Mainmark Ireland director Ray Brennan.
The country recorded its four warmest years on record consecutively since 2022.
Last year, the Met Éireann recorded 64 separate climatological dry periods, including 18 absolute droughts. But the latter part of the year saw autumn become Ireland’s fourth wettest on record.
Ireland has continued to prepare its infrastructure for climate change. The country has invested in flood defences, drainage and other measures to help protect communities and critical assets.
The Irish Government has already committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of flood relief schemes as part of the National Development Plan to protect approximately 23,000 properties from river and coastal flood risk. As of last year, more than 13,000 have already been protected.
While much of the focus has understandably been on what happens above the surface, for infrastructure owners it is critical they look beyond those visible risks and turn their attention to the changing ground conditions beneath their assets.
Changing weather patterns mean changing ground conditions
These changes in rainfall and periods of drought will influence how soils behave. Prolonged rainfall can increase saturation and weaken subgrades, while drier conditions can alter soil moisture and contribute to movement in susceptible ground.
The resulting problems are not always immediately visible.
Settlement, loss of support, erosion, washout and void formation can all develop gradually, potentially compromising foundations and other substructures before more obvious signs appear at the surface in time.
While infrastructure owners’ assets may appear operational, the underlying ground conditions may be quickly deteriorating.
By taking a more proactive approach to understanding and addressing ground-related risks, infrastructure owners can reduce whole-life costs of their infrastructure.
Varied geology: Peeling back another layer of complexity
Ireland’s diverse geology means different regions can face very different forms of ground instability.
Certain parts of Dublin, Meath and Cork contain soft or compressible soils that can be susceptible to settlement and ground movement under changing moisture and loading conditions.
Limestone-heavy areas can be more susceptible to sinkholes, while flood-prone lowlands and coastal areas face risks associated with erosion and washout.
In upland regions dominated by granite and sandstone, prolonged periods of adverse weather can contribute to landslides and ground slips.
This was evident with a landslide in Southwest Donegal earlier this year, which provided a timely reminder of how quickly ground stability can become a major issue.
In the UK, subsidence is often associated with the shrinkage and swelling of clay soils. Whereas in Ireland, ground-related problems can be more localised and unpredictable, reflecting the country’s varied geology and hydrological conditions.
There have already been high-profile examples. A housing estate in Donegal was nicknamed the ‘Titanic’ due to subsidence, while a family was forced to leave its home after a sinkhole appeared following a burst pipe.
Ground-related risks may become more significant as weather extremes become more frequent and more intense, impacting homes, infrastructure and communities immediately.
Preserving existing assets
Traditionally, ground problems have often been addressed once deterioration is visible. But solutions can be disruptive and expensive.
That approach is becoming increasingly difficult to justify as infrastructure owners face simultaneous pressure to maintain service levels, manage budgets and reduce carbon emissions. Not to mention extending the life of their existing assets.
The focus is therefore shifting to ensure earlier invention to effectively solve issues before they develop to preserve and improve existing assets wherever possible.
A better understanding of ground conditions should be a large part of the conversation.
Ground-related risk needs to be incorporated into asset lifecycle planning and climate adaptation strategies. By monitoring changing conditions and identifying early signs of settlement or ground instability, infrastructure owners can address developing problems before they get worse.
Making the invisible visible
Roads, railways, utilities, buildings and other critical assets will need to remain operational across Ireland, particularly as weather and ground conditions are becoming less predictable.
The conversation often focuses on what is happening above ground, but as weather patterns become more variable, it is equally important to understand how changing ground conditions can affect the performance and longevity of critical assets.
The next step for infrastructure owners across Ireland is to broaden their existing climate adaptation measures.
While the likes of resilient construction, drainage improvements and flood defences are all crucial in their own right, their effectiveness ultimately depends on the ground which supports them.
Ireland has already recognised that subsidence can be exacerbated by extreme climate conditions.
Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) is currently monitoring ground instability geohazard information using satellite measurements and geological data for two of the most densely populated areas in the country, Dublin and Cork.
GSI has developed maps and reports which show and describe areas of potential or observed ground instabilities.
Subsurface risk and changing ground conditions consideration should be built into resilience planning.
While the ground beneath our infrastructure may not always be visible, it should be front and centre in infrastructure owners’ future plans.
By Mainmark Ireland director Ray Brennan.