American Society of Civil Engineers
Encyclopedia
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is a professional body
founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering
profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering
society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward building a better quality of life. Its world headquarters is in Reston, Virginia
.
and formed the American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects. ASCE was the first national engineering society created in the United States. In 1869 the "and Architects" part was dropped from the name, after the architects formed their own society American Institute of Architects
in 1857.
As part of understanding the history of civil engineering and promoting the civil engineering profession, a survey of the historic accomplishments of civil engineers is continually conducted by ASCE members. Such reviews of civil engineering accomplishments have produced various lists of the notable categories and projects of the profession.
, standards, manuals of practice, committee reports and monographs under the ASCE Press imprint. A 200,000-entry civil engineering database is available at their website, along with many other resources for practicing civil engineers including a complete publications catalog and the ASCE Online Research Library, providing access to more than 600,000 pages of journal articles and proceedings. ASCE also publishes Civil Engineering, the award-winning official magazine of the Society; ASCE News; and Geo-Strata.
s focusing on the specialty field of civil engineering or topics related to it. ASCE hosted the 139th Annual Civil Engineering Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on October 29–31, 2009. Each year, the Society holds more than 310 live, face-to-face continuing education seminars and more than 250 live Web seminars on a wide variety of technical and management topics. In addition, the Society has hundreds of distance learning programs available, including on-demand, online courses and courses on CD and DVD. More than 55,000 engineers participated in ASCE's continuing education programs in the previous year. ASCE offers Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for conferences, seminars and workshops, and most distance learning programs to help professional engineers meet mandatory continuing professional competency requirements in their states.
s serve on numerous technical committees and provide other services that benefit the Society and the profession. The Society's Technical Activities Committee (TAC) has 12 Divisions and Councils, some of which are further divide into committees. The 12 Divisions and Councils include the following:
ASCE also has eight full-service institutes created to serve working professionals working within specialized fields of civil engineering:
ASCE is an ANSI accredited standards development organization that produces consensus standards under direction of the Codes and Standards Activities Committee. Civil Engineering Certification Inc. (CEC), affiliated with ASCE, has been established to support specialty certification academies for civil engineering specialties. The Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI) provides vision and guidance on ASCE activities related to critical infrastructure resilience, including planning, design, construction, O&M, and event mitigation, response and recovery. ASCE also serves as Secretariat for The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP), a public-private partnership focused on improving the nation's criti, affiliated with ASCE, provides a multi-discipline security rating system for buildings and a certified professional building security credential for individuals.
s of public agencies and projects, at their request. Peer reviews are "a means to improve the management and quality of [public agency] services and thus better protect the public health and safety with which they are entrusted." But in 2007, several complaints arose about its participation in the investigation of the failure of floodwalls and levees in New Orleans after Katrina. In response, ASCE announced the appointment of retired U.S. Rep Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., to lead an independent task force of outside experts to review how the professional organization participates in engineering studies of national significance. ASCE President David Mongan said the review is aimed at addressing criticisms of the organization's role in assisting the Army Corps of Engineers-sponsored investigation of Katrina failures. The results, released on September 12, 2008 recommended that the society should immediately take steps to remove the potential for conflict of interest in its participation in post-disaster engineering studies.
requested that ASCE create an expert review panel (ERP) to peer review the Corps-sponsored Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET), the body commissioned by the Corps to assess the performance of the hurricane protection system in metro New Orleans. Lawrence Roth P.E.,F.ASCE, Deputy Executive Director of the ASCE led the ERP development, served as the panel's Chief of Staff and facilitated the panel's interaction with IPET. The role of the ERP - composed of 14 specialists who possess a range of technical expertise - was to provide an independent technical review of the IPET's activities and findings. Roth stated at a National Research Council meeting in New Orleans, that "an independent review panel" such as the ERP "ensure[s] that the outcome is a robust, credible and defensible performance evaluation." All members of the ERP panel received Outstanding Civilian Service Medals from Lt. Gen Strock on February 12, 2007. The ERP's findings were released three months later on June 1, 2007 in a report entitled The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why.
Shortly after the release of the ERP's findings, ASCE administration was criticized by The Times-Picayune for an apparent attempt to minimize and understate the role of the Army Corps in the flooding. The Times-Picayune editorial called attention to a press release issued by ASCE which accompanied the ERP report that contained information not present in the report and information that conflicted with the report.
