Understanding Our Changing Climate: Asset Management for Engineers
Climate change is here. It has already had a serious impact on our infrastructure, economy and environment; and its future impacts will only grow with time. Mitigation efforts may slow the rate of change, but are unlikely to reverse the trend. The majority of Canada’s infrastructure is decades old, and was designed based on out-dated climate patterns. In light of our changing climate, design standards and existing infrastructure systems may need to be revised to ensure public safety and quality of life.
The combined efforts of engineers, architects and other infrastructure stakeholders will be required to address the combined challenges of infrastructure development/renewal and climate change. Professionals must augment skills with new information necessary to (re)design for, and adapt to, a climate-adjusted future. An understanding of climate change risks and opportunities affecting project planning, design, construction and operation will be necessary to properly execute projects going forward.
Engineers have a professional duty to protect human health, safety and welfare and are subject to legal responsibilities and standards of care, which could expose them to legal liability relating to climate impacts and associated damages if proper standards of prudence are not met. As the climate continues to change, legal duties and standards of care are also evolving. Relying on outdated standards and processes could be considered negligent. There is a need for education on climate change law and policy developments among engineering professionals, the wider construction industry and related decision makers to promote improved consideration of climate change in a variety of practice-areas and project-types.
Engineers Canada has developed the Infrastructure Resilience Professional (IRP) certification program, which recognizes an individual’s additional knowledge in planning, designing and managing resilient infrastructure and building assets and their components in the face of extreme weather and our changing climate. The IRP will be available to licenced engineers who satisfy certain competency and assessment criteria.
Asset management (AM) is viewed by many as a necessary tool to manage the infrastructure debt that has accumulated over the past decades due to lack of investments in rehabilitation and maintenance. This AM course explores the challenges faced by the core physical infrastructure systems municipalities own and operate: potable water systems, waste and storm water collection and treatment, roads and sidewalks, bridges and overpasses.
This online, professional development short course is designed to fulfil one of the knowledge requirements of Engineers Canada’s Infrastructure Resilience Professional (IRP) certification program. Students will be presented with the context of decision-making in a public (municipal and public utility) environment. The elements of asset management systems such as inventory, diagnostic and condition assessment, performance and prediction, valuation, planning and life-cycle analysis, risk assessment and management, and prioritization of interventions will be evaluated.
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of asset management applied to community infrastructure and of the benefits and challenges of infrastructure asset management.
- Describe the steps in developing and implementing an asset management strategy and plan for infrastructure, and understand how to apply AM principles to water and wastewater systems, building facilities, to roads, culverts, bridges and overpasses, and to other community assets such as solid waste, parks and recreational facilities.
- Link asset management to other functions related to and impacting infrastructure such as land use planning, operations and maintenance, accounting requirements, investment planning and risk management.
The 15 hours of lectures in this course will be presented online, in two-hour sessions. The last session includes a one-hour allocation for the course test.
The first offering of this online course will be seven sessions scheduled over three weeks in June 2017. Each session is scheduled from 11:30 to 1:30 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on the following days:
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Thursday, June 8, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Friday, June 16, 2017
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017
The course will conclude with an examination for IRP-registered participants to evaluate learning outcomes. In-class quizzes and short reading assignments will be part of the course delivery
Successful completion of this course meets one of the course requirements for IRP certification,
This course is offered in partnership with the engineering regulators that are the members of Engineers Canada.
Course Instructor
Guy Felio, PhD, P.Eng., IRP
Senior Advisor, Asset Management Solutions, Stantec
Guy Felio is an infrastructure Management Specialist with over 30 years of experience in civil, geotechnical, and municipal engineering. He focuses on finding practical, innovative, and cost-effective sustainable and resilient solutions for clients, in particular the owners and operators of infrastructure and facilities. He draws on his research, policy development, engineering and teaching experience in his approach to problem-solving.
Areas in which Guy has been contributing to build better communities include: the elaboration of asset management governance frameworks, policies and strategies; the development of municipal asset management and long-term financial plans; life-cycle cost/benefit analysis studies; the assessment of risks to infrastructure from climate changes and the development of adaptation solutions.
External Training, e-Learning, and Technical Writing experience includes:
- Asset Valuation and Capital Investment Planning* (Course Developer and Teacher) OGRA Asset Management Diploma Program
- Full Course in Infrastructure Asset Management* (Course Developer and Teacher) Carleton University
- PIEVC Protocol Training* (Course Developer and Teacher) Engineers Canada
- Asset Management and Infrastructure Vulnerability to Climate Change* (Course Developer and Teacher) Honduras
- Asset Management Training for BC First Nations* (Course Developer and Teacher)
Registration Information
Fee: $595 +HST (for professional development and recognition as meeting IRP course requirement)
Fee: $375 +HST (for professional development only)
Fees cover course instruction and educational materials as well as course examination for IRP registered participants. A Certificate of Completion for CPD will be issued by Engineers Canada. This course will qualify for 15 professional development hours (pdh). For those participants who successfully complete the course for IRP certification purposes, an additional transcript will be issued.
An application for recognition of the course for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) is underway with the Engineering Institute of Canada.
Registration and payment for the course is available through the following link:
For further information please contact:
David Lapp, FEC P.Eng. IRP
Practice Lead, Globalization and Sustainable Development
Engineers Canada
Ottawa, ON
613-232-2474 ext 240
613-793-2203 (cell)
david.lapp@engineerscanada.ca
www.engineerscanada.ca Opens in a new window
GuyFelio PhD P.Eng. IRP
Senior Advisor, Asset Management Solutions and Infrastructure Resilience
Ottawa, ON
613-784-2300
613-796-0262 (cell)