The American political stalemate today between individual freedom and social equity is occurring in the context of increasing inequality in the domestic economy. However, the American economy is directly linked to and affected by the global economy ever since America emerged as the leader of the free world after two World Wars. The global economy, today serves well the 300 million Americans, along with perhaps another 700 million people; it does not serve well the remaining 6 billion people on the planet. …

Structural Forum is intended to stimulate thoughtful dialogue and debate among structural engineers and other participants in the design and construction process. Any opinions expressed in Structural Forum are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NCSEA, CASE, SEI, C³Ink, or the STRUCTURE^® magazine Editorial Board.

“The civil engineering profession recognizes the reality of limited natural resources, the desire for sustainable practices (including life-cycle analysis and sustainable design techniques), and the need for social equity in the consumption of resources.” …