Sustainability Guidelines for the Structural Engineer

Book excerpt: The Sustainability Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineer s Structural Engineering Institute (ASCE SEI) prepared these guidelines to advance the understanding of sustainability in the structural community and to incorporate concepts of sustainability into structural engineering standards and practices. This book will educate and guide structural engineers as they meet the challenge to design and construct a sustainable built environment. The guidelines are organized into five sections: Sustainable Design and Construction, Sustainable Strategies, Building Materials, Infrastructure, and Case Studies. Although many of the subjects presented are related, each section and the related subsections have been written to stand alone, allowing this report to be used as a practical reference. This report was written for structural engineers, but related disciplines will also benefit from the contents. The book includes an important section on infrastructure because, many of the concepts and ideas presented in this guide relate to infrastructure, as well as design and construction.