Building resilience in an uncertain world

From extreme weather events to rising temperatures, our teams, buildings and infrastructure will be increasingly at risk. We must embrace new ways of working and new technologies to make both the industry and our buildings more resilient.

Climate change will impact the construction industry in a variety of ways, from how operations are managed on site to the way we design and construct our buildings. Scientists are clear that extreme weather, such as heatwaves or heavy rainfall events, will become more frequent and intense with every degree of warming, and this will have technical, economic and health-related impacts for the industry.

Take heatwaves for example. Industries that involve outdoor work, such as construction, will need to adapt to conditions which pose increased risks to employees. A study by the International Labour Organization, projected that by 2030, the equivalent of more than 2 per cent of total working hours worldwide would be lost every year, either because it is too hot to work, or workers have to work at reduced pace.

As summer temperatures soar, workers not only slow down but can take more risks as cognitive function decreases, increasing the risk of accidents, as well as instances of immediate conditions like heatstroke or long-term risks such as skin cancer.

Extreme heat can also damage foundations and impact on materials. For example, steel can warp in hot conditions, while concrete becomes difficult to work with and sets more quickly, making it more likely to spoil before it can be poured or leaving it more prone to cracking, affecting its strength and durability. This can increase costs and lead to project delays.

We are already seeing water scarcity issues impacting on where we can build. For example, Greater Cambridge is in one of the most water-stressed regions of the UK and in 2023 it became the focus of the Environment Agency’s first objections to thousands of new homes on the basis that the water supply for these developments would pose a significant risk to the local water environment.

On the other hand, we increasingly see requirements for buildings to be prepared for heavy rainfall events, through features such as ‘blue roof’ water management systems, designed to retain stormwater and release it in a controlled manner to alleviate the impact of run-off and avoid flooding. I recently saw an interesting example of this at the Apex building, part of the Tribeca development at King's Cross in London.

The industry will see changes in what we are building, the materials we are using and the features that are incorporated, as new buildings and infrastructure is increasingly designed to withstand the conditions we expect to see in future.

The strategies and solutions used must suit local conditions both now and, in the future, to ensure we are building for resilience to heatwaves, water scarcity and drought, storms and strong winds, in-land and coastal flooding as appropriate.

Depending on location, this might include utilising more durable materials, incorporating shutters, shading and passive cooling, changing roof designs, integrating nature-based solutions, incorporating rainwater harvesting or enhanced storm drainage systems.

In the face of a rapidly changing climate, what is certain is that we must not bury our heads in the sand. Everyone in the value chain must consider this from policymakers and planners to clients, designers, and construction managers, if we are to build for an uncertain but resilient world in future.

If this is a topic you’re keen to understand better, you may be interested to read the Climate Change Resilience in the Built Environment guide - World Green Building Council (worldgbc.org).

The CIOB has the following webinar available via the CIOB Academy: How poor construction quality can impact flood resilience - CIOB Academy

This will also be one of the topics addressed at our inaugural CIOB sustainability conference on 4 September 2024. We hope to see many of you there! More information at: Accelerating towards a Net Zero Built Environment | CIOB