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Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering (2014/02/09)
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ving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base essential for future develop-

ment.”(ASCE Code of Ethics, 1996)

Practice of Sustainable Development

As civil engineers we play a vital role in Sustainable Development. When a client approaches a Civil Engine-

er to design a new project this immediately incorporates a mutli-discipline process that may involve biolo-

gists, geologists, community interests groups, regulatory enforcement agencies and the business community.
All of these groups have an interest in the project and seeing that the project is completed in a way not to put

their interests at risk. It is the Civil Engineers responsibility to ethically combine all the disciplines interests

and produce a design that meets the client’s goals.

For an example of this in practice we can take a look at a new manufacturing facility being built. The area

that this new facility is being built was once used as cropland and will continue to have active cropland

around it once completed. There is also a major body of water close to the facility that is used for shipping

and recreation.

A civil engineer will be responsible to determine: if the land used will be adequate to support the characteris-

tics of the facility (i.e., soil characteristics, layout of facilities, site drainage, past land usage); if the transpor-

tation system to the new facility will be adequate; provide a design that will take into account the needs of

the aquatic habitat and flora and fauna; design a facility that will minimally impact residents that may sur-
round the facility; design a facility that meets EPA and OSHA requirements; and a design that is in conjunc-

tion with other businesses in the area.

In order to successfully combine these needs as an engineer one must have a knowledge and understanding
of multiple disciplines. The combination of this knowledge is projected out through the concept of Sustaina-

ble Development. As civil engineers ethically you cannot discount other disciplines and must always be awa-

re of how they may affect your work.

The concept of Sustainable Development is one that an engineer should never feel that they must violate in

order to ethically complete a project. For an engineer to violate the concept of Sustainable Development in a

project the size of a manufacturing facility, or any project they are jeopardizing the safety, health and well

being of the public and potentially damaging the environment. Knowingly doing this not only is unethical
but in severe cases may even be considered criminal. At no time should violation of sustainable development

be a solution to issues encountered in the practice of engineering.

An engineer that practices sustainable development should never feel that they are acting unethically. During

the design stages of the manufacturing facility if an engineer has taken all appropriate steps to gather the in-
formation needed from all involved parties to provide a client with a sound design, that engineer has acted

ethically. Sustainable development should always take into account what is best for society and best for the

environment in providing a client with a design that meets their goals.

The Future of Sustainable Development

Recent occurrences like the bridge collapse in Minneapolis, meeting a societies water needs in New York and

California, the ever growing demand for transportation infrastructure, a continuing increase in population
and concerns of Global Warming has made educating new engineers on the concept of sustainable develop-

ment never more important. Today’s civil engineering student is exposed to the need for sustainable develop-

ment from many directions.

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