Towards the effect of climate change in structural loads of urban infrastructure: A review

Abstract

Climate change is one of the pressing problems of today's world, with its unequivocal effects. The modern urban infrastructure has also borne the brunt of the devastating impact of changing climate. The increasing number of structural failures under extreme environmental loads has been reported throughout the globe, with state-of-the-art design and maintenance practices proved to be insufficient under the dynamically changing climate, demanding more resilient design standards and maintenance procedures. This review article synthesizes the research findings aimed at building climate-resilient civil infrastructure considering the design and service phase of various structures, the durability of structural components and materials, and adaptation and mitigation practices. The paper performs a systematic literature review of the effect of climate change on various structural loads, including wind, snow, temperature, and multi-hazard, in various urban infrastructures from different regions of the globe. The findings in this review can serve as valuable information to suitably revisit and improve design and maintenance practices and build more climate-resilient urban infrastructure.