Integrated studies on soil-structure-climate interactions in susceptible environments to limit effects of climate change on at-risk Canadian infrastructure

对易受影响环境中土壤-结构-气候相互作用的综合研究，以限制气候变化对加拿大面临风险的基础设施的影响

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04373
• 负责人: Siemens, Greg
• 金额: $ 3.13万
• 依托单位: Royal Military College of Canada
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=712790
• 关键词: Integrated; studies; soil; structure; climate

2016 was the hottest year on record following on previous temperature records set in 2014 and 2015. In fact, the top 20 global temperature anomalies are entirely from the last 22 years. Climate change has the effect of increased global temperatures as well as a higher frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts and wet periods. Regionally, Canada's arctic experiences amplified temperature anomalies, which were as high as 4oC in 2016. Mean precipitation across Canada has also increased almost 20% from 1948 to 2009. Canada is especially susceptible to the effects of climate change with our Arctic and areas with reactive soils in particularly precarious positions. In the Arctic, sea ice cover has been decreasing since 1968 and snow cover since 1972. In the prairies, expansive soils react with increased wetting and drying cycles to damage linear infrastructure and buildings. In both areas, soil-climate interactions cause damage to infrastructure. What is affected by climate change-driven permafrost degradation? All infrastructure in the north including residences, commercial buildings, Canada's defence systems, airports, winter and all-weather roads, railways, and pipelines, which are constructed in permafrost. What is affected by increased frequency of drought and wet periods? Thousands of kilometers of roads, rail, and pipelines as well as residential, commercial and government buildings in the Prairies. Unfortunately, the majority of this infrastructure has not been designed to account for climate change effects. The Canadian Government should be leading the efforts to assess, prepare, and act on climate change. However, 14 out of 19 federal departments have not fully assessed the risks of climate change leaving much of the federal government's $66 billion of assets at risk. The devastating effects of climate change-driven permafrost degradation and increased wet-dry events will affect Canadian society, sustainable life in the arctic, government infrastructure, economic growth, resource development, and Canada's defence systems. Dr Siemens will use an integrated field-experimental-computational approach to examine, investigate, and provide solutions for these urgent and important questions for Canadians: How will arctic infrastructure remain sustainable in the face of climate change-driven permafrost degradation? How can the service life of infrastructure constructed in expansive soils be extended to survive climate change effects? This grant will support 6 Phd Students to perform integrated field-experimental-computational studies to assess the impact of climate change on at-risk infrastructure and to devise sustainability strategies to mitigate climate change effects.

继 2014 年和 2015 年创下气温记录之后，2016 年是有记录以来最热的一年。事实上，全球前 20 名气温异常现象完全来自过去 22 年。 气候变化导致全球气温升高以及干旱和雨季等极端天气事件的发生频率增加。从地区来看，加拿大北极地区的温度异常加剧，2016 年高达 4 摄氏度。从 1948 年到 2009 年，加拿大各地的平均降水量也增加了近 20%。加拿大特别容易受到北极和反应性地区气候变化的影响。土壤处于特别危险的位置。在北极，海冰覆盖范围自 1968 年以来一直在减少，积雪覆盖范围自 1972 年以来一直在减少。在大草原上，膨胀的土壤随着干湿循环的增加而发生反应，从而损坏线性基础设施和建筑物。在这两个地区，土壤与气候的相互作用都会对基础设施造成损害。气候变化导致的永久冻土退化会影响什么？北部的所有基础设施，包括住宅、商业建筑、加拿大国防系统、机场、冬季和全天候公路、铁路和管道，都是在永久冻土中建造的。干旱和雨季频率增加会产生什么影响？大草原上有数千公里的公路、铁路和管道以及住宅、商业和政府建筑。不幸的是，大部分基础设施的设计都没有考虑到气候变化的影响。加拿大政府应主导气候变化的评估、准备和行动。然而，19 个联邦部门中有 14 个部门尚未充分评估气候变化的风险，导致联邦政府 660 亿美元的资产中的大部分面临风险。气候变化导致的永久冻土退化和干湿事件增加的破坏性影响将影响加拿大社会、北极的可持续生活、政府基础设施、经济增长、资源开发和加拿大的国防系统。西门子博士将使用综合的现场实验计算方法来检查、调查加拿大人面临的这些紧迫而重要的问题，并提供解决方案： 面对气候变化导致的永久冻土退化，北极基础设施如何保持可持续发展？ 如何延长在膨胀土壤中建造的基础设施的使用寿命以抵御气候变化的影响？ 这笔赠款将支持 6 名博士生进行综合现场实验计算研究，以评估气候变化对面临风险的基础设施的影响，并制定可持续发展战略以减轻气候变化的影响。