Kirk Kendall | Engineering Resilient Infrastructure in a Changing Climate

Infrastructure faces increasing environmental stress—from coastal flooding to temperature extremes. Kirk Kendall believes the future of engineering depends on designing for resilience, not just efficiency.

Traditional design often assumes stability: predictable weather, consistent materials, steady conditions. Those assumptions no longer hold. Engineers must now plan for variability and recovery, not just performance.

Kendall argues that resilience starts with adaptability. Designs should incorporate modular components, redundant systems, and flexible materials that allow for repair and upgrading. Durability alone is not enough; systems must evolve as conditions change.

Environmental modeling helps anticipate future stress, but the data must be applied through local understanding. A bridge designed for Newfoundland’s climate faces different risks than one in southern Ontario. Context matters.

Resilient design also requires cross-discipline collaboration—civil, mechanical, environmental, and social. Infrastructure isn’t just physical; it supports economies and communities. When it fails, consequences multiply far beyond the construction site.

Kendall emphasizes that resilience aligns with fiscal responsibility. Preventive design reduces lifetime maintenance costs, disaster response spending, and operational downtime. It’s a financial strategy as much as an environmental one.

Engineers are problem solvers by nature. The next challenge is ensuring those solutions last—not just against time, but against change itself.