Sustainability, Society, and the Law as Applied to the Built Environment

Conference was sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Testing (NIST), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Abstract

American construction lawyers need help from American engineers and scientists. Lawyers who draft construction contracts and building code provisions need additional research assistance from the engineering and scientific communities to test and, where necessary, augment existing sustainability standards for the built environment. Sustainability standards developed for the built environment must bear a direct relationship to the actual value that sustainable design and construction of the built environment can provide to society and the economy. Such standards must be practical and measurable if they are to be legally enforceable. The legal consequences of attempted enforcement of ill-conceived standards to those who design, construct, and own elements of the built environment can be significant. Continuing, focused research and collaboration between the engineering and legal professions is needed to optimize application of sustainability theory to the design profession, construction industry, and general public.