The Construction Record Podcast™ – Episode 325: Extreme weather and building resilience

On this episode of the Construction Record Podcast™, digital media editor Warren Frey speaks with Weather Network meteorologist Mark Robinson and Western University's Dr. Greg Kopp about the increasing dangers of extreme weather and how construction can create resilient building techniques to withstand climate change. Robinson detailed the disaster areas he's seen across the planet ranging from Nepal to America's Tornado Alley and Ontario, and explained how climate change is creating mor extreme weather events, though recent wildfires have actually suppressed tornado activity to an extent. He also detailed how while some tornados are simply too powerful to mitigate against, there are measure that can be taken to reinforce buildings and property against more common and lower-intensity tornadoes. Kopp explained the mission and research focus of the Northern Tornadoes Project as well as his own role as the ImpactWX Chair in Severe Storms Engineering. He also talked about Canada's building code adapting to climate change and extreme weather events and highlighted structures such as nuclear reactors which are built to the highest impact tolerances possible and other structures which vary in their resiliency. You can listen to The Construction Record on the Daily Commercial News and Journal of Commerce websites as well as on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music's podcast section.  Our previous podcast with Residential Construction Council of Ontario president Richard Lyall about the federal government's Fall Economic Statement is here. Thanks for listening.  Thanks for listening. DCN-JOC News Services Mark Robinson biography Greg Kopp biography Researchers call for storm resistant measures in provincial building codes Tornado hits Ottawa suburban neighbourhood, damaging 125 homes and scattering debris Mississippi tornado recovery tough for low-income residents