Last week, ASCE held the first meeting of a new group, the Industry Leaders Council. This group consists of invited leaders in the civil engineering industry, representing public and private entities. Their purpose is to bring ASCE the best insights into what is happening in the profession.

Our goal is to make certain that we always keep the big picture on ASCE’s agenda. The elected leaders of ASCE do an amazing job of establishing strategies and policies that benefit our members and the society as a whole. The ILC allows us to add the perspectives of some of the most insightful employers and leaders to our priorities.

As we deal with the important issues of advocacy, infrastructure, education, sustainability, energy, etc., we will benefit from those who form as well as interpret public policy. The list of members is a Who’s Who of civil engineers. The ILC will give us more opportunities to serve as the stewards of infrastructure.

[Learn more about the Industry Leaders Council and the monthly series of podcast interviews it conducts with civil engineering leaders, Insights.]

In August, ASCE participated in a joint ceremony with Canadian and Spanish engineers recognizing the significance of the mapping of North America’s west coast by Captain George Vancouver in the 1790s. We designated the maps an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. You would have to see the rugged coast of the northwest U.S. and Canada to get a feel for the enormity of the task that was accomplished. The created maps were so accurate that they were used for decades afterward as settlement occurred. [Learn more about ASCE's landmark designation.]

As I listened to the explanation of the effort, I began to wonder what our contribution would be. What are we working on today that will be a turning point for society over the next 100 years? I firmly believe that infrastructure is the foundation for modern civilization. However, foundations must continue to change to reflect the ever-increasing demands of a growing society.

Let us agree that we should view our role as civil engineers with aspirations to make our communities better places. Who knows? Maybe someone will call your name at a ceremony in 2109.

Did you see the recent press release from the EPA? Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that the EPA is beginning the process of declaring carbon dioxide to be a pollutant. Do not miss the significance of this process. Making carbon dioxide a regulated substance will have a huge impact on civil engineers.  [Here's a story on the proposed action from the San Francisco Chronicle.]

Over time, everything that we design, construct, and operate will be placed under yet another set of rules and regulations. Everything that uses energy will be subject to new standards. None of us can predict how rapidly regulations would promulgate or how significant they would initially be to our daily practices. What we do know is that we have a large supply of attorneys, scientists, and politicians who have agendas that do not include engineering as a criterion.

ASCE and civil engineers have a large stake in making certain that the reality of engineering is injected in the hearings process. Please get as many engineering organizations, both public and private, involved in these important considerations.

We are in the height of hurricane season in the U.S. All you landlubbers that do not live on the coasts should keep reading. The U.S. coastline from Baltimore to Brownsville is at risk of a major hurricane strike every year. (I know they sometimes strike farther north, but that messes up my literary style.)

The strategy for dealing with these natural disasters is to pour billions of dollars in federal money into the area after the fact. Those billions of dollars come from everyone, not just coastal residents. Perhaps it is time to discuss whether there is a better way. People in south Louisiana are trying to recreate the great Mississippi delta marshlands as an additional layer of protection. Texas is now considering the Ike Dike as a possible means to protect the nation’s largest petrochemical complex and several million people. The cost to harden our infrastructure and provide protection will be astronomical. The cost of continuing along our current path of disaster recovery is already astronomical. Which one is correct? The answer will likely vary based on the local situation.

What does not vary is the need for civil engineers to participate in the discussion. Congress is considering additional funding for permanent protection of New Orleans. What frequency should we build? State legislatures are working to create disaster mitigation plans. What standards will they use? Coastal communities are often overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the problem. Civil engineers have a major role to play in all of these discussions.

•

I extend my hearty congratulations to Kathy Caldwell as the winner of the election for President-elect and to all of the winners of the other contests. Your service is sincerely appreciated. For a complete listing of election results, see the official 2010 election page.

ASCE recently released a document outlining Guiding Principles for the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure. This document grew out of an effort to understand why we have had some major infrastructure failures in the last few years. A group of recognized experts came together to discuss what we should do to prevent this type of failure in the future. Representing both public and private professionals, they created a set of guidelines that we can share with policymakers and practicing engineers.

The Guiding Principles address four primary topics in an effort to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. I trust that you can see the value of these guidelines.
  1. Quantify, communicate, and manage risk.
  2. Employ an integrated systems approach.
  3. Exercise sound leadership, management, and stewardship in decision-making processes.
  4. Adapt critical infrastructure in response to dynamic conditions and practice.

