Approved by the Infrastructure and Research Policy Committee on February 6, 2026
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on March 20, 2026
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 21, 2026

Policy

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports the establishment and maintenance of incentives at the federal, state, and local levels to foster the use of innovative procurement, financing, project delivery/construction, reuse/decommissioning, technologies, sustainability practices, resiliency, and materials in publicly supported construction and infrastructure projects. ASCE also supports the development of guidelines and standards.

Issue

Many current policies may unintentionally limit innovation. Current policies emphasize the lowest initial cost, rely on prescriptive standards, restrict the use of new products and technologies, and limit collaboration between design and construction professionals. In addition, the absence of consistent incentives and performance-based standards across jurisdictions creates uncertainty for project sponsors and practitioners, further impeding innovation in publicly supported construction and infrastructure projects. 

Rationale

While the 2025 ASCE Report Card shows a slight improvement in America’s infrastructure with a C grade, the nation still faces a daunting financial reality. To bring all 18 major infrastructure categories to a state of good repair by 2033, an estimated $9.1 trillion in investment is required. Despite the funding boost provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), projected spending currently sits at only $5.4 trillion. This leaves a $3.7 trillion funding gap which is a significant increase from the $2.59 trillion shortfall identified in 2021. This widening deficit highlights a chronic underinvestment in maintenance and modernization. To bridge this divide, the industry must move beyond traditional spending and prioritize innovation and sustainability to maximize the efficiency of every dollar spent.

Innovative infrastructure policy should prioritize performance-based outcomes over rigid, prescriptive mandates by utilizing life-cycle cost analyses to ensure long-term value. By elevating innovation to a primary selection factor and expanding the use of alternative project delivery methods, agencies can move beyond traditional construction bottlenecks. Fostering an environment of progress requires rebalancing the risks and rewards. This can include reducing liability exposure for new technologies and granting developers commercial rights to the intellectual property they create during a project.

This policy has worldwide applications. ASCE Policy Statement 456
First Approved in 1997