On November 5, 2007, New Orleans-based grassroots group Levees.Org released an online Public Service Announcement criticizing the ASCE's close relationship with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. On November 12, 2007 the ASCE asked Levees.Org to take the video off of the internet, threatening the organization with legal action. On November 13, the Times-Picayune reposted the controversial video on their website.
On November 14, 2007, following the controversial video affair, the ASCE confirmed the launch of an internal ethics probe of its staff and members based on complaints by University of California-Berkeley professor Dr. Raymond B. Seed, who served on a separate independent panel investigating levee failures. President David Mongan, in a letter to the Times Picayune, assured the citizens of metro New Orleans that ASCE takes "this matter very seriously and that appropriate actions are being taken."
On December 14, 2007, Levees.Org reposted the controversial video to the internet citing Louisiana's Anti-SLAPP statute which allows courts to weed out lawsuits designed to chill public participation on matters of public significance.
In March 2008, Levees.Org announced that records obtained in a request under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that as early October 2005, the US Army Corps of Engineers directed the ASCE and later paid the group more than $1.1 million for their peer review and for giving presentations which the non-profit claimed contained at least 10 falsehoods, 4 significant omissions and numerous misrepresentations. Members of the ASCE are forbidden from making false or exaggerated statements and also from making statements for an interested party unless this is disclosed.
s, who hold international conferences and technical sessions. About half the contributions to ASCE journals come from overseas authors, and half of publication sales are to engineers living abroad.
, ethics, employment of civil engineers, business practices, global principles for professional conduct, career development, community service, leadership and management. The Journal of Management in Engineering, Leadership and Management in Engineering Journal, Leader Education and Development (LEAD) program, annual community service event, online seminars, brochures, How to Work Effectively with Consulting Engineers (Manual of Practice No. 45), Guide to Hiring and Retaining Great Civil Engineers (Manual of Practice No. 103), Section/Branch Mentoring program and the Peer Review for Public Agencies program are some of the resources available to transfer knowledge to the profession and the public. ASCE is a link of the Order of the Engineer. ASCE also recognizes members through awards for their commitment to and accomplishments in public service, leadership and management, and ethics. ASCE supports the proactive inclusion of talented civil engineers from diverse backgrounds and values their unique contributions, skill sets and broad professional experiences. In 2000, ASCE commissioned the Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering (CDWCE) to provide the Society with leadership in matters of diversity within the civil engineering community. Diversity-related factors to be considered are identified, but not limited to, the Society's Public Policy 417, Achieving Diversity and Equity, which includes race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation and nationality. Under the leadership of the CDWCE, ASCE has developed a series of diversity awareness and outreach programs to better serve industry globalization and the Society's growing diversity, spearheaded strategic partnerships with diverse engineering organizations, and built and broadened a solid network among talented civil engineering professionals from diverse backgrounds.
to be the first professional degree
for the civil engineering profession. The current version, spelled out in the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century
, outlines an educational process that would effectively require a Bachelor's degree
plus an additional thirty credit hours of post-baccalaureate education for specialization.
ASCE was a founding member of the National Engineers Week coalition, and will serve as the lead society of Engineers Week 2010.
event to present the Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Awards. Four different awards are presented there: the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award, the Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research, and the Charles Pankow Award for Innovation.
The Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (OCEA) has been presented annually since 1960. It honors the project that best illustrates superior civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society. As a project award, it recognizes the team effort of all the engineers involved in completion of the project.
The Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented annually since 1999. It recognizes a lifetime of achievements and accomplishments to five different individual leaders. One award is present in each category of design, construction, government, education, and management.
, urban drainage, or sewerage. Special consideration is given to private practice engineering work that is recognized as a valuable contribution to the field of environmental engineering.
Professional body
A professional association is usually a nonprofit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest.The roles of these professional associations have been variously defined: "A group of people in a...
founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward building a better quality of life. Its world headquarters is in Reston, Virginia
Reston, Virginia
Reston is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The population was 58,404, at the 2010 Census and 56,407 at the 2000 census...
.
History
ASCE was founded in New York City on November 5, 1852 when twelve engineers met at the offices of the Croton AqueductCroton Aqueduct
The Croton Aqueduct or Old Croton Aqueduct was a large and complex water distribution system constructed for New York City between 1837 and 1842...
and formed the American Society of Civil Engineers and Architects. ASCE was the first national engineering society created in the United States. In 1869 the "and Architects" part was dropped from the name, after the architects formed their own society American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
in 1857.
