A Question of Ethics

Browse articles by code section

Delve into ASCE’s Code of Ethics by exploring articles focused on specific code sections. Enhance your understanding of ASCE's ethical standards and how they apply to real-world scenarios.

• Section 1: Society

  1.a. - first and foremost, protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public;

  1.b. - enhance the quality of life for humanity;

  1.c. - express professional opinions truthfully and only when founded on adequate knowledge and honest conviction;

  1.d. - have zero tolerance for bribery, fraud, and corruption in all forms, and report violations to the proper authorities;

  1.e. - endeavor to be of service in civic affairs;

  1.f. - treat all persons with respect, dignity, and fairness, and reject all forms of discrimination and harassment;

  1.g. - acknowledge the diverse historical, social, and cultural needs of the community, and incorporate these considerations in their work;

  1.h. - consider the capabilities, limitations, and implications of current and emerging technologies when part of their work; and

  1.i. - report misconduct to the appropriate authorities where necessary to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

   

• Section 2: Natural and built environment

  2.a. - adhere to the principles of sustainable development;

  2.b. - consider and balance societal, environmental, and economic impacts, along with opportunities for improvement, in their work;

  2.c. - mitigate adverse societal, environmental, and economic effects; and

  2.d. - use resources wisely while minimizing resource depletion.

   

• Section 3: Profession

  3.a. - uphold the honor, integrity, and dignity of the profession;

  3.b. - practice engineering in compliance with all legal requirements in the jurisdiction of practice;

  3.c. - represent their professional qualifications and experience truthfully;

  3.d. - reject practices of unfair competition;

  3.e. - promote mentorship and knowledge-sharing equitably with current and future engineers;

  3.f. - educate the public on the role of civil engineering in society; and

  3.g. - continue professional development to enhance their technical and non-technical competencies.

   

• Section 4: Clients and employers

  4.a. - act as faithful agents of their clients and employers with integrity and professionalism;

  4.b. - make clear to clients and employers any real, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest;

  4.c. - communicate in a timely manner to clients and employers any risks and limitations related to their work;

  4.d. - present clearly and promptly the consequences to clients and employers if their engineering judgment is overruled where health, safety, and welfare of the public may be endangered;

  4.e. - keep clients’ and employers’ identified proprietary information confidential;

  4.f. - perform services only in areas of their competence; and

  4.g. - approve, sign, or seal only work products that have been prepared or reviewed by them or under their responsible charge.

   

• Section 5: Peers

  5.a. - only take credit for professional work they have personally completed;

  5.b. - provide attribution for the work of others;

  5.c. - foster health and safety in the workplace;

  5.d. - promote and exhibit inclusive, equitable, and ethical behavior in all engagements with colleagues;

  5.e. - act with honesty and fairness on collaborative work efforts;

  5.f. - encourage and enable the education and development of other engineers and prospective members of the profession;

  5,g. - supervise equitably and respectfully;

  5.h. - comment only in a professional manner on the work, professional reputation, and personal character of other engineers; and

  5.i. - report violations of the Code of Ethics to the American Society of Civil Engineers.