Approved by the Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee on February 13, 2020
Approved by the Public Policy Committee on April 6, 2020
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 11, 2020
Policy
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports public and private efforts to promote and expand the development of technologies for high-performance buildings that provide environmental, economic, and societal well-being, and contribute to community resilience.
Issue
High-performance buildings have been defined as those that integrates and optimizes all major high-performance attributes on a life-cycle basis including energy conservation, environment, safety, security, durability, accessibility, benefit-cost ratios, productivity, sustainability, resiliency, functionality, and operational considerations.
From the materials produced to construct and maintain buildings and the energy used to operate them, buildings consume vast amounts of resources over their lifetimes. High-performance buildings, which address human, environmental, economic and total societal impact, are the result of the application of state-of-the-art design, construction, operation, maintenance, and reuse/decommissioning principles-a paradigm change for the built environment.
Rationale
Civil engineers are the stewards of infrastructure and have a leading role in planning, designing, constructing, operating and maintaining the built environment and understand the significant benefits of high-performance buildings to society. In their role, ASCE members contribute to sustainable outcomes and process principles through the design of high-performance buildings and facilities; use of materials that contribute to sustainability; appropriate adaptive use and/or reuse of facilities; and design for resilience that minimizes life-cycle costs and premature replacement.
This policy has worldwide application.
ASCE Policy Statement 528
First Approved in 2008