As part of understanding the history of civil engineering and promoting the civil engineering profession, a survey of the historic accomplishments of civil engineers is continually conducted by ASCE members. Such reviews of civil engineering accomplishments have produced various lists of the notable categories and projects of the profession.
Monuments of the Millennium
The society canvassed its members in 1999 to identify the 10 civil engineering achievements that had the greatest positive impact on life in the 20th century. They chose to recognize broad categories of achievements rather than individual projects:- AirportAirportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
design and development, as exemplified by the Kansai International AirportKansai International Airportis an international airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, southwest of Ōsaka Station, located within three municipalities, including Izumisano , Sennan , and Tajiri , in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The airport is off the Honshu shore. The airport serves as an... - DamDamA dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
s, as exemplified by Hoover DamHoover DamHoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President... - The Interstate highway system
- Long-span bridgeBridgeA bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s, as exemplified by the Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate BridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to... - Rail transportRail transportRail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
ation, as exemplified by the Eurotunnel rail systemChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep... - Sanitary landfillLandfillA landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
s and solid wasteWaste managementWaste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
disposal - SkyscraperSkyscraperA skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s, as exemplified by the Empire State BuildingEmpire State BuildingThe Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived... - WastewaterWastewaterWastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
treatment, as exemplified by the Chicago wastewater systemMetropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater ChicagoThe Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago , originally known as the Sanitary District of Chicago is a special-purpose district, chartered to operate in northern Illinois since 1889... - Water supplyWater supplyWater supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
and distribution, as exemplified by the California State Water ProjectCalifornia State Water ProjectThe California State Water Project, commonly known as the SWP , is the world's largest publicly built and operated water and power development and conveyance system. The SWP was designed and is operated by the California Department of Water Resources...
, the subject of California Water WarsCalifornia Water WarsThe California Water Wars were a series of conflicts between the city of Los Angeles, farmers and ranchers in the Owens Valley of Eastern California, and environmentalists. As Los Angeles grew in the late 1800s, it started to outgrow its water supply. Fred Eaton, mayor of Los Angeles, realized that... - Water transportationShip transportShip transport is watercraft carrying people or goods . Sea transport has been the largest carrier of freight throughout recorded history. Although the importance of sea travel for passengers has decreased due to aviation, it is effective for short trips and pleasure cruises...
, as exemplified by the Panama CanalPanama CanalThe Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
Mission
ASCE is the preeminent organization representing the civil engineering profession. Its mission is to provide essential value to our members and partners, advance civil engineering, and serve the public good. ASCE facilitates the advancement of technology, encourages and provides the tools for lifelong learning, promotes professionalism and the profession and influences public policy, develops and supports civil engineer leaders, and advocates infrastructure and environmental stewardshipLeadership
The 2011-2012 President is Andrew W. Herrmann, P.E., SECB, F.ASCE , the President-elect is Gregory E. DiLoreto, P.E., P.L.S., F.ASCE and the Past President is Kathy J. Caldwell, P.E., M.ASCE. The Executive Director is Patrick J. Natale, P.E., F.ASCE, the Deputy Executive Director/General Counsel is Thomas W. Smith III,Esq., M.ASCE, CAE. The Society comprises a national board of direction; more than 400 local affiliates, which include 91 Sections, 156 Branches and 284 Younger Member Groups; 267 Student Chapters; and 11 International Student Groups.Publications
ASCE is the world's largest publisher of civil engineering information — producing more than 55,000 pages of technical content each year. The ASCE Publications Division produces 31 professional journals (available both in print and online editions), conference proceedingsProceedings
In academia, proceedings are the collection of academic papers that are published in the context of an academic conference. They are usually distributed as printed books either before the conference opens or after the conference has closed. Proceedings contain the contributions made by researchers...
, standards, manuals of practice, committee reports and monographs under the ASCE Press imprint. A 200,000-entry civil engineering database is available at their website, along with many other resources for practicing civil engineers including a complete publications catalog and the ASCE Online Research Library, providing access to more than 600,000 pages of journal articles and proceedings. ASCE also publishes Civil Engineering, the award-winning official magazine of the Society; ASCE News; and Geo-Strata.
