Design of Facilities to Account for Climate Changes

Structures designed for mechanical and civil engineering applications shall have a design life of several decades. With the present climate change, the design basis for these structures is uncertain. It is, therefore, of key importance to adapt a strategy to ensure that we build for a changing future. This could be done by identifying two-level design criteria, for operational conditions and survival conditions, respectively, and thus considering the possibility of limiting operations during severe situations. In the case of permanent changes in the design basis, a plan to adapt to the possible new conditions shall be prepared. Examples considering different scenarios will be given. These include permafrost melting, sea level rising, increased shoreline erosion, etc. It should also be noted that locations used to erect facilities and infrastructure in the future may have to be abandoned and that no building activities at these locations should take place.