2011.07.13 - ethics_a case study for structural engineers

Ethics: A Case Study for Structural

EngineersEngineers

By W. M. Kim Roddis

PhD, PE, F.ASCE

SE University, July 2011 www.LearnWithSEU.com

Ethical engineering decisions

� Don’t need a philosopher

� Engineering analysis and design skills directly applydirectly apply

� Professional procedures and practices should reinforce moral action

� Such corporate practice reduces risk exposure

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Some practical quandaries

� Distributed responsibility:

�design/fabrication/construction

� Taking action under uncertainty� Taking action under uncertainty

� Discovery of a design flaw:

� what to do?

� The required standard of care

3

Why use a case study?

� Need a documented case to inform nuances of ethical decision-making

� Exposure of a structural deficiency � Exposure of a structural deficiency provides learning opportunity

� Learning from failure requires

� Introspection

�Communication

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Ethics in/of Engineering

� In: actions of individual engineers

� Of: social fabric including individual

�Role of engineers in industry

Ethics of organizations�Ethics of organizations

�Ethical responsibilities of the profession

� A firm’s professional procedures and practices should reinforce, rather than place obstacles in the way of, moral action

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Are you a member?

� American Society of Civil Engineers

�Structural Engineering Institute

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ASCE Code of Ethics

The Society’s Code of Ethics was adopted on September 2, 1914 and was most recently amended on July 23, 2006. Pursuant to the Society’s Bylaws, it is the duty of every Society’s Bylaws, it is the duty of every Society member to report promptly to the Committee on Professional Conduct any observed violation of the Code of Ethics.

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ASCE Code of Ethics

� Fundamental Principles

� Fundamental Canons

� Guidelines to Practice Under the � Guidelines to Practice Under the Fundamental Canons of Ethics

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Fundamental Principles

� Engineers uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession by:engineering profession by:

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Fundamental Principles

1. using their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and the environment;

2. being honest and impartial and serving with 2. being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers and clients;

3. striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and

4. supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines.

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Fundamental Canons

1. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable developmentfootnote in the sustainable developmentfootnote in the performance of their professional duties.

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Sustainable Development

“Sustainable Development is the process of applying natural, human, and economic resources to enhance the safety, welfare, and quality of life for all of the society while maintaining the availability of the remaining natural resources.”

Triple bottom line

Planet

People

Profit

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Fundamental Canons

2. Engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence.

3. Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.only in an objective and truthful manner.

4. Engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid conflicts of interest.

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Fundamental Canons

5. Engineers shall build their professional reputation on the merit of their services and shall not compete unfairly with others.

6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to 6. Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the engineering profession and shall act with zero-tolerance for bribery, fraud, and corruption.

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Fundamental Canons

7. Engineers shall continue their professional development throughout their careers, and shall provide opportunities for the professional development of those professional development of those engineers under their supervision.

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Guidelines to Practice Under the Fundamental Canons of Ethics

http://www.asce.org/Leadership-and-Management/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics/

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Do you recognize?

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Do you recognize?

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The 59 Story Crisis

"The Fifty-Nine- Story Crisis,” May 29, 1995 The New Yorker

Joe Morgenstern

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Citicorp: Professional

� Citicorp Building NYC completed 1977

� William LeMessurier, NAE

� New Yorker Magazine, ASCE, AISC� New Yorker Magazine, ASCE, AISC

� Quartering winds susceptibility

� Teaching Engineering Ethics

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Citicorp: Personal� AY76-77 MIT Course in Building Design taught by William LeMessurier

� Friends, GTA, LeMessurier Consultants, Inc., Cambridge MAInc., Cambridge MA

� New Yorker Magazine subscription

� Caroline Whitbeck

� John Reed

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Citicorp Technical: Wind

The only continuous verticals are at the middle of each side. There are no of each side. There are no continuous verticals at the corners (every 8th floor corner column not load-bearing).

