Climate Resilience in Engineering Design

Welcome to "Climate Resilience in Engineering Design," a pivotal course equipping engineering professionals with comprehensive strategies to adapt Canadian infrastructure to a rapidly changing climate. This program moves beyond reliance on historical data, emphasizing future-focused resilience, evolving regulatory frameworks, and advanced risk assessment.

• Explore the profound impacts of climate change on infrastructure and the obsolescence of stable climate assumptions.
• Understand the critical shift from historical data to predictive models in engineering design.
• Delve into Canada's regulatory landscape, including National Model Codes, and the foundational role of the National Research Council (NRC) in fostering climate-resilient construction practices.
• Apply the PIEVC Protocol for robust climate vulnerability assessments and risk management in infrastructure projects.
• Examine procurement strategies like Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) that champion long-term resilience over short-term cost savings.
• Learn about the Infrastructure Resilience Professional (IRP) certification, enhancing engineers' competencies in climate adaptation.
• Detail specific engineering solutions and standards for critical hazards, including:
  
  • Flooding: Standards like CSA W204:19 for new residential communities, CSA W210:21 for existing communities, and CSA W211:21 for stormwater management.
  • Extreme Winds: CSA S520 for low-rise residential buildings and updates to National Model Codes for high wind safety.
  • Wildland-Urban Interface Fires: Strategies for ignition-resistant design and the National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires.
  • Thermal Comfort: Design considerations for public spaces like playgrounds under increasing heat.
  • Coastal Resilience: Integrating nature-based solutions with grey infrastructure for protection against rising sea levels and storms.
  • Northern Challenges: Standards developed under NISI for permafrost degradation (CSA PLUS 4011:19, CSA S500:21), drainage, wastewater, erosion, and high winds in the Canadian North.
• Integrate Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and community-based climate monitoring into engineering practices.
• Leverage standardized weather data collection and sharing through the CSA R100 series to inform design decisions.
• Understand the federal Climate Lens policy and its role in integrating climate resilience into publicly funded infrastructure projects.
• Gain insights into the research and testing facilities advancing climate-resilient design.

This course ensures that engineers are equipped to protect public safety, reduce lifecycle costs, and build a resilient Canada for generations to come, transforming policy goals into tangible engineering actions.