern Materials Reduce the Number of Damages

Where blow-ups occur, closures and repairs are however unavoidable, said Schnieder: „Und deshalb müssen Sie dort Sperrungen vornehmen, das sanieren." The government is trying, through the renewal of the network, to incorporate standards that are as heat-resilient as possible. „Aber auch da versuchen wir über die Erneuerung des Netzes dann Standards einzubauen, die möglichst hitzeresilient sind", the minister said.

Alongside the roads, the rail remains a sensitive point. Switches and rails react particularly sensitively to extreme temperatures. With modern rail vehicles the vulnerability is lower: „In den neuen Modellen sei die Anfälligkeit geringer, aber auch da gebe es bei extremen Temperaturen immer mal wieder ein Problem." Much has also been done in recent years with regard to air-conditioning technology in trains, particularly as concerns air conditioning. „Die Klimaanlagen sind ertüchtigt worden", said Schnieder.

Rail: Switches Remain Vulnerable

Schnieder also referred to mobile crews from Deutsche Bahn that can intervene quickly during heat incidents and carry out repairs. In this way, the railway is responding to the growing strain from extreme weather conditions. Intensive work has also been done in recent years on the concrete roadways, as far as their technical condition and heat resistance are concerned.

The minister also made clear that the expansion of heat-resilient infrastructure is not a one-off project. „Hitzephasen, ebenso Niederschläge, also alles, was mit Klima und Wetter zu tun hat, wird extremer werden", he warned and announced: „Diese Fälle würden zunehmen in der Zukunft."

Adaptation as an Ongoing Task

Although heat damage cannot be completely ruled out even with the most modern materials, „insgesamt ist das Problem kleiner geworden. Aber wir müssen beständig daran arbeiten, dass wir das halten", said Schnieder. The transport sector must adjust to rising requirements, and the adaptation is already underway: „Darauf müssen wir uns einstellen. Darauf haben wir uns schon eingestellt. Die Arbeiten dort sind im Gange, um resilienter zu werden."