Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Canada's diverse geography and climate impacts our exposure to natural hazards, such as tornadoes and cyclones. This is further aggravated due to aging infrastructure, population growth and climate change. To maintain the safety and prosperity of our communities, it is vital to develop a comprehensive framework to assess and mitigate the impact of extreme climate on the built environment. In this research, novel numerical and large-scale experimental approaches that enable community-level wind performance assessments will be developed. This unique approach considers aerodynamics for progressive failure and the interdependence of cladding, structural system, individual buildings, and neighborhoods. The assessment outcome will inform the next generation of building codes and standards. Thus, enhancing the resiliency of our communities in relation to extreme climate.