Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR Ohio Valley Regional Student ConferenceCivil Engineering 4-2-2009 Sustainability and Civil Engineering Jeremy D. Rodgers Western Kentucky University, jeremy.rodgers231wku.edu This Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ohio Valley Regional Student Conference by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR. For more information, please contact connie.fosterwku.edu. Recommended Citation Rodgers, Jeremy D., “Sustainability and Civil Engineering“ (2009).Ohio Valley Regional Student Conference.Paper 2. http:/digitalcommons.wku.edu/civ_engin_stu_res/2 2009 Ohio Valley Student Conference Paper Presentation Competition “Sustainability and Civil Engineering” Jeremy Rodgers Western Kentucky University Sustainability and Civil Engineering Jeremy Rodgers Western Kentucky University 1 Introduction In todays society the idea of sustainability is possibly more prevalent than at any other point and time. Across our everyday lives we encounter the practice of sustainability from renewable energy resources to curbside recycling programs. As our demand for products, infrastructure and lifestyle amenities grow, so should our awareness that we live in a fragile balance between meeting these needs and meeting these needs in a way that has minimal impact to the environment and does not jeopardize our own public health and safety. We as Civil Engineers and future Civil Engineers play a vital role in the Sustainable Development in meeting the needs of the public. We are those designing and building the infrastructures that support us as a society. A Civil Engineers utmost responsibility is sustainability. Sustainable Development When you decide to follow a certain career path and make the decision to become a professional in that field, whether it be medical, law or in this case a Professional Engineer, you have a code of ethics that you are bound to. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Code of Ethics was designed so that a standard could be put in place as to how engineers should practice professionally. This Code of Ethics lays out seven Fundamental Canons that an engineer shall always govern their actions by. The first of these Canons introduces us to the concept of Sustainable Development. “Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties.” (ASCE Code of Ethics, 1996) This concept of Sustainable Development could in many ways be considered the “Golden Rule” of engineering. If as engineers we follow this one Canon the other Canons immediately fall into place. Sustainability by definition is the method of using a resource in a way that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged. (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary). Traditionally the concept of sustainability has been applied to relating biological systems (the Earth) and human systems (society). Although, very complex when looking at the direct relationships of human needs and biological impacts, the concept is really one that is as old as time itself that has been taught through the concept of not over harvesting from the Bible. Sustainability and Civil Engineering Jeremy Rodgers Western Kentucky University 2 For this discussion the concept of sustainability will deal primarily with Sustainable Development as defined by the ASCE in 1996: “Sustainable Development is the challenge of meeting human needs for natural resources, industrial products, energy, food, transportation, shelter, and effective waste management while conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural resource base essential for future development.”(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 Engineer to design a new project this immediately incorporates a mutli-discipline process that may involve biologists, 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 clients 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 characteristics of the facility (i.e., soil characteristics, layout of facilities, sit