EDITORIAL

A CASE FOR A STANDARDS OF PRACTICE FOR
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puter-user education, software-vendor qualifications, vendor
COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
Introduction
No other time in history has witnessed such a rapid growth
of a technology as seen in the computer industry. This growth
and the changes it fosters create concerns among practitioners
and educators in the civil engineering community. Computer
use affects all facets of our profession from education to proj-
ect management, and yet we have little to say about how they
accountability, and engineering-management responsibilities.
Each of these topics is a candidate for standards development
or, at minimum, a subject for establishment of a standard of
practice.
We need to pull our ideas together in unified standards of
practice and eventually create standards for computer use.
Effective Computer Use
Over the years, the Society's long-range plans have called

should be used. The American Society of Civil Engineers

(ASCE), particularly its Technical Council on Computer
Practices (TCCP) and Committee on Standards of Practice
(COSP), should examine and discuss in a broad sense these
issues and concerns. We must establish a course of action
that allows us to more strongly influence the impact of com-
puter technology on civil engineering. This editorial discusses
a needs assessment that addresses these issues and will result
in positive steps for the Society.
ISSUES
Establishing standards of practice requires the cooperation
of educators, practitioners, vendors, and government officials
over extended periods, with ample time to consider imple-
mentation. This is not happening with our use of computer
technology. Members of the Society have expressed concern
about key issues that need to be resolved.
Standards for Computing in Civil Engineering
There are no standards for using a computer in our profes-
sion. The computer as a tool is so new that there has been
little time for technology use to evolve standard procedures.
A standard of practice is based on three assumptions:
1. That a large body of knowledge exists to influence and
govern the application of the technology
2. That there are experts who have been successful in tech-
nology application
3. That practicing professionals are in control of the tech-
nology application
There is a large body of knowledge and it is growing. TCCP
has published the Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering
since 1987. TCCP has sponsored specialty conferences an-
nually since 1986, and cosponsored conferences as far back
as 1977. Several other Society manuals, guides, and sympo-
sium proceedings have been published. Articles and papers
number in the thousands, and all are written by experts in
computer technology application.
What we do not have, as practicing civil engineers, is con-
trol of the development of the technology-we are at the
mercy of computer hardware vendors and software devel-
opers who are not practicing civil engineers. That is not to
say that we cannot influence or control the technology-we
can control these activities. However, we must cooperate in
a unified manner with a unified goal.
In 1989, TCCP took a first step. At that time, TCCP spon-
sored, authored, and approved publication of Guide for Eval-
uating Engineering Software (ASCE 1989). Despite the age
of this document, it is still valid. In fact, the information it
contains is timeless. During the course of development of this
guide, TCCP identified other areas that need continuing So-
cietywide discussion, to translate these thoughts into future
activities. These areas include software verification, com-
JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING / OCTOBER 1995/227
for development of "assistance to the profession in the in-
tegration, management, and cost-effective use of computer
technology." Society members obviously still find computer
activities confusing and difficult to understand, and rightfully
so. With changes coming with such rapid frequency, man-
agement is formidable. Selecting a computer system or com-
puter program is fraught with many real and potential prob-
lems: vendor reliability, vendor longevity, system reliability,
and cost-effectiveness.
Although it is management-oriented, effective computer
use requires professional judgment. Society members find
themselves in need of professional guidance that is not ad-
dressed by the Society's current activities. Members want to
know
• How to effectively use computers
• How to install, integrate, and support computers in our
organizations
• How to employ computer technology to improve the
transfer of information
• Who is responsible for computer-generated results
• How to QClQA computer-generated results
We need to develop and publish guidelines on how to use
computer technology effectively.
Too Few Computer Practitioners
Contributing to the overall problem is the lack of computer
professionals in the Society. Our profession has been slow in
recognizing the need for computer professionals with civil
engineering experience. Our education programs lack a def-
inite plan for providing these trained people. Employers of
civil engineers are equally responsible for not identifying their
skill needs.
Managers of civil engineers know too little about applying
computer technology. Too few practicing engineers know
enough to be able to make responsible decisions about ap-
plications. Younger engineers have the knowledge of the basic
computing tools but lack the engineering experience to make
proper judgments. AS" a result, our organizations grow de-
pendent on outside service providers and vendors. Worse, as
our systems and networks grow, the considerable capital in-
vestment we have in our hardware and software is inefficient
and poorly managed.
The Society must acknowledge the need for civil engi-
neering professionals in computing and establish experience
and education guidelines.
Computer Industry Lacks Accountability
The computer industry is concerned with selling computers
and computer programs and is not concerned with profes-
sional responsibility. We professionals are then forced to make