Journals
ASCE's 31 peer-reviewed highly cited journals are the medium through which civil engineers exchange technical and professional knowledge. Information published in the journals forms an archival record of the technical advances of today's civil engineering profession. The complete volumes from 1990-2006 are available online.Books
ASCE publishes high quality, authoritative books that represent the best thinking in civil engineering research and practice. Prior to publication each title is peer-reviewed by groups of subject matter experts. The list includes more than 1,500 Standards, Manuals of Practice, Committee Reports, Proceedings, and ASCE Press titles.Magazines
Civil Engineering, ASCE's award-winning monthly magazine, contains articles about significant projects, events, and trends of interest to civil engineers. The mix of articles in each issue is designed to appeal to a broad range of readers, who represent the full spectrum of civil engineering disciplines. Other periodicals include ASCE News which reports on the activities of the Society and Geo-Strata, published on behalf of the Geo-Institute.Conferences and continuing education
Each year ASCE hosts over 15 annual and specialty conferenceAcademic conference
An academic conference or symposium is a conference for researchers to present and discuss their work. Together with academic or scientific journals, conferences provide an important channel for exchange of information between researchers.-Overview:Conferences are usually composed of various...
s focusing on the specialty field of civil engineering or topics related to it. ASCE hosted the 139th Annual Civil Engineering Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on October 29–31, 2009. Each year, the Society holds more than 310 live, face-to-face continuing education seminars and more than 250 live Web seminars on a wide variety of technical and management topics. In addition, the Society has hundreds of distance learning programs available, including on-demand, online courses and courses on CD and DVD. More than 55,000 engineers participated in ASCE's continuing education programs in the previous year. ASCE offers Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) for conferences, seminars and workshops, and most distance learning programs to help professional engineers meet mandatory continuing professional competency requirements in their states.
Educational activities
ASCE plans, organizes and conducts activities supporting the formal education process of civil engineers. Initiatives include the ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) Teaching Workshops that help develop college faculty into effective teachers and the Practitioner and Faculty Advisor Training Workshop that improves the leadership skills of student organization advisors. To provide middle and high school students with an opportunity to learn about civil engineering through realistic, hands-on design experience, ASCE is the primary sponsor of the annual West Point Bridge Design Contest.Engineering programs and institutes
More than 6,200 civil engineers and allied professionalProfessional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
s serve on numerous technical committees and provide other services that benefit the Society and the profession. The Society's Technical Activities Committee (TAC) has 12 Divisions and Councils, some of which are further divide into committees. The 12 Divisions and Councils include the following:
- Aerospace Division (ASD)
- Committee on MetricationMetricationMetrication refers to the introduction and use of the SI metric system, the international standard for physical measurements. This has involved a long process of independent and systematic conversions of countries from various local systems of weights and measures. Metrication began in France in...
(COM) - Committee on SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
(CS) - Council on Disaster ReductionCouncil on Disaster ReductionThe Council on Disaster Reduction, or CDR, is one of the 12 technical councils and divisions of the American Society of Civil Engineers .- Purpose :...
(CDR) - Energy Division (EYD)
- Geomatics Division (GMD)
- Pipeline Division (PLD)
- Technical Council on Cold Regions Engineering (TCCRE)
- Technical Council on Computers and IT (TCCIT)
- Technical Council on Forensic EngineeringForensic engineeringForensic engineering is the investigation of materials, products, structures or components that fail or do not operate or function as intended, causing personal injury or damage to property. The consequences of failure are dealt with by the law of product liability. The field also deals with...
(TCFE) - Lifeline and Earthquake EngineeringEarthquake engineeringEarthquake engineering is the scientific field concerned with protecting society, the natural and the man-made environment from earthquakes by limiting the seismic risk to socio-economically acceptable levels...
(TCLEE) - Technical Council on Wind EngineeringWind engineeringWind engineering analyzes effects of wind in the natural and the built environment and studies the possible damage, inconvenience or benefits which may result from wind. In the field of structural engineering it includes strong winds, which may cause discomfort, as well as extreme winds, such as in...
(TCWE)
ASCE also has eight full-service institutes created to serve working professionals working within specialized fields of civil engineering:
- the Architectural EngineeringArchitectural engineeringArchitectural engineering, also known as building engineering, is the application of engineering principles and technology to building design and construction...
