Introducing ethics for the structural engineers of the future

Abstract

This paper reviews how structural and civil engineers are trained to take ethical criteria into account when designing and building structures. Many professionals from the field of structural engineering have received no training on how to analyze their work from an ethical perspective. Many engineers are satisfied by just achieving the basic mission of the structure at a reasonable price. In this analysis, the authors propose several educational strategies to introduce Ethics in engineering courses. This will ensure that future professionals complement their technical training with a background in Ethics, which has traditionally been limited to humanistic studies. These strategies will expand their ethical knowledge and will promote the development of their critical thinking, which is essential to arrive at the optimal design of any structure.