CODE OF ETHICS a.

Civil Engineers shall recognize that the lives, safety,

health and welfare of the general public are dependent
Fundamental Principles
upon engineering judgments, decisions and practices
Civil engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor incorporated into structures, machines, products,
and dignity of the civil engineering profession by: processes and devices.
1. Using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement
of human welfare and the environment;
b. Civil Engineers shall approve or seal only those
design documents, reviewed or prepared by them, which
2. Being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity are determined to be safe for public health and welfare in
the public, their employers/employees and clients; conformity with accepted engineering standards.

3. Striving to increase the competence and prestige of c. Civil Engineers whose professional judgment is
the civil engineering profession; and overruled under circumstances where the safety, health
and welfare of the public are endangered, or the
principles of sustainable development ignored, shall
4. Supporting the professional and technical societies of inform their clients or employers of the possible
their disciplines. consequences.

Fundamental Canons d. Civil Engineers who have knowledge or reason to

believe that another person or firm may be in violation
1. Civil Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,
of any of the provisions of Canon 1 shall present such
health and welfare of the public and shall strive to
information to the proper authority in writing and shall
comply with the principles of sustainable development in
cooperate with the proper authority in furnishing such
the performance of their duties.
further information or assistance as may be required.

2. Civil Engineers shall perform services only in areas of

e. Civil Engineers should seek opportunities to be of
their competence
constructive service in civic affairs and work for the
advancement of the safety, health and well-being of their
3. Civil Engineers shall issue public statements only in communities, and the protection of the environment
an objective and truthful manner. through the practice of sustainable development.

4. Civil Engineers shall act in professional matters for f. Civil Engineers should be committed to improving the
each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and environment by adherence to the principles of
shall avoid conflicts of interest. sustainable development so as to enhance the quality of
life of the general public.

5. Civil Engineers shall build their professional

reputation on the merit of their services and shall not
compete unfairly with others. CANON 2. Civil Engineers shall perform services only
in areas of their competence.
a. Civil Engineers shall undertake to perform
6. Civil Engineers shall act in such a manner as to engineering assignments only when qualified by
uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of education or experience in the technical field of
the civil engineering profession. engineering involved.

7. Civil Engineers shall continue their professional b. Civil Engineers may accept an assignment requiring
development throughout their careers, and shall provide education or experience outside of their own fields of
opportunities for the professional development of those competence, provided their services are restricted to
civil engineers under their supervision. those phases of the project in which they are qualified.
All other phases of such project shall be performed by
qualified associates, consultants, or employees.

GUIDELINES TO PRACTICE UNDER THE

FUNDAMENTAL CANONS OF ETHICS c. Civil Engineers shall not affix their signatures or seals
to any civil engineering plan or document dealing with
subject matter in which they lack competence by virtue
CANON 1. Civil Engineers shall hold paramount the of education or experience or to any such plan or
safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to document not reviewed or prepared under their
comply with the principles of sustainable development in supervision and control.
the performance of their professional duties.

d. Civil Engineers shall not use The Specialty

Engineering Title such as Structural Engineer,
Transportation Engineer. Water Engineer, Geotechnical department shall not participate in consideration or
Engineer, Construction Engineer, etc. without the PICE actions with respect to services solicited or provided by
Specialist Accreditation them or their organization in private or public
engineering practice.

CANON 3. Civil Engineers shall issue public statements e. Civil Engineers shall advise their employers or clients
only in an objective and truthful manner. when, as a result of their studies, they believe a project
will not be successful.
a. Civil Engineers should endeavour to extend the public
knowledge of civil engineering and sustainable f. Civil Engineers shall not use confidential information
development and shall not participate in the coming to them in the course of their assignments as a
dissemination of untrue, unfair or exaggerated means of making personal profit if such action is adverse
statements regarding civil engineering to the interests of their clients, employers or the public.

b. Civil Engineers shall be objective and truthful in g. Civil Engineers shall not accept professional
professional reports, statements, or testimony. They shall employment outside of their regular work or interest
include all relevant and pertinent information in such without the knowledge of their employers.
reports, statements, or testimony.

