Engineering for Extremes


Book Description

The volume explains how risk and decision-making analytics can be applied to the wicked problem of protecting infrastructure and society from extreme events. There is increasing research that takes into account the risks associated with the timing and severity of extreme events in engineering to reduce the vulnerability or increase the resiliency of infrastructure. "Engineering for extremes" is defined as measures taken to reduce the vulnerability or increase the resiliency of built infrastructure to climate change, hurricanes, storms, floods, earthquakes, heat waves, fires, and malevolent and abnormal events that include terrorism, gas explosions, vehicle impact and vehicle overload. The book introduces the key concepts needed to assess the economic and social well-being risks, costs and benefits of infrastructure to extreme events. This includes hazard modelling (likelihood and severity), infrastructure vulnerability, resilience or exposure (likelihood and extent of damage), social and economic loss models, risk reduction from protective measures, and decision theory (cost-benefit and utility analyses). Case studies authored by experts from around the world describe the practical aspects of risk assessment when deciding on the most cost-efficient measures to reduce infrastructure vulnerability to extreme events for housing, buildings, bridges, roads, tunnels, pipelines, and electricity infrastructure in the developed and developing worlds.




STEM Activity: Extreme Engineering


Book Description

STEM Activity: Extreme Engineering will inspire you with super-fun activities and puzzles related to engineering, including fantastic forces, extraordinary machines, high-tech buildings, eco-energy, computer coding and more! Bite-size factoids explain the engineering theories, inventors and discoveries behind them. Program the driverless car so it reaches the garage, design your own skyscraper, complete the engineering word search, match the inventor to the innovation, and put the skateboard moves in the right order to create the perfect Ollie! These are just some of the write-in activities featured in STEM Activity: Extreme Engineering. Also available: STEM Activity: Sensational Science, STEM Activity: Amazing Maths and STEM Activity: Terrific Technology




Extremes in a Changing Climate


Book Description

This book provides a collection of the state-of-the-art methodologies and approaches suggested for detecting extremes, trend analysis, accounting for nonstationarities, and uncertainties associated with extreme value analysis in a changing climate. This volume is designed so that it can be used as the primary reference on the available methodologies for analysis of climate extremes. Furthermore, the book addresses current hydrometeorologic global data sets and their applications for global scale analysis of extremes. While the main objective is to deliver recent theoretical concepts, several case studies on extreme climate conditions are provided. Audience The book is suitable for teaching in graduate courses in the disciplines of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Earth System Science, Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences.




Extreme Value Theory in Engineering


Book Description

This book is a comprehensive guide to extreme value theory in engineering. Written for the end user with intermediate and advanced statistical knowledge, it covers classical methods as well as recent advances. A collection of 150 examples illustrates the theoretical results and takes the reader from simple applications through complex cases of dependence.




Extreme Tissue Engineering


Book Description

Highly Commended at the BMA Book Awards 2013 Extreme Tissue Engineering is an engaging introduction to Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (TERM), allowing the reader to understand, discern and place into context the mass of scientific, multi-disciplinary data currently flooding the field. It is designed to provide interdisciplinary, ground-up explanations in a digestible, entertaining way, creating a text which is relevant to all students of TERM regardless of their route into the field. Organised into three main sections: chapters 1 to 3 introduce and explain the general problems; chapters 4 to 6 identify and refine how the main factors interact to create the problems and opportunities we know all too well; chapters 7 to 9 argue us through the ways we can use leading-edge (extreme) concepts to build our advanced solutions. Students and researchers in areas such as stem cell and developmental biology, tissue repair, implantology and surgical sciences, biomaterials sciences and nanobiomedicine, bioengineering, bio-processing and monitoring technologies - from undergraduate and masters to doctoral and post-doctoral research levels - will find Extreme Tissue Engineering a stimulating and inspiring text. Written in a fluid, entertaining style, Extreme Tissue Engineering is introductory yet challenging, richly illustrated and truly interdisciplinary.







Extreme Value and Related Models with Applications in Engineering and Science


Book Description

A straightforward, practical guide to extreme value modeling for today's world Measuring and interpreting data for extreme values presents a unique and important challenge that has far-reaching implications for all aspects of modern engineering and science. Extreme Value and Related Models with Applications in Engineering and Science reflects the latest information in this growing field. The book incorporates illuminating real-world examples from such areas as structural engineering, hydraulics, meteorology, materials science, highway traffic analysis, environmetrics, and climatology, and is designed to help engineers, mathematicians, statisticians, and scientists gain a clearer understanding of extreme value theory and then translate that knowledge into practical applications within their own fields of research. The book provides: A unique focus on modern topics including data analysis and inference Specific data in such areas as wind, flood, chain strength, electrical insulation, fatigue, precipitation, and wave heights Useful techniques for addressing extreme value problems, including discrete, continuous, univariate, and multivariate models Coverage of order statistics, return period, exceedances and shortfalls, along with detailed explanations on how to obtain exact distributions for these statistics An in-depth look at asymptotic models and the limit distributions of maxima, minima, and other order statistics Enhanced with numerous graphs and exercises, plus an extensive bibliography for further study, this text is an important reference source for engineers designing structures that will withstand even the most extreme circumstances.




Attribution of Extreme Weather Events in the Context of Climate Change


Book Description

As climate has warmed over recent years, a new pattern of more frequent and more intense weather events has unfolded across the globe. Climate models simulate such changes in extreme events, and some of the reasons for the changes are well understood. Warming increases the likelihood of extremely hot days and nights, favors increased atmospheric moisture that may result in more frequent heavy rainfall and snowfall, and leads to evaporation that can exacerbate droughts. Even with evidence of these broad trends, scientists cautioned in the past that individual weather events couldn't be attributed to climate change. Now, with advances in understanding the climate science behind extreme events and the science of extreme event attribution, such blanket statements may not be accurate. The relatively young science of extreme event attribution seeks to tease out the influence of human-cause climate change from other factors, such as natural sources of variability like El Niño, as contributors to individual extreme events. Event attribution can answer questions about how much climate change influenced the probability or intensity of a specific type of weather event. As event attribution capabilities improve, they could help inform choices about assessing and managing risk, and in guiding climate adaptation strategies. This report examines the current state of science of extreme weather attribution, and identifies ways to move the science forward to improve attribution capabilities.




A Case for Climate Engineering


Book Description

A leading scientist argues that we must consider deploying climate engineering technology to slow the pace of global warming. Climate engineering—which could slow the pace of global warming by injecting reflective particles into the upper atmosphere—has emerged in recent years as an extremely controversial technology. And for good reason: it carries unknown risks and it may undermine commitments to conserving energy. Some critics also view it as an immoral human breach of the natural world. The latter objection, David Keith argues in A Scientist's Case for Climate Engineering, is groundless; we have been using technology to alter our environment for years. But he agrees that there are large issues at stake. A leading scientist long concerned about climate change, Keith offers no naïve proposal for an easy fix to what is perhaps the most challenging question of our time; climate engineering is no silver bullet. But he argues that after decades during which very little progress has been made in reducing carbon emissions we must put this technology on the table and consider it responsibly. That doesn't mean we will deploy it, and it doesn't mean that we can abandon efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But we must understand fully what research needs to be done and how the technology might be designed and used. This book provides a clear and accessible overview of what the costs and risks might be, and how climate engineering might fit into a larger program for managing climate change.




Extreme Engineering


Book Description

"Your adventures begin as you complete a Roman arch by drawing lines to missing bricks, plan a design for a green skyscrapper using energy-saving features, finish drawings of tied-arch bridges, and more awesome engineering activities."--