Risk-based cost-benefit analysis of climate adaptation measures for Australian contemporary houses under extreme winds

Abstract

Climate adaptation measures improve housing resilience to extreme winds, and reduce economic losses associated with wind and rainfall damage under a changing climate. Several adaptation measures are adopted in this study for Australian contemporary houses subjected to non-cyclonic windstorms to either reinforce the building envelope or increase the water resistance of building interior. A risk-based cost-benefit analysis is conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these adaptation measures that considers the effect of construction defects. It was found that the annual expected losses for houses in Brisbane with construction defects are considerably higher than those without considering construction defects, whereas the influence of construction defects is lower for the Melbourne houses. The cost-benefit analysis reveals that strengthening windows is cost-effective for Brisbane and Melbourne houses. Installing window shutters significantly reduces economic risks associated with extreme winds and is cost-effective for houses in Brisbane. Adaptation measures are generally not cost-effective for Melbourne houses due to lower extreme wind speed and associated rainfall.