UNH Center for Infrastructure Resilience to Climate

The UNH Center for Infrastructure Resilience to Climate (UCIRC) is dedicated to accelerating and advancing the development of new methods and approaches to planning, design, and operation and maintenance of climate and weather resilient transportation and building infrastructure systems. UCIRC is also working to develop and implement effective public policy solutions concerning these pressing issues. The Center brings together UNH faculty and students for interdisciplinary, collaborative research to tackle these multi-dimensional issues. UCIRC builds on the leading-edge work conducted by the Infrastructure and Climate Network (ICNet). UCIRC works hand-in-hand with New Hampshire’s private sector, providing engineering companies with the resources to be more competitive and to bring innovative ideas to market.

UCIRC Research

Research ranges from fundamental science to public policy. Our research portfolio includes:

• A risk-based assessment tool for post-flooding open or close decision-making on roadways.

• A national study to understand the strength of the relationship between extreme rainfall and flooding and the dependence of this relationship on watershed impervious cover.

• State agency decision-making policy on the opening and closing of roadways during freeze-thaw conditions.

• The development of a statistical approach to enhance downscaling of climate and weather parameters for New England.

• Changing freeze-thaw impacts on low volume roads in seasonal frost areas.

• Climate change informed life cycle assessment of pavement infrastructure.

• Coastal road infrastructure vulnerability to the effects of sea-level rise, rising groundwater, and the impacts to the unbound layers of coastal roads.

UCIRC provides a centralized venue to engage academic, industry, agency, and public partners.  Through this venue, UNH and UCIRC are aiding New Hampshire’s businesses and state and local government agencies to successfully navigate the challenges we face today.