Briefing: Are engineers being over-value-engineered? Available to Purchase

‘Disaster’ is a dramatic word, but its meaning is not lost on those examining or evaluating risk within the construction industry. The sector’s drive to drive down costs, yet deliver ever-better value for money, presents something of a paradox; all civil engineers are faced with having to achieve this. Contracting geotechnical engineers are being pushed ever further towards accepting more and more risks in order to secure a contract. This pressure is not solitary impacting, as it comes together with an increasing desire to achieve a work–life balance and stagnating salary levels, which collectively mean that many intermediate- to senior-level engineers are leaving the industry in rapidly increasing numbers. The consequences of this can be severe, and this means that the construction industry is heading close to a strategic tipping point beyond which there is no return. This briefing looks at these issues and their root causes and proposes what the industry can do to avoid disaster.