Civil Engineering Standards and a Changing Climate

This presentation will discuss civil engineering standards and the climate variables that are implicitly used within the standards. ASCE 7 (Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures) provides minimum loads, hazard levels, and intended performance goals for buildings and other structures and includes snow, ice, rain and wind loads. Urban drainage standards provide design guidance for urban stormwater systems and stormwater impoundments. Urban stormwater systems and sewers are designed to manage precipitation and runoff with certain recurrence intervals or return periods. For example, storm sewers in residential areas are often designed to handle runoff that occurs around once every 10 years. There is evidence that precipitation intensities and volumes are increasing and may continue to increase as the climate warms. Stormwater systems designed based on past observed records may exceed their design capacity more frequently than designed. This presentation will discuss efforts within the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to review standards that may be affected by a changing climate. The presentation will also discuss possible revisions and some of the challenges of revising these guidelines given the uncertainty of future climate.