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Supporting the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) joint efforts with Infrastructure Canada to adapt Canadian codes and standards to climate change, CSA Group—the standards development and testing, inspection, and certification organization—has partnered with NRC on seven adaptation initiatives.
All seven projects are targeting completion by April 2019, and will increase the resiliency of Canada’s built environment in a perpetually evolving climate.
“Incorporating climate-change considerations into standards will help guide how infrastructure is designed and built to withstand more frequent and severe weather events,” said Mary Cianchetti, CSA Group’s president of standards. “With this work, CSA Group is proud to make a strong and meaningful contribution towards the National Research Council’s ambitious Climate-resilient Core Public Infrastructure program with Infrastructure Canada, and we are committed to the development of advanced, technically sound, and reliable infrastructure standards to help ensure the safety and well-being of Canadians.”
The projects include both updates to existing standards and the introduction of new ones. The latter category will feature:
- flood-proofing and prevention measures to combat basement flooding;
- green infrastructure to support flood mitigation and surface water protection; and
- climate-change adaption for wastewater treatment plants.
New standards to be adapted include:
- CSA C22.1, C22.2, and C22.3, Canadian Electrical Code parts 1, 2, and 3;
- CSA S6, Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code;
- CSA S478, Guideline on Durability in Buildings; and
- CSA A440 Series, North American Fenestration Standard (NAFS).
CSA Group intends to draw on its expertise in climate change, as well as its standard development abilities, to make these changes as the industry progresses.
