Impact of Climate Change on Engineering Structures in France: Advice for Managers and Designers

The climate is changing, and numerous scientific studies are seeking to establish the predictable trajectories of this change and its consequences. While the impact of these changes on living organisms is obviously significant, their impact on structures made of inert materials is less obvious to determine. Engineering structures are already located around the world in regions with extremely diverse climatic conditions, which suggests that they have a good capacity for adaptation. However, the expected climate changes are significant and require in-depth examination on how engineering structures will face these new challenges. This work summarises advice given in France on how to take into account the expected effects of climate change in the management of heritage assets and the design precautions to be taken for future structures. In link with some general principles based on engineering structures design and management, several examples are considered to illustrate some operational implications, whether in relation to the design of new structures, the multi hazard assessment in a risk analysis or the impact on the durability of structures.