And this could be unsettling, depending on where you live. From NewScientist (2 November 2019, paywall):
Global warming could contribute to the failure of one in four steel bridges in the US over the next two decades. …
Hussam Mahmoud at Colorado State University and his colleague decided to model the effects of increasing temperatures on steel bridges around the US.
In particular, they focused on what would happen when joints that are clogged with dirt and debris are exposed to the higher temperatures expected in the years ahead as the climate warms. Clogging is a common problem, especially in deteriorating bridges, but it is costly to address. …
They found that current temperatures aren’t extreme enough to cause a problem, but one in four bridges are at risk of a section failing in the next 21 years, rising to 28 per cent by 2060 and 49 per cent by 2080. Almost all are set to fail by 2100.
Lots of risk, but a lot of business for bridge building companies, I sadly suppose.