Institute (AEI) - the Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI)
- the Construction Institute (CI)
- the Engineering Mechanics Institute (EMI)
- the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI)
- the Geo-Institute (G-I)
- the Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI)
- the Structural EngineeringStructural engineeringStructural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
Institute (SEI))
ASCE is an ANSI accredited standards development organization that produces consensus standards under direction of the Codes and Standards Activities Committee. Civil Engineering Certification Inc. (CEC), affiliated with ASCE, has been established to support specialty certification academies for civil engineering specialties. The Committee on Critical Infrastructure (CCI) provides vision and guidance on ASCE activities related to critical infrastructure resilience, including planning, design, construction, O&M, and event mitigation, response and recovery. ASCE also serves as Secretariat for The Infrastructure Security Partnership (TISP), a public-private partnership focused on improving the nation's criti, affiliated with ASCE, provides a multi-discipline security rating system for buildings and a certified professional building security credential for individuals.
Peer reviews
ASCE provides peer reviewPeer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
s of public agencies and projects, at their request. Peer reviews are "a means to improve the management and quality of [public agency] services and thus better protect the public health and safety with which they are entrusted." But in 2007, several complaints arose about its participation in the investigation of the failure of floodwalls and levees in New Orleans after Katrina. In response, ASCE announced the appointment of retired U.S. Rep Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., to lead an independent task force of outside experts to review how the professional organization participates in engineering studies of national significance. ASCE President David Mongan said the review is aimed at addressing criticisms of the organization's role in assisting the Army Corps of Engineers-sponsored investigation of Katrina failures. The results, released on September 12, 2008 recommended that the society should immediately take steps to remove the potential for conflict of interest in its participation in post-disaster engineering studies.
Controversy in New Orleans levee investigation
In October 2005, after the failures of the federally designed and built levees in Greater New Orleans, Lt Gen Carl Strock P.E.,M.ASCE, commander of the US Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
requested that ASCE create an expert review panel (ERP) to peer review the Corps-sponsored Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET), the body commissioned by the Corps to assess the performance of the hurricane protection system in metro New Orleans. Lawrence Roth P.E.,F.ASCE, Deputy Executive Director of the ASCE led the ERP development, served as the panel's Chief of Staff and facilitated the panel's interaction with IPET. The role of the ERP - composed of 14 specialists who possess a range of technical expertise - was to provide an independent technical review of the IPET's activities and findings. Roth stated at a National Research Council meeting in New Orleans, that "an independent review panel" such as the ERP "ensure[s] that the outcome is a robust, credible and defensible performance evaluation." All members of the ERP panel received Outstanding Civilian Service Medals from Lt. Gen Strock on February 12, 2007. The ERP's findings were released three months later on June 1, 2007 in a report entitled The New Orleans Hurricane Protection System: What Went Wrong and Why.
Shortly after the release of the ERP's findings, ASCE administration was criticized by The Times-Picayune for an apparent attempt to minimize and understate the role of the Army Corps in the flooding. The Times-Picayune editorial called attention to a press release issued by ASCE which accompanied the ERP report that contained information not present in the report and information that conflicted with the report.
On November 5, 2007, New Orleans-based grassroots group Levees.Org released an online Public Service Announcement criticizing the ASCE's close relationship with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. On November 12, 2007 the ASCE asked Levees.Org to take the video off of the internet, threatening the organization with legal action. On November 13, the Times-Picayune reposted the controversial video on their website.
On November 14, 2007, following the controversial video affair, the ASCE confirmed the launch of an internal ethics probe of its staff and members based on complaints by University of California-Berkeley professor Dr. Raymond B. Seed, who served on a separate independent panel investigating levee failures. President David Mongan, in a letter to the Times Picayune, assured the citizens of metro New Orleans that ASCE takes "this matter very seriously and that appropriate actions are being taken."
On December 14, 2007, Levees.Org reposted the controversial video to the internet citing Louisiana's Anti-SLAPP statute which allows courts to weed out lawsuits designed to chill public participation on matters of public significance.
In March 2008, Levees.Org announced that records obtained in a request under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that as early October 2005, the US Army Corps of Engineers directed the ASCE and later paid the group more than $1.1 million for their peer review and for giving presentations which the non-profit claimed contained at least 10 falsehoods, 4 significant omissions and numerous misrepresentations. Members of the ASCE are forbidden from making false or exaggerated statements and also from making statements for an interested party unless this is disclosed.