C. Civil Engineers, when serving as expert witnesses, CANON 5. Civil Engineers shall build their professional
shall express civil engineering opinion only when it is reputation on the merit of their services and shall not
founded upon adequate knowledge of the facts, upon a compete unfairly with others.
background of technical competence, and upon honest
conviction.
a. Civil Engineers shall not give, solicit or receive either
directly or indirectly, any political contribution, gratuity
d. Civil Engineers shall issue no statements, criticisms, or unlawful consideration in order to secure work,
or arguments on civil engineering matters which are exclusive of securing salaried positions through
inspired or paid for by interested parties, unless they employment agencies.
indicate on whose behalf the statements are made.

b. Civil Engineers should negotiate contracts for

e. Civil Engineers shall be dignified and modest in professional services fairly and on the basis of
explaining their work and merit, and will avoid any act demonstrated competence and qualifications for the type
tending to promote their own interests at the expense of of professional service required.
the integrity, honor and dignity of the civil engineering
profession and/or related professions.
C. Civil Engineers may request; propose or accept
professional commissions on a contingent basis only
CANON 4. Civil Engineers shall act in professional under circumstances in which their professional
matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or judgments would not be compromised.
trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.

d. Civil Engineers shall not falsify or permit

a. Civil Engineers shall avoid all known or potential misrepresentation of their academic or professional
conflicts of interest with their employers or clients and qualifications or experience.
shall promptly inform their employers or clients of any
business association, interests, or circumstances which
could influence their judgment or the quality of their e. Civil Engineers shall give proper credit for
services. engineering work to those to whom credit is due, and
shall recognize the proprietary interests of others.
Whenever possible, they shall name the person or
b. Civil Engineers shall not accept compensation from persons who may be responsible for designs, inventions,
more than one party for services on the same project, or writings or other accomplishments.
for services pertaining to the same project, unless the
circumstances are fully disclosed to and agreed to, by all
interested projects. f. Civil Engineers may advertise professional services in
a way that does not contain misleading language or is in
C. Civil Engineers shall not solicit or accept gratuities any other manner derogatory to the dignity of the
directly or indirectly, from contractors, their agents, or profession. Examples of permissible advertising are as
other parties dealing with their clients or employers in follows:
connection work for which they are responsible. (1) Professional cards in recognized, dignified
publications and listings in rosters or directories
published by responsible organizations, provided
d. Civil Engineers in public services as members, that the cards or listings are consistent in size
advisors or employees of a governmental body or and content and are in a section of the
 publication regularly devoted to such development of those Civil Engineers under their
professional cards. supervision.

(2) Brochures which factually describe a. Civil Engineers should keep current in their specialty
experience facilities, personnel and capacity to fields by engaging in professional practice, participating
render service, providing they are not in continuing education courses, reading in the technical
misleading with respect to the engineers literature, and attending professional meetings and
participation in projects described. seminars.

(3) Display advertising in recognized dignified b. Civil Engineers should encourage their engineering
business and professional publications, employees to become registered at the earliest possible
providing it is factual and is not misleading with date.
respect to the engineer’s extent of participation
in projects described.
c. Civil Engineers should encourage engineering
employees to attend and present papers at professional
(4) A statement of the engineers' names or the and technical society meetings.
name of the firm and statement of the type of
service posted on projects for which they render
services. d. Civil Engineers shall uphold the principle of mutually
satisfying relationships between employers and
employees with respect to terms of employment
(5) Preparation or authorization of descriptive including professional grade descriptions, salary ranges,
articles for the lay or technical press, which are and fringe benefits.
factual and dignified. Such articles shall not
imply anything more than direct participation in
the project described.

(6) Permission by engineers for their names to

be used in commercial advertisements, such as
may be published by contractors, materials
suppliers, etc., only by means of a modest,
dignified notation acknowledging the engineers'
participation in the project described. Such
permission shall not include public endorsement
of proprietary products.

g. Civil Engineers shall not maliciously or falsely,

directly or indirectly, injure the professional reputation,
prospects, practice or employment of another engineer or
indiscriminately criticize another's work.

h. Civil Engineers shall not use equipment, supplies,

laboratory or office facilities of their employers to carry
on outside private practice without the consent of their
employers.

CANON 6. Civil Engineers shall act in such a manner as

to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity
of the civil engineering profession.

a. Civil Engineers shall not knowingly act in a manner

which will be derogatory to the honor, integrity, or
dignity of the civil engineering profession or knowingly
engage in business or professional practices of a
fraudulent, dishonest or unethical nature.

CANON 7. Civil Engineers shall continue their

professional development throughout their careers, and
shall provide opportunities for the professional