Abbie Liel, a researcher at the University of Colorado, Boulder, has been awarded funding for their role as a co-PI in the climate projections project, “Understanding the Evolving Threat of Snow Loads and Rain on Snow Events to Structural Safety.”
Abbie Liel, co-lead of the NOAA Projections Task Force, will contribute to an upcoming research project focused on the impact of extreme snow loads on building design amid climate change. This work aligns directly with NOAA’s partnership with the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) to prepare the nation for the impacts of a changing environment with climate-ready infrastructure. As a member of the ASCE committee tasked with updating the snow-related design provisions and chair of the climate-change-related recommendations committee for ASCE hazards, Liel brings crucial engineering expertise to the project. The collaborative study will utilize climate models to enhance our understanding of statistical distributions related to extreme snow load accumulation and rain-on-snow events across the United States. The goal is to provide climate-change-informed design recommendations for the ASCE standards, ensuring infrastructure readiness over the next 50 to 100 years.
Building on prior work, including the 2020 National Snow Load Study, Liel’s coordination efforts contribute to the integration of climate-ready solutions into national building codes. The team’s commitment extends beyond snow-related projects, addressing various environmental hazards affecting infrastructure design. With a track record of making data publicly available, the research team ensures transparency, aligning with the urgent need to connect climate science with engineering practice and providing valuable insights for NOAA’s modeling advancements and the resilience of our nation’s infrastructure and economy.
Funding for this project is provided by the NOAA Climate Program Office, MAPP program.