Government relations
ASCE encourages its affiliates to support state and local public and governmental affairs activities, especially through efforts by its grassroots Key Contact program. The Society's federal priority issues for the 110th Congress are clean water, drinking water and wastewater, math and science education, natural hazards mitigation and infrastructure security, Qualifications Based Selection for engineering services, smart growth/sustainable development and transportation infrastructure. The state priority issues are infrastructure issues, licensing, math and science education, procurement of professional services, smart growth, and transportation infrastructure.International activities
The wide variety of ASCE activities in the international arena support the Society's vision of positioning engineers as "global leaders building a better quality of life." ASCE works to share and grow the engineering body of knowledge among civil engineers worldwide and proactively informs engineers of the opportunities and challenges that global developments have on the practice of engineering. The Society serves approximately 14,000 international members, and provides networking opportunities through ASCE International Sections and Groups, an international program at the Annual Meeting, and other events. ASCE has Agreements of Cooperation with 72 engineering organizations in 59 countries, supports 12 International Sections and 19 International Groups, and participates in a variety of international engineering organizations. International activities span numerous ASCE program areas, including the Institutes and technical committeeCommittee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
s, who hold international conferences and technical sessions. About half the contributions to ASCE journals come from overseas authors, and half of publication sales are to engineers living abroad.
Professional and diversity activities
ASCE addresses a wide variety of issues affecting the professional practice of civil engineering including licensureLicensure
Licensure refers to the granting of a license, which gives a "permission to practice." Such licenses are usually issued in order to regulate some activity that is deemed to be dangerous or a threat to the person or the public or which involves a high level of specialized skill...
, ethics, employment of civil engineers, business practices, global principles for professional conduct, career development, community service, leadership and management. The Journal of Management in Engineering, Leadership and Management in Engineering Journal, Leader Education and Development (LEAD) program, annual community service event, online seminars, brochures, How to Work Effectively with Consulting Engineers (Manual of Practice No. 45), Guide to Hiring and Retaining Great Civil Engineers (Manual of Practice No. 103), Section/Branch Mentoring program and the Peer Review for Public Agencies program are some of the resources available to transfer knowledge to the profession and the public. ASCE is a link of the Order of the Engineer. ASCE also recognizes members through awards for their commitment to and accomplishments in public service, leadership and management, and ethics. ASCE supports the proactive inclusion of talented civil engineers from diverse backgrounds and values their unique contributions, skill sets and broad professional experiences. In 2000, ASCE commissioned the Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering (CDWCE) to provide the Society with leadership in matters of diversity within the civil engineering community. Diversity-related factors to be considered are identified, but not limited to, the Society's Public Policy 417, Achieving Diversity and Equity, which includes race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation and nationality. Under the leadership of the CDWCE, ASCE has developed a series of diversity awareness and outreach programs to better serve industry globalization and the Society's growing diversity, spearheaded strategic partnerships with diverse engineering organizations, and built and broadened a solid network among talented civil engineering professionals from diverse backgrounds.
Civil engineering body of knowledge
In 1998, the ASCE board passed Policy Statement 465 to initiate changes in the education and licensure process for civil engineers. The first version called for the Master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
to be the first professional degree
First professional degree
A professional degree prepares the holder for a particular profession by emphasizing competency skills along with theory and analysis. These professions are typically licensed or otherwise regulated by a governmental or government-approved body...
for the civil engineering profession. The current version, spelled out in the Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st Century
Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge
The Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge is currently set forth in a proposal by the American Society of Civil Engineers entitled Civil Engineering Body of Knowledge for the 21st century...
, outlines an educational process that would effectively require a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
plus an additional thirty credit hours of post-baccalaureate education for specialization.
Public relations
Through programs such as the Report Card for America's Infrastructure and national sponsorship of PBS series, such as Design Squad and Great Projects: The Building of America, ASCE enhances the image of civil engineers and builds public support for better investment in America's infrastructure. ASCE is engaging the next generation of civil engineers by showcasing young engineering talent through New Faces in Engineering and by conducting public outreach activities such as Family Festivals. Stories featuring ASCE and civil engineers as experts have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post, Business Week, the Los Angeles Times, Engineering News-Record, and on National Public Radio, the Today Show and the CBS Evening News.ASCE was a founding member of the National Engineers Week coalition, and will serve as the lead society of Engineers Week 2010.