As civil engineers, we should recognize that all infrastructure is not created equal. Some facilities are more critical to our safety than others. We have a responsibility to include these guidelines in conversations related to funding and design standards going forward. Check the ASCE Web site for more details on this important initiative.

ASCE recently named Guayabo in Costa Rica an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. We had the privilege of traveling to Guayabo recently to participate in the impressive dedication ceremonies.

Located in the Costa Rican rain forest, Guayabo is not as well-known as some other pre-Columbian archeological sites such as Machu Picchu in Peru. For a community that thrived from 900-1200 A.D., the engineering prowess demonstrated there continues to impress today. Several engineering elements deserve highlighting. A wide roadway leads into the site. This roadway is made of multiple courses of rock pavement. The pavement still looks like we could walk on it today. Check your last plan set to see how many layers of paving you used. A water system was also constructed that gathered spring water into a central pool for use. The inlet to the pool is larger than the outlet. This technique allowed them to store water during low flow periods while releasing water during times of higher flow. Many of our water supply and drainage control reservoirs still use this concept. Amazingly, the system still functions freely. Will our projects still perform 1,000 years from now?
[Learn more about the ancient city of Guayabo.]

The people of Costa Rica are thrilled to have this designation from ASCE. The dedication ceremony included three cabinet ministers and the president of their legislature. The people turned out in force for the dedication because they appreciate the heritage of their country. Recognition of civil engineering achievement remains one of ASCE’s important roles. Let us work together to help our communities understand the value of infrastructure and civil engineering. Hopefully, we will not have to wait 1,000 years to appreciate what we do.

The ASCE Board met over the weekend. See, these dedicated members didn’t even miss work to attend the meeting! One of the highlights of our sessions was a presentation from our Sustainability Task Force. We will be publishing a more detailed description of their work, but I am excited to let you know of one major decision. ASCE is creating a certification process for civil works.

Most of you are familiar with the LEED certification program. They rate buildings on a number of criteria based on sustainable design and energy conservation. We believe that ASCE and civil engineers should be the ones who establish good practices related to civil works. Our Code of Ethics calls on each of us to engage in sustainable development. ASCE is issuing a definition of what sustainability means on civil works. We are promoting the use of new materials and techniques as we try to minimize impacts on the natural environment. Civil engineers have always been stewards of the environment. We went green long ago; we just did not take credit for it. Now we want to celebrate the ability of civil engineers to improve the world we live in. We want the public to have confidence that the infrastructure we build will improve their quality of life and the quality of the environment wherever possible.

Some of you may ask why this is so important. The answer is simple. If we fail to act, many other professions will be happy to do it for us and impose their ideas on our practice. We know better than others how to use our skills to benefit mankind by creating energy efficient and environmentally sensitive projects. Now, we will do just that. Civil engineers are the stewards of infrastructure. Certification of sustainable practice will go a long way in communicating that fact to the public.

ASCE continues to proclaim the need for improved infrastructure. Our 2009 Report Card gives national grades and impacts. An old cliché states that all politics is local. The same could be said for infrastructure. I think people in Texas have a hard time identifying with a collapsed bridge in Minneapolis. The same could likely be said for people in Utah understanding the tragedy that befell New Orleans.

As civil engineers, we need to bridge the “understanding gap.” What is the biggest infrastructure issue where you live? Do people endure flooding on a routine basis? Are you vulnerable to natural disasters? Is your water system held together with chewing gum and baling wire? Are your streets a collection of patches on patches? Does the wind bring a pungent reminder of the local WWTP? Do commuters leave earlier and earlier to accommodate an increase in traffic? Have you noticed more load-zoned bridges? Do you find industry moving out of town to newer areas? Did the CIP get reduced again? Has water rationing been imposed? Do you have building moratoriums? The likelihood is that your community, like almost every community, has major problems with some portion of infrastructure. Your neighbors may not know because the elected officials have no intention of telling them. Out of sight really is out of mind.

Civil engineers have a duty to inform both elected officials and the citizens of the condition of their infrastructure. People rely on infrastructure to provide basic needs and keep them safe. We have the most information and understanding of the true condition of those very systems. Stand up and be counted. Work with your ASCE Section or Branch to spread the word. We have a great opportunity to state our case.

