Advantages and disadvantages of E/C international standards

This paper provides a discussion on international standards, the ISO series of quality standards and the advantages and disadvantages of using the ISO 9000 standards for engineering and construction (E/C). The information presented was obtained from a study that investigated international standards and the ISO 9000 series of quality standards. The first part of this paper provides information on involvement in international standards development, the effects of international standards on competitiveness, and the advantages and disadvantages of using the ISO 9000 series of quality international standards. The second part contains the results of an extensive survey on international standards of members of the engineering and construction industry.