Climate Change Adaptation for Bridges and Civil Structures

The increasing severity of climate change related to storm and flood events has made it a priority among WSP bridge structural engineers to be adaptable and innovative in our design capabilities.

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The worsening effects of climate change have brought about a growing need for coastal protection, stormwater mitigation, and design for resiliency. WSP’s bridge design experts are on the forefront of this effort and have successfully completed flood damage repairs as well as new designs for flood mitigation and resiliency on a number of bridge projects worldwide.

WSP has current experience and specialization in the following areas:

Flood damage repair and retrofit
Flood barriers for underground civil structures
Coastal protection

What’s happening

Browse featured projects

Brisbane, Australia

Kangaroo Point Bridge

This new active transport bridge over the Brisbane River is greatly improving walking, wheeling, and riding connections between the Brisbane Central Business District, Kangaroo Point, and the Eastern Suburbs.

Bay of Plenty, New Zealand

Mimiha Stream Bridge Replacement

The Mimiha Stream Bridge Replacement project is a powerful example of how infrastructure can serve as a bridge—both literally and figuratively—between people, place, and purpose.

Projects

Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion Project

This multi-billion-dollar expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is the largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history.

A picture of herring bridge in Great Yarmouth in the United Kingdom which crosses a river. It has two leaves which open in the middle to allow boats to pass.

England, UK

Herring Bridge: opening a new chapter for Great Yarmouth

Our multidisciplinary expertise and partnership approach helped take Great Yarmouth’s new river crossing – a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project – from inception to successful completion in just seven years.

Parainen

Kirjalansalmi Bridge: Finland’s Largest Span

WSP has prepared the general and construction plans for the Kirjalansalmi Bridge as well as the road plans for the Kirjalansalmi and Hessundinsalmi bridges. The two new bridges replace aging infrastructure and provide smooth and safe traffic flow.

West Vancouver to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Sea-to-Sky Highway

Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement - An award winning Improvement project which provided $131 million in benefits to the community, including training and employment for many Indigenous workers, and recreational trail improvements along the highway

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Parkdale Level Crossing Removal Project - Southern Program Alliance

Future Ready digital engineering techniques reduced Parkdale Level Crossing Removal Project’s delivery time and carbon footprint significantly - resulting in global accolades.

Frequently asked questions

Why is climate change adaptation critical for bridges and civil structures?

The increasing frequency and severity of storms, flooding, and coastal events pose growing risks to bridge and civil infrastructure. Climate change adaptation helps ensure structures remain safe, functional, and resilient under extreme weather conditions, protecting communities, connectivity, and long-term investments.

How does WSP address climate resilience in bridge design?

WSP integrates climate adaptation and resilience into bridge and civil structure design by applying innovative engineering solutions, advanced modelling, and risk-informed design approaches. Our experts assess future climate scenarios to ensure infrastructure can withstand evolving storm, flood, and coastal conditions.

What types of climate-related challenges does WSP help mitigate?

WSP supports clients in addressing a wide range of climate risks, including flooding, storm surge, coastal erosion, and extreme rainfall. Our experience includes flood damage repair and retrofit, flood barriers for underground civil structures, and coastal protection solutions tailored to site-specific conditions.

How does WSP support flood damage repair and retrofit projects?

Our bridge engineers evaluate the extent and root causes of flood-related damage and develop targeted repair and retrofit strategies. These solutions improve structural resilience, extend asset lifespan, and reduce vulnerability to future flood events while minimizing disruption to operations.

What role does resilience play in new bridge and civil structure projects?

For new projects, WSP designs resilience into the infrastructure from the outset. By incorporating adaptive design strategies and future climate considerations, we help clients reduce long-term risk, improve reliability, and avoid costly retrofits later in the asset lifecycle.

Climate Change Adaptation for Bridges and Civil Structures

What’s happening

Building for a Changing Climate: A Data-Driven Approach to Infrastructure Resilience

Bridge Carbon Management: Accelerating Progress

Reducing the Embodied Carbon of Bridge Substructures

Transforming delivery of major infrastructure projects using Modern Methods of Construction

Disaster-resilient infrastructure demands smarter design

Elevating Bridge Asset Management

Decarbonizing Bridges: A View From Sweden