Finances
ASCE is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with assets of more than $65 million and net assets of more than $42 million. It earns its revenue from member dues, sale of publications, continuing education courses, conferences, royalties, contributions and investments. The fiscal 2010 consolidated budget for ASCE and its affiliates totals $54 million.ASCE Foundation
Established in 1994, the ASCE Foundation's mission is to generate resources for the civil engineering profession. In its 13-year history, the Foundation has raised more than $23 million for ASCE and its affiliates. The Foundation's active fundraising programs include: annual appeal, sponsorships, major gifts, capital campaigns and planned giving. In addition, the Foundation owns and operates the property in Reston, Va. which houses ASCE's World Headquarters. As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, all gifts to the Foundation are used to support civil engineering and are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation
Established in January 2006, the Civil Engineering Forum for Innovation (CEFI) engages senior leaders from industry, academia and government in strategic actions for the civil engineering profession and works to advance ASCE's mission. CEFI's mission is to strengthen engineering and construction industry productivity, performance and quality by promoting the rapid application of project innovation, collaboration and advances in technology.ASCE designations
ASCE designates national and international Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks.World Wonders
Similarly, in an effort to recognize a contemporary equivalent to the heralded ancient Seven Wonders of the World, the ASCE has designated the following Seven Wonders of the Modern World:- The Empire State BuildingEmpire State BuildingThe Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
(New York, USA) - The Itaipu Dam (Brazil and Paraguay)
- The CN TowerCN TowerThe CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower at the time. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj...
(Toronto, Ontario, Canada) - The Panama CanalPanama CanalThe Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
(Panama) - The Channel TunnelChannel TunnelThe Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
(France and United Kingdom (England)) - The North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
protection works, including the Zuiderzee WorksZuiderzee WorksThe Zuiderzee Works are a manmade system of dams, land reclamation and water drainage works, the largest hydraulic engineering project undertaken by the Netherlands during the twentieth century. The project involved the damming of the Zuiderzee, a large, shallow inlet of the North Sea, and the...
and Delta WorksDelta WorksThe Delta Works is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta from the sea. The works consist of dams, sluices, locks, dikes, levees, and storm surge barriers...
(The Netherlands) - The Golden Gate BridgeGolden Gate BridgeThe Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
(San Francisco, California, USA)
Awards
ASCE sponsors numerous awards for outstanding work in various areas of civil engineering, some of which are based on papers submitted to its many journals.Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Awards
ASCE holds an annual black-tieBlack tie
Black tie is a dress code for evening events and social functions. For a man, the main component is a usually black jacket, known as a dinner jacket or tuxedo...
event to present the Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) Awards. Four different awards are presented there: the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award, the Lifetime Achievement Awards, the Henry L. Michel Award for Industry Advancement of Research, and the Charles Pankow Award for Innovation.
The Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award (OCEA) has been presented annually since 1960. It honors the project that best illustrates superior civil engineering skills and represents a significant contribution to civil engineering progress and society. As a project award, it recognizes the team effort of all the engineers involved in completion of the project.
The Lifetime Achievement Award has been presented annually since 1999. It recognizes a lifetime of achievements and accomplishments to five different individual leaders. One award is present in each category of design, construction, government, education, and management.
Wesley W. Horner Award
Initially created in 1968 by ASCE's Sanitary Engineering Division, the award is named after former ASCE President Wesley W. Horner. The award is given to a recently peer reviewed published paper in the fields of hydrologyHydrology
Hydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
, urban drainage, or sewerage. Special consideration is given to private practice engineering work that is recognized as a valuable contribution to the field of environmental engineering.
Competitions
ASCE also sponsors competitions for student chapters. Each regional conference determines the events. Two major national competitions include:- Concrete CanoeConcrete canoeA concrete canoe is a canoe made of concrete, typically created for an engineering competition.In spirit, the event is similar to that of a cardboard boat race—make the seemingly unfloatable float...
- Steel Bridge (steel bridge competitionSteel bridge competitionThe ASCE/AISC steel bridge competition is a student contest that tests the knowledge and practicality of teams of university students from American Society of Civil Engineers Student Chapters in the field of structural engineering...
)(Co-sponsored with American Institute of Steel ConstructionAmerican Institute of Steel ConstructionThe American Institute of Steel Construction, often abbreviated AISC, is a not-for-profit technical institute and trade association for the use of structural steel in the construction industry of the United States. It is headquartered in Chicago, IL. Their mission is to make structural steel the...
)
External links
- ASCE (Official Website)
- Levees.Org Grassroots organization critical of the ASCE's investigation into the New Orleans area levee failures.
- YouTube video Satire spoofing cozy relationship between ASCE and Army Corps of Engineers
- Video about ASCE selected Seven Wonders of the Modern World. A virtual satellite tour made with Google Earth (02:38)
- Report Card Official Web Page 2009 Report Card for America's Infrastructure.