Passenger and Freight Rail Systems are Being Compromised by Climate Change: How Proactive Data-Driven Engineering Can Help Owners Adapt

Webinar Summary

Higher temperatures and more frequent storms are causing damage and delay across the country. Rail tracks are designed to expand as they heat up. But during severe heat the rails can expand beyond the limits of the underlying ties, buckling and morphing into what’s known as a sun kink. This serious hazard can lead to significant delays, repairs, and derailment. Based on a data-driven approach to resilience that is rooted in published technical methodologies, Resilient Analytics, a Stanley Consultants company, projects that the increase in average annual reactive adaptation costs relative to the historical period range from $5.4 to $10.22 billion by 2050. However, there are solutions that rail operators can implement that if funding can be sourced and spent strategically, dollars and rail systems themselves can be saved.

Speaker Profile

Jake is working to bridge the gap between climate science and engineering. He is somewhere between an engineer, climate scientist and data analyst. He is skilled in identifying, quantifying and mitigating climate vulnerability and risk through data-driven analytics. With 10+ years of experience in climate change resilience, his technical knowledge and expertise enables clients to make actionable decisions.

Webinar Format

This webinar will include a moderated Q and A session following the speaker’s presentation. The session is open to environmental engineering and science professionals across all sectors and career stages. Our objective is to offer special insights on leading edge solutions for graduate and undergraduate students as well as early to mid-career environmental professionals who are considering specialty certification.

AAEES Board Certified Individuals: Attend this event and earn 1.5 PDHs towards your PDH requirements for maintaining your specialty certification.

Click here to register for this event.