Professional Ethics in Construction and Engineering

A comprehensive and incisive how-to guide that walks readers through the implementation of robust ethical standards in everyday construction management and decision-making

Recent and high-profile incidents—including the 2017 Grenfell Tower tragedy and the Lakanal House fire in 2009—have been attributed to failures in the building construction, design, and certification industries. Some commentators have suggested that, while professional construction organizations are bound by codes of ethics, such codes may be downplayed or sometimes even ignored in the day-to-day activities of construction professionals.

Professional Ethics in Construction and Engineering is a practical and industry-aligned guide on ethical practice in construction management. The book addresses how existing ethical standards should be applied in daily practice and offers case studies and examples to illustrate their effective implementation. The author also provides a toolkit that can be employed by frontline managers facing common ethical dilemmas.

Readers will find:

• Thorough discussions of how problematic and dangerous ethical situations arise and how they should be addressed
• In-depth explorations of conflicts between legal and moral expectations, as well as mismatches between clients’ business goals and the duties of contracting organizations
• Playbooks for how impactful decisions should be made and how to uphold ethical standards and values
• Comprehensive review of existing ethical standards and the legal requirements binding construction professionals found in organizations like RICS, RIBA, and the CIOB

A must-read document for construction management practitioners, Professional Ethics in Construction and Engineering will also be invaluable to construction clients, contractors, surveyors, and architects, as well as students of construction-related disciplines at undergraduate and postgraduate level.