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INSTRUCTOR: 

• Christopher Dorney, PhD, WSP
• Kristoffer Langlie, P.E.
• Paolo Bocchini, Ph.D., F.SEI
• Therese McAllister, Ph.D., P.E., F.SEI, Dist.M.ASCE

This techsession will only award PDHs for completion.

Purpose and Background

From Climate Data to Implementation in Design (15 minutes)

Human-induced global warming has caused multiple observed changes in the climate system, including increases in land and ocean temperatures, more frequent and prolonged heat waves over continental regions, increased frequency and intensity of heavy precipitation, severe convective storms and tropical cyclones, and increased risk of droughts in some areas. Increased variability and extreme events stress the built environment beyond the current planning and design requirements and cause greater risk for damage, injury, and loss of life.

There is an urgent demand to advance design practice so that climate hazard projections can be incorporated into design practice and community planning.  Design criteria that address future hazard conditions requires applying climate science to engineering requirements for design hazards and the performance of construction materials and structural systems. In particular, the current approach for addressing risk needs to be evaluated, as reliability methods based on historical events cannot fully address the risks for future nonstationary hazards.

This session will provide an update on current efforts to advance best practices, standards, and codes for future hazard events (e.g., wind, storm surge, flooding, precipitation, wildland urban interface (WUI) fires).

Findings of the Special Project on the Effect of Climate Change on the Built Environment (15 minutes)

In 2021 the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) launched an activity entitled “Special Project on Effect of Climate Change on Life-Cycle Performance, Safety, Reliability and Risk of Structures and Infrastructure Systems.” The project was managed under the umbrella of the SEI/ASCE Technical Council on Life-Cycle Performance, Safety, Reliability and Risk of Structural Systems, and in particular managed under the so called “Task Group 2: Reliability-based Performance Indicators for Structural Systems,” which is effectively SEI’s committee on reliability. The presentation discusses the project that is nearing its completion, and it is expected to result in the publication of guidelines for the development of codes, standards, and best practices that will account for climate change in the structural engineering profession, to increase climate readiness.

Quantifying Flood Risks to MnDOT Bridges and Culverts under Climate Change – Dodge County Case Study (30 minutes)

In recent years, Minnesota has experienced several extreme flooding events that have impacted the transportation network and caused costly damage to transportation infrastructure. Such events are projected to become more frequent and severe with climate change. Recognizing the threat, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) has initiated an analysis to quantify the current and future flood risks facing the infrastructure they own and maintain, starting with bridges and culverts. Dodge County, in the southeastern portion of the state, is the first area to be completed with further regions to be finished in the years ahead.

This presentation will start by taking a deep dive into the methodology being employed on the project. Key elements of the methodology that will be presented include (1) development of climate change-influenced precipitation projections and their effects on future peak flows, (2) set-up and operation of the automated hydraulic-models used to determine flood elevations and other related flood hazard data at the assets, (3) the GIS-based exposure models used to analyze roadway exposure to flooding, and (4) the risk modeling used to estimate the damage costs that may be incurred by MnDOT for each asset and the associated costs to the traveling public if that asset were taken out of service. After the methodology has been described, the presenters will provide an overview of the Dodge County results and how the model output of “Future Damage Cost” is useful in prioritizing systemwide resiliency improvements that leads nicely into Benefit Cost ranking.

Learning outcomes and session benefits:

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Summarize "Special Project on Effect of Climate Change on Life-Cycle Performance, Safety, Reliability and Risk of Structures and Infrastructure Systems" initiated by the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) in 2021.
• Identify specific responsibilities and contributions of Task Group 2, gaining an understanding of how this committee on reliability operates in the context of climate change considerations.
• Examine the proposed recommendations for the development of codes, standards, and best practices in structural engineering.
• Discuss practical applications of the guidelines in real-world scenarios.
• Identify the observed changes in the climate system and their impact on the built environment.
• Discuss the higher order thinking to evaluate the necessity for advancing design practices and integrating climate science into engineering requirements for future hazard conditions.
• Examine the synthesis level to comprehend the urgency in incorporating climate hazard projections into design practice and community planning.
• Describe potential enhancements and adaptations needed to address nonstationary hazards and ensure the resilience of infrastructure systems.
• Explain what climate change-influenced precipitation projections are and their impact on future peak flows.
• Discuss the set-up and operation of automated hydraulic models used in determining flood elevations and related flood hazard data at transportation assets.
• Describe GIS-based exposure models utilized to analyze roadway exposure to flooding.
• Identifying the risk modeling techniques employed to estimate damage costs for transportation assets and understand why a quantitative risk output of “Future Damage Cost” is preferred for prioritizing resiliency improvements.

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are assessed by responding to the post-session survey. If the course is taken On-Demand, there will also be a 10-question multiple choice post-test.

Who Should Attend?

• Water resource engineers
• Climate adaptation/resilience professionals
• Transportation Engineers
• Geotechnical Engineers
• Infrastructure Planners
• Structural Engineers
• Environmental Engineers
• Climate Scientists
• Building Code and Standards Developers
• Urban Planners

How to Earn your PDHs

This course is worth 1 PDH. To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to attend the live session and/or watch the recording(s) and complete the post-session survey. If the course is taken OnDemand, there will also be a 10-question multiple choice post-test.