Ed-Lamigo

It depends upon the jurisdiction. As an example, in Ohio, the designer and design firm are legally responsible for the consequences of a failure - it is part of the CRIMINAL law (yes, the responsible engineer CAN GO TO JAIL for ignoring Codes and Standards). There is no penalty in the criminal law for simply not complying with Codes and Standards but civil law makes the design firm responsible for the consequences of having the system rebuilt if it is judged to not be in compliance. NONE of these issues is a consequence of the Code or Standard - the Codes are just a documentation of good practice. BUT once the Code or Standard is made mandatory by it being included in the State or Province Building Code it has the force of law in that jurisdiction.

Codes of Professional Ethics are basically "gentlemen's agreements" - just remember that if there is no "gentleman" there can be no agreement.

Regards, John.