Every person involved in civil engineering has heard the call to reduce our carbon footprint, become more sustainable, and think green. The real question is what that means. How will we know when we achieve ultimate “greenness”? In the building industry, a certification program, LEED AP, has been developed. A general acceptance of their definitions controls that industry. Many civil engineers have taken the time to become LEED certified when working on building projects.

How will we define a green civil engineering project? What makes a green road or a green water distribution system? ASCE is working on these questions right now. We believe that civil engineers should set the definitions on sustainability in our profession. Many of our committees are diligently working to create a new approach to material selection, design methodology, and construction techniques that reduce our carbon equation. We have appointed a Task Force to identify these ongoing activities and communicate some basic definitions to our members. The Task Force is also evaluating the benefits of ASCE developing a system of certifying projects and/or professionals in sustainable civil engineering. Engineers should define the path forward in these changing times.

Stay tuned because the information will be released by the time of the Annual Conference this fall in Kansas City.

Update: Tuesday, June 23, 10 a.m. ET

We have a high level of interest in my blog post of June 8. Please see an update from me this week on that entry. If you have a post on climate change, please make it on the June 8 entry. Thank you.

I recently had the privilege of accompanying U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson on a fact-finding visit to the Netherlands. We followed that visit by participating in the Triennial Conference among ASCE, Britain’s ICE, and Canada’s CSCE, which was held in Newfoundland. One of the most striking things to me from these events is the significant differences in perceptions of climate change found in the European countries and Canada versus the way we see it in the United States.

ASCE has recently updated its policies to reflect the need for civil engineers to lead the efforts at adapting our infrastructure to rising sea levels, changes in rainfall patterns, and other predicted impacts of the changing climate. No national consensus has been reached on the best way to prepare for this long-term phenomenon. The Dutch and British are already working under national guidance and changing their design codes to accommodate expected increases in sea level with its multiple impacts. The Canadians are working to develop specific guidelines for use in guarding the longest coastline of any nation in the world.

As civil engineers, we do not claim to be climate scientists. We do claim to be the stewards of the nation’s infrastructure. My conversations with our counterparts in these three countries make me pause. Are the civil engineers in the U.S. taking strong leadership in developing a strategy to deal with the impacts of climate change? Has ASCE done enough to raise the awareness of its members and to provide appropriate guidance for civil engineers to participate in local conversations about adapting our infrastructure design criteria?

Our climate is changing. Civil engineers will have to change with it. All of us need to pick up the pace.

[At the Triennial Conference, ASCE, ICE and CSCE agreed to a protocol on climate change action. Read the official document (PDF).]

Update: Thursday, June 11, 11:30 a.m. ET

Thank you for all of the comments to my post this week. Please read the many comments that have been offered. To continue the discussion, I offer a response to a number of those who posted comments. Read the statements that I made carefully. Nowhere do I state the cause of climate change. I agree that the climate is always changing, sometimes more rapidly than others. I also agree that we can do a better job of controlling our air emissions, and civil engineers are in a perfect position to lead that effort. My main point is that civil engineers do not have the luxury of watching the political debate on this issue. We are bound by ethics and professionalism to inject technical truth into the public conversation. We are equally bound to provide infrastructure that is sustainable and resilient. The climate is changing no matter the cause. We need to lead in the effort to adapt our infrastructure for the natural conditions that we will experience in the future.

Update: Tuesday, June 23, 10 a.m. ET

Thank you to everyone who has expressed an opinion on this topic. This topic is one that generates a lot of heat (not related to global warming). My challenge to ASCE remains. We may differ on whether or not we believe that greenhouse gases cause climate change. We may differ on whether or not we believe the climate is changing at all. What we cannot do is avoid the consequences of those outside of our profession who regulate us. Look at the current debate on health care. My guess is that the health insurance companies do not believe they are the cause of the perceived health care problems in the U.S. They could take a hard-line position that they did not cause the problem, so they will not participate in the debate. Their livelihood would be permanently changed if they chose that course. Watching the conversations in Washington, the insurance companies are deeply engaged in the conversation. You can make the same case for drug companies, hospital companies, and doctors.

Civil engineers are taking the same risk. We can take a hard-line position that climate change is a political conversation that is beneath our attention. We will watch as various energy and environmental bills are passed that have dramatic impacts on how we design and construct civil works. We must be engaged in the conversation. We owe the decision-makers our expertise on the impact of their policies on the economy and the quality of infrastructure that we have in the U.S. We owe the public a sustainable built environment.