Standards for Adaptive and Resilient Infrastructure

Standards for Adaptive and Resilient Infrastructure

Focus: Performance-Based Standards

ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE

It is becoming increasingly apparent that Performance-Based Standards (PBS) are essential in determining how modern infrastructures should be built, operated, and maintained. PBS help ensure safety and resilience over the infrastructure’s lifetime. Many of today’s standards are usually based on conditions of “stationarity” — meaning the statistics observed in the past will define those of the future.

However, changes are occurring in the frequencies and intensities of climate and weather extremes, and there is real uncertainty about future magnitudes. Therefore, engineers must build and rebuild existing infrastructure that is more adaptable and resilient to what we know are non-stationary, changing conditions. The past is not the future, and engineers are increasingly relying on PBS to help build the adaptive and resilient infrastructures communities of the future will require.

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SourceASCE Game Changers

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