J. Comput. Civ. Eng., 1995, 9(4): 227-228

 the systems work and are left with no recourse should systems
fail.
The computer industry actively penetrates our businesses
and institutions with software and hardware "solutions" for
our problems. Seldom are there civil engineering profession-
als in positions of influence with these companies, and yet
we accept their "solutions" without regard for their origins.
We must investigate ways to encourage the computer industry
to cooperate with the Society to establish a forum for dis-
cussing these issues.
The Society needs to confront the computer industry by
establishing acceptable standards for equipment and soft-
ware.
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Significance of Computer-Generated Results
Computers are tools. There is nothing in computer tech-
nology that should require us to change the way we practice
our profession. Yet frequently we are asked to change the
method and manner of our engineering activities to satisfy
specific computer-related activities. These need to be ad-
dressed by strong policy statements and the establishment of
acceptable practices that enhance rather than confuse the
products of our practice.
Owners and clients often establish computer-system re-
quirements for professional work that dictates use of specific
vendors' computers, computer programs, and deliverables of
computer-generated results. These activities are disconcerting
for several reasons:
Practitioners are required to give up their professional
judgment and use owner/client specified computer systems
that perform calculating operations without adherence to ex-
isting standards of practice.
Inexperienced engineers may be chosen to perform work
they are not qualified to do, because of the availability of
owner/client specified software. Many owners and clients re-
quire unreasonable computer-media deliverables without re-
gard for usability, reliability, accuracy ,longevity, professional
ownership, or associated costs.
Computer-generated results and the media used to transmit
these results were never intended for either transmitting the
information or for archiving engineering data.
Owners and clients are seldom aware of the additional costs
and liabilities associated with computer-generated delivera-
bles after the delivery has been made.
Vendors are not accountable for their machines or their
software.
Owners and clients who specify the products of specific
computer vendors who are sole suppliers ignore the volatile
nature of the computer industry. They have little regard for
the reliability of the vendor or for the sustainability of the
vendor's business or for that matter the probability that the
technology will survive for more than a few years. And, add-
ing insult, sole-source products are far more expensive than
"open-systems" products.
In the absence of professional standards, computer-indus-
try vendors market sole-source solutions that are not devel-
oped by professionals, and as professionals we are required
to accept them without vendor accountability.
All these requirements could be construed as restraint of
trade.
As a Society, we should examine these practices and es-
tablish policies to guide our members when encountering these
activities.
Something-Must-Be-lDone Attitude
Recently, Society elements have been proposing Band-Aid-
like Society Policy Statements about computer usage in en-
228/ JOURNAL OF COMPUTING IN CIVIL ENGINEERING / OCTOBER 1995
J. Comput. Civ. Eng., 1995, 9(4): 227-228
gineering. These statements miss the mark. Despite their good
intentions, these Society elements are not independently in
a position to dictate reasonable Society policy on using com-
puters.
TCCP and the other Society elements need to cooperate
on these issues before something vague or erroneous is adopted
as Society policy and seemingly carved in stone.
THE FUTURE IS ABOUT TO CATCH UP TO US
There are emerging standards, particularly in Europe but
even here in the United States, that will forever change the
way construction projects are developed. These are the dec-
ade-old "Standard for the Exchange of Product Model Data"
(STEP) and the U.S. effort known as "Product Data Ex-
change Using STEP" (PDES). STEP/POES allows devel-
opment of data-information models of A/E/C projects that
have CADO drawings, specifications, design calculations,
product descriptions, and vendors qualifications as by-prod-
ucts of the overall product.
In other words, STEP/POES-developed civil engineering
projects will be all-computer-generated and all-electronically
delivered-no hard-copy drawings or specifications will change
hands. How will we as a Society address these new issues?
Although the long-term gain from these new approaches seems
quite clear, STEP/PDES will require a complete retooling of
the engineering process.
Already, the automotive, aerospace, and electronic indus-
tries are embracing this new model of product development.
Many architect-engineer-construction (A/E/C) design-build
firms are working on similar concepts. How long before more-
sophisticated owners/clients will require these methods?
STEP/PDES may have the biggest impact on our profession
since metal replaced stone as the primary building material.
The Society needs to be prepared. We cannot sit still and let
the computer industry establish our standards of practice for
using these new tools.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
For too long we have avoided the issue of standards of
practice for computer use. Computer-industry vendors and
owners/clients are dictating our activities. We now need to
take action. We must quickly make a needs assessment for
establishing these standards.
Such a needs assessment would include, but not be limited
to
1. Guidelines for the development of a standard of practice
manual or manuals
2. Identifying areas of interest for establishment of Society
standards
3. Identifying subjects and provide guidance for Society
Policy Statements
4. Suggesting areas of investigation for computer-related
curriculum for civil engineers
5. Proposing goals for future ASCE strategic plans
6. Identifying new methods for dissemination of infor-
mation
7. Suggesting topics for conferences, sessions. and journal
papers
It is never too late. We need to begin now and continue until
all the issues are addressed.
Charles S. Hodge, P.E., Member, ASCE
Chair, Executive Committee of the
Technical Council on Computer Practices, and
Dir. of Computer Services
Boyle Engrg. Corp.
1501 Quail St.
Newport Beach, CA 92660