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Technical: Direct Wind

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Citicorp Tech: Direct Wind

� 8 story truss unit

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Citicorp Tech: Direct Wind

� Unfold� Unfold

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Direct Wind

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Quartering Wind

� Superposition

� (linear)

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Sequence of events 1

� 1977 Citicorp Building completed

� 1978 May welds to bolts (WJL)

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Welds to Bolts

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Some practical quandaries

� Distributed responsibility:

�design/fabrication/construction

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Sequence of events 2

� 1978 June student contacts LeMessurier Consultants, Inc., NYC re quartering wind (WJL)(WJL)

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Sequence of events 3

� 1978 July 24 LMI calcs direct wind only (WJL)

� ALSO bolted w/o AISC code column � ALSO bolted w/o AISC code column allowance (WJL)

� Calcs raise concern (WJL)

� Tuned Mass Damper

�Sway

�Strength32

Tuned Mass Damper Sway

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Tuned Mass Damper

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Some practical quandaries

� Taking action under uncertainty

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Sequence of events 3

� 1978 July 26 Davenport mtg re wind tests

� 1978 July 27 colleague and spouse

� 1978 July 28 retreat (calc,eval)� 1978 July 28 retreat (calc,eval)

� 1978 July 30 16 year storm

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Some practical quandaries

� Discovery of a design flaw:

� what to do?

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Sequence of events 4� 1978 July 31 (WJL) -> Stubbins

� / Stubbins -> Stubbins lawyer

� Stubbins lawyer -> LCI insurer

August 1, 1978 mtg w lawyers� August 1, 1978 mtg w lawyers

� Lawyers -> Leslie Robertson

� Disaster management

� August 2, Notify Citicorp

�John Reed

�Walter Wriston 38

Sequence of events 5

� Aug 2 Walter Wriston authorization fixes

� Emergency generators

� Aug 3 welding firm contractAug 3 welding firm contract

� Aug 4 contracts

�TMD

�Strain-gaging

� Weather experts

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Sequence of events 6

� Aug 7 repair dwgs to contractor

� Aug 8 press release

� Aug 8 mtg building & emergency officialsAug 8 mtg building & emergency officials

� Aug 9 newspaper strike began 6pm

� Repairs in progress

� Full peer review of structure

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Sequence of events 7

� Sept 1 Hurricane Ella

� Sept 13 weather watch ended

� Sept 13 Citicorp claims filedSept 13 Citicorp claims filed

� Oct repairs complete

� $2 million liability insurance

� no litigation

� no increase in rates

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Some practical quandaries

� The required standard of care

� “consideration of wind from non-perpendicular directions on ordinary perpendicular directions on ordinary rectangular buildings is generally not discussed in the literature or in the classroom.”

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Nuances: Diane Hartley

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Take-aways1. Engineering analysis and design skills directly apply to ethical problem solving.

2. Professional procedures and practices can be designed and implemented so that they reinforce, rather than place obstacles in the way reinforce, rather than place obstacles in the way of, moral action.

3. Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties. 44

References (and illustrations)� Joe Morgenstern, "The Fifty-Nine- Story Crisis," The

New Yorker, May 29, 1995, pp 45-53.

� "William LeMessurier-The Fifty- Nine-Story Crisis: A Lesson in Professional Behavior" Online Ethics Center for Engineering 6/23/2006 National Academy of for Engineering 6/23/2006 National Academy of Engineering Accessed: Wednesday, July 06, 2011 <www.onlineethics.org

� W. M. Kim Roddis, “Structural Failures and Engineering Ethics,” Journal of Structural Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Vol. 119, No. 5, May 1993, pp. 1539-1555.

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Additional illustrations

� http://www.salvadori.org/aoc/unit9.html, tuned mass damper.

� Civil Engineering magazine, October 1996, ASCE, page 43.43.

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LeMessurier Citicorp

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"You have a social obligation," LeMessurier reminds his students. "In return for getting a license and being regarded with respect, you're supposed to be self-sacrificing and look beyond the interests of yourself and your client to society as a whole. And the most wonderful part of my story is that when I did it nothing bad happened."

Ethics; A Case Study for Structural

EngineersEngineers

By W. M. Kim Roddis

PhD, PE, F.ASCE

SE University, July 2011 www.LearnWithSEU.com