Question on Ethics 1

[Lion06]

Sorry for the re-post, but this got kicked out of the structural engineering section. It got kicked out before I had a chance to read any of the responses.

I've been running a job in CA for several months now. I was involved in the design peripherally, but when the project engineer left the CA got dropped in my lap. It is an existing building renovation and addition, and there are a number of things that I have noticed that seem odd in the sense that I'm surprised that this is the way a project engineer of this person's caliber left this project.

I have been looking at these areas as I have a chance to and can generally rationalize my concerns away, but am still surprised at the approach. Should I be rigorously verifying all of these conditions that concern me or look odd(which I've been trying to do by either analysis or rationalization) or assume that the project engineer (with much more experience than I have, I would add) has it right and just go on my merry way?

It's been a real drain on my time and I'm not getting any relief on other projects. I just wanted to get some input on this.

 

[moon161]

I've seen Roger Boisjoly (the engineer who, under management pressure, released the final challenger launch) speak to a room of about 30. The man was a haunted individual.

 

[ash060]

speaking of moon161's comment, does it appear that professionals get pressured to move faster than they would like by managers that are not actually in that profession?

For example, engineer vs. manager; doctor vs. insurance company; soldier vs. politician

I am just wondering with issues like the BP spill, if engineers are forced to make decisions that they would normally wait to make until they had more information.

I myself have been in situations where I have almost no information, yet am supposed to extrapolate conclusions to a very fine edge. If I don't respond the company looks bad and the client will search for another engineer to get the answer they want.

Are we becoming less intrested in the public good and more intrested in client satisfaction?

 

[IRstuff]

That's