Since
the 1970s the US has held a goal of adopting metric measurements as a
standard. Though metric use in the US is
reality in the sciences, aeronautical and automotive industries, and the
medical industry it has seen next to no adoption in the design and construction
industry. Even when adopted selectively
we have used soft metric (metric expression of imperial measurements). Excuses for lack of adoption abound but 10
current factors suggest the time to finish this job is here. The following reasons should drive our
industry to make the final leap now.
1
- Applied Science: Building science is
being factored in to the design of new and renovated buildings like never
before to meet sustainability, life cycle, and return-on-investment
requirements. Converting units of
measure between imperial and metric is a burden when creating drawings but an
especially risky adventure when writing specifications where heat transfer,
energy, chemical, and force properties are not nearly as straightforward as
25.4 millimeters to 1 inch. The
understood link between science and our buildings is growing dramatically each
year, magnifying the risks of miscommunication and performance compliance
failures.
2
- Familiarity: Using hard and soft
metric for work outside the US, where a considerable amount of our A/E services
and products have been directed the last 10 years, has exposed many in our
industry to the use of metric. The
learning curve to make the switch is no longer steep.
3
- Economy: The economic burden for
design firms, manufacturers, and constructors in maintaining two standards of
measurement or being cut from access to international work is immense. As we have sought stronger trade to restore
long term growth and resiliency, our reliance on imperial measurements has done
more to limit competition and exports than to protect US employment.
4
– Current Acceptance: The industries
already committed to metric arguably represent nearly 50-percent of our economy. Meaning US adoption has been significant
already particularly in research, manufacturing, and healthcare.
5
- Lean Principles: Lean approaches to
the delivery of renovated and new construction dictate the most direct path be
found in all aspects of project delivery.
Conversion of imperial to metric or vice versa add complexity, risk, and
cost that is unnecessary.
6
– Dominant Economy: The US economy is
projected to be second to that of China in only a few years. This new status will shine a harsh light on
any anticompetitive practices we cannot quickly undo. The final push to adopt metric in design and
construction needs to be in place before we are the second largest economy as
our ability to compete internationally will be central to even maintaining a
second place ranking. The burden of
making the final switch is best absorbed while our economy is still the largest
dog on the block.
7
– Reshoring: The return of previously
exported jobs to the US (reshoring) means manufacturing is expanding at a
tremendous rate in the US. However, the
industries being reshored are for the most part already committed to metric and
the reality is a sizeable portion of what will be manufactured here will be
destined for metric markets here and abroad.
8
– Encouraging STEM Careers: STEM fields
are the highest profile sector of the national reinvention of our education
system. The burden of maintaining dual
measurement systems in these fields is particularly challenging as most of the
STEM knowledge worldwide and in the US is in metric.
9
- Power of Technology: Most standards
and data are sourced on the web or through other electronic media, none of
which were available in the 1970s. The
ease of converting and disseminating reference material of all kinds completely
and quickly has never been easier than it is now.
10
– Risk: The risk of errors due squarely
to permitting dual measurement systems, particularly with regard to
performance, is high. The risk of
perpetuating risk has both actuarial and strategic economic impacts.
Hopefully,
these 10 points are gaining traction in the present when the wind is in our
sails and the US stands to make significant gains from the final critical steps
in full metric adoption. Acting later,
when market forces and loss of lead economic status will make final conversion
much more painful and regressive in the short term. As sports and economics are all about
trajectories, we understand what we do in the moment can have a dramatic effect
afterward. This is one of those
moments.