The Future of Food: Modeling Climate Impacts on Crop Growth
Scientists have long warned that climate change could severely impact the supply chain of crops globally. Now, engineering could help.
Service: Precipitation Management
Rain, Snow, and Ice Management Solutions for More Resilient Buildings
Turn weather challenges into design confidence
Rain, wind, snow and ice: these common building design challenges push designs to their limit. But standard codes and regulations don’t always reflect real-world risks. From falling ice, to pooling water, and overloaded roofs, even moderate precipitation can lead to costly damage and safety hazards.
We go beyond code with advanced modeling and expert meteorology to deliver site-specific design strategies that protect performance and reputation. From drifting snow in rural Canada to typhoons in Hong Kong, we’ve helped thousands of buildings thrive even in the toughest climates.
Ice, snow, and rain can lead to frustrating and potentially dangerous impacts to both the building owners, as well as users, and can be expensive to repair post-construction. Proac...
Jan Dale
How our precipitation management services can benefit your project
Outsmart weather. Outperform codes.
We optimize structures for their unique sites and microclimates using advanced modeling and our team of in-house meteorology and engineering specialists.
Design for safety, comfort, and resilience
Rain, snow, and ice don’t just affect aesthetics, they pose real risks to people and property. Accumulated ice, snow, and rain can fall from rooftops, block exits or transport routes, create slip hazards and damage your structure. We help you design smarter, minimizing risk and enhancing safety in any climate.
Go beyond code to design with confidence
Standard building codes offer a baseline, but they often oversimplify complex site conditions or overdesign for outdated data.
We use advanced modeling and performance-based design to create solutions tailored to your project’s unique geometry, microclimate, and surroundings helping you meet and exceed local regulations with precision and efficiency.
Cut material and operational costs
Smart design tweaks, like refining façade details or optimizing building orientation and form, can significantly reduce maintenance, material use, and long-term operational costs. We help you right-size drainage systems and eliminate unnecessary elements without compromising performance.
Future-proof against a changing climate
With climate extremes becoming the new norm, designs need to be more than compliant. They need to be resilient too. We deliver climate-ready solutions that protect your structure, preserve functionality, and perform reliably for decades to come.
How we help
We show you where precipitation will go, how often it will go there, and how to redirect—without creating new problems. Rain or shine, we design solutions that work seamlessly with your building.
covered walkway
Model of Iowa Events Center covered in sand from water flume testing
falling ice and snow
snow drifting
covered walkway
Rain management
Wind and rain can interact with a building’s form in unexpected ways, causing leaks, pooling, and slippery surfaces in even mild storms. Open-air spaces, unique facades, and roof features can all become risks if not designed with climate in mind.
Our team uses advanced modeling to understand how rain behaves on your site. We then recommend subtle yet strategic design solutions like optimizing building orientation or enclosure details, to minimize risk, reduce damage, and cut long-term costs.
Speak with a rain management expert
Model of Iowa Events Center covered in sand from water flume testing
Snow and ice loading
In cold climates, snow loads are often the driving force behind structural design. Getting snow loading right from the start not only ensures safety, it can also reduce material costs.
We deliver site-specific snow loading patterns tailored to your building’s local climate, geometry, and surroundings. Our analysis factors in everything from snowfall and wind to roof shape, heat loss, sun exposure, and shading from nearby structures.
For complex buildings where standard codes fall short, we go further. Using advanced wind tunnel testing, water flume testing, and proprietary simulation tools, we capture the full picture helping you avoid costly surprises and overbuilt solutions.
Speak with a snow loading expert
falling ice and snow
Falling ice and snow
In snowy environments, buildings collect ice and snow on roofs, parapets and façades. When accumulated ice or snow sheds, it can pose a serious risk to people, property, and the structure itself. But small design changes can make a big difference, dramatically reducing risk while improving safety and daily operations.
We assess how often these risks occur, how severe the impacts are, and how easily and cost-effectively they can be mitigated.
By collaborating with the design team, we deliver practical, performance-driven solutions to help your prioritize what matters most.
Speak with a falling ice and snow expert
snow drifting
Snow drifting
Wind-blown snow can pile up where you don’t want it, blocking access to paths, critical services areas, transport routes, entrances, or even infiltrating buildings causing inconvenience and damage. But with smart, climate-responsive design, these issues can be minimized or avoided entirely.
We turn wind into an advantage. By combining extensive meteorology expertise with advanced modeling and physical testing, we pinpoint where snow is likely to drift and accumulate. We then recommend design refinements to minimize disruptions, improve safety, and keep your site running smoothly all winter long.
Speak with a wind-blown snow expert
Europe & UK
Newfoundland
A wide range of studies to verify safety and optimization for this eye-catching addition to London’s Canary Wharf
Europe & UK
Old Oak Common Station
Using wind tunnel analysis to avoid unnecessary costs on a major public infrastructure project
Canada
Highway 407 East
Air quality, noise and vibration assessments for a 46-kilometer highway expansion
FAQs about our precipitation management services
Still have questions? Contact us.
We use our understanding of local wind patterns and meteorology to predict how rain/snow will be picked up, carried, and dropped by the wind near your structure. These consulting services show the zones where rain and snow may collect and where it will be dispersed. We also understand internal building airflows and can assess the risk that snow or rain will infiltrate the building envelope through doors, windows, or mechanical systems. This helps in minimizing operational costs and improving building performance by addressing potential risks proactively.
Our climate and performance engineering experts are involved in helping shape many of the building codes and standards globally when it comes to snow loading and drifting.
However, as design elements become more unique and complex, and the climate continues to impact weather events globally, embracing a performance-based approach to addressing is increasingly important. We use advanced tools to go beyond these codes, providing performance-based, cost- and risk-optimized solutions. This approach ensures compliance while addressing unique challenges of modern structures, making sure your building is both safe and up to standard.
We recommend a variety of strategic architectural or landscaping adjustments, such as adding canopies, trees, shrubs, or berms to protect critical areas and reduce operational challenges. Changing the usage around the building or incorporating these features can make all the difference.
We use advanced simulation tools to consider the combined effects of wind directionality, temperature fluctuations, wind speeds, rainfall, and roof heat loss. Our analysis accounts for local climate, surroundings, building shape, and construction specifics. These comprehensive analyses ensure your structure withstands extreme weather, maintaining durability and functionality over time. This approach reduces costs and the risk of surprises post-construction, ensuring designs are “better than code” which is crucial for the long-term safety and performance of your building.
Insights from our industry experts
Canada’s National Building Code & Climate Change: Safer Design
Changes to global weather patterns are posing an emerging risk for the structural integrity of buildings and the way engineers…
Building Resilience: Helping Structures to Weather the Storm
Designing buildings that are resilient to volatile and unpredictable weather is a growing necessity for countries around the world.
