Top Climate Resilient Infrastructure Solutions for Civil Engineers

Key Concepts

Climate resilience, sustainability, risk identification, resilient design, climate model projections, vulnerability assessment, adaptation strategies, global climate models (GCMs), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), design lifespan, storm water runoff, wildfire risk, ASCE 7-22, LEAD v5, climate-related financial risk, data compilation, model development, risk analysis, cost-benefit analysis.

Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) State Route 88 Case Study

Matt Huleston details a project completed for ADOT on State Route 88, a rural access road near Phoenix. The goal was to assess design strategies to alleviate closures due to wildfire and flooding. Resilient Analytics, in partnership with Stanley Consultants, analyzed future conditions for wildfire and runoff, projecting to the year 2050.

• Problem: Frequent road closures due to wildfire and flooding impacts.
• Solution: Assessed future conditions for wildfire and runoff to inform design concepts.
• Design Lifespan: 2050 was chosen as the target design lifespan.
• Runoff Projections:
  • 2030: Runoff increasing by approximately 50%.
  • 2050: Runoff increasing by approximately 80% from today's rates.
• Wildfire Impact: Wildfire burned vegetation, increasing susceptibility to landslides during precipitation events.
• Outcome: The study helped narrow down design options, including designing for today's storm, the 2030 storm, or the 2050 storm.
• Key Takeaway: Resilience can be incorporated into projects as another consideration alongside budget and access, without significantly increasing costs or time.

Climate Model Projection Data for Civil Engineers

Matt discusses the use of climate model projection data in civil engineering, emphasizing the importance of reliable sources and understanding data limitations.

• Global Climate Models (GCMs): Released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), these models simulate future conditions for temperature and precipitation. However, they are often too coarse for specific project applications.
• Granular Data Sources:
  • Atlas 15 (upcoming release): Good IPCC-based data for storm water calculations.
  • National Climate Assessments: Provide relevant data.
  • University of Minnesota Climate Viewer: Offers granular information.
  • EPRI: Provides energy-focused resiliency data.
• Customized Data: The IPCC data is publicly available, allowing for customized data manipulation to fit specific project needs.
• Limitations: Climate projection data is not great at predicting extremes like polar freezes or tornadoes.
• Uncertainty: Precipitation models have more divergence and uncertainty than heat models. Using a "model suite" (multiple models) helps understand the full range of potential outcomes.
• Expert Consultation: It's best to have a climate scientist or expert to help decide which conditions to plan for and how the data can and cannot be used.

Codifying Climate Resilience in Standards

Matt highlights the evolving landscape of climate resilience in today's standards.

• LEAD v5: Includes climate resilience as a prerequisite. Projects must conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine how climate impacts the project and list adaptation options.
• ASCE 7-22: Changed guidelines to consider the 500-year flood as the guiding threshold for protecting buildings and structures from future flooding impacts.
• Other Guidance: Policies in the National Park Service, DoD, and some municipalities require resilience to be considered in master plans and designs.
• ASHRAE: Is including some things in their design guidelines.

Resilience Planning: Corporations vs. Municipalities

Matt compares resilience planning for global corporations and municipalities/government agencies.

• Global Corporations:
  • Drivers: Climate-related financial risk from investors, regulatory requirements (e.g., EU, UK, California).
  • Focus: Assessing risks to supply chains and operations due to climate projections.
  • Goal: Educating investors on long-term risks.
• Municipalities/Government Agencies:
  • Drivers: Regulatory drivers (e.g., DOTs with PROTECT funding), public safety, infrastructure longevity.
  • Focus: Identifying vulnerabilities to future climate conditions and adapting to those vulnerabilities.
  • Goal: Protecting public assets and services.
• Similarities: Both involve identifying vulnerabilities to future climate conditions and adapting to those vulnerabilities.
• Differences: Corporations may have diverse asset types, while municipalities typically have consistent asset classes (e.g., maintenance buildings, city hall, roads).

Integrating Sustainability and Climate Resilience into Infrastructure Planning

Matt provides practical steps for civil engineers and municipalities to integrate sustainability and climate resilience.

• Define Resilience: Help staff understand resilience and define goals.
• Update Frameworks: Incorporate resilience into master plans, long-range transportation plans, and asset management plans.
• Embed in Project Process: Streamline resilience considerations into the project process.
• Educate: Consulting engineers should educate themselves and their clients on available tools, guidance, and adaptation strategies.
• Funding: Become familiar with available funding opportunities.
• Codify Processes: Standardize resilience considerations within agencies to streamline the process and remove ambiguity.
• Decision Trees/Matrices: Develop decision trees or matrices to guide resilience planning based on asset vulnerability and risk tolerance.

Translating Climate Data into Actionable Design Decisions

Matt outlines key steps for translating climate data into actionable design decisions.

• Four Steps:
  1. Data Compilation: Gather climate projection data and asset data (age, condition, etc.).
  2. Model Development: Figure out the vulnerability model.
  3. Analysis: Calculate the risk of negative impacts.
  4. Results: Boil down the results to an understandable point for engineers and clients.
• Key Questions:
  • What's the intended lifespan?
  • Which greenhouse gas emissions scenario to plan for?
  • Where are you located?
  • Which asset types are you expecting to deal with?
  • What goals do the client have?
  • What are the financial considerations?

Final Advice

Matt encourages engineers to adopt a forward-looking design approach, considering climate extremes and potential impacts 30-50 years into the future. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and pursuing areas of excitement within civil engineering.

CE Hot Seat

• Daily Rituals:
  • Organizing and prioritizing to-do lists.
  • Running in the morning.
• Recommended Book: Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff.
• Favorite Manager Qualities: Personable nature, collaboration, innovation, and genuine interest in team development.
• Elevator Advice: Civil engineering is a flexible degree. Find something that excites you, continue learning, and innovate.