And now you can’t think of anything else.
That’s a problem for civil engineers.
The US needs infrastructure that can survive floods, tornadoes, extreme heat or cold, earthquakes and wildfires. Projects are built to be “resilient” or “sustainable,” sometimes “climate-resistant” or “environmentally friendly.”
But terms like these can be triggering. Born of sometimes divisive climate change discussions, they may shut down vital projects along political, ideological lines.
Words have power
Civil engineers need new nomenclature, says Maria Lehman, executive advisor for US Infrastructure at GHD, interim executive director and past president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a member of the National Infrastructure Advisory Council.
“ASCE has been talking for years now about making infrastructure resilient against climate change and more destructive forces,” Lehman said recently in an interview with SmartBrief, adding that needs to change as it can distract from meaningful collaboration.
“Sustainable has always meant a lot of different things to different people. So, you don’t want to scare people off. What you want to do is build things that make sense for the future and that are reasonable investments,” she said.
Lehman recommends that engineers:
- Exchange the term “climate change” for “man-made and environmental stressors.”
- Instead of “resilient”, use “durable.”
- Instead of “sustainable”, see if “a good investment” fits.
“That’s the language, the vernacular that I’m using at this point. You don’t want someone to not hear it or read it because you’re saying climate change.”
Innovations come in all sizes
With agreed-upon target qualities, projects can progress towards designs that best serve infrastructure’s ultimate purposes.
The old engineering adage is, “When in doubt, make it stout.” It’s how many of today’s most beautiful old structures have survived so long. Today’s engineering knowledge, though, allows us to act more decisively.
Take, for example, this summer’s heat wave. Small design changes can have multiple impacts.
Green roofs – seen in places such as Vancouver – and rain buildings, seen in Singapore and Australia, bring down temperatures and help clean the air. Providing shaded seating for commuters and last-mile transit solutions help protect people during heat waves, but also improve the quality of life, public health and public transportation initiatives.
It isn’t always about a bigger structure. Lehman recalls when a major water treatment utility was about to build a new waste treatment facility.
“And then somebody had the presence of mind to say, ‘Do we really need it?’ It was expensive. What’s the problem we’re trying to solve?” she said.
They discovered that wastewater has morning and evening peak hours, so they didn’t need to double their treatment capacity. Instead, they built a storage tank with a park on top for a fraction of the cost.
“It’s just a different mindset,” Lehman said.
A common language supports collaboration
Staying open to new ideas means working collaboratively across disciplines and political parties. A group that did that well can be found in Southeast Florida, Lehman said. Officials there held a variety of opinions on climate change but found common ground to address regional flooding.
It was clear to all that flooding caused property values to drop and infrastructure to deteriorate. Investing in “durable” infrastructure and planning for future threats is a good investment.
“I can’t imagine that the financial community wouldn’t be a partner knowing full well that their investment risk goes way down if you invest a few more coins up front,” Lehman said.
Projects need to be looked at more holistically. Engineers need to foresee the impacts projects have on one another and find new ways to build communities that are safe and support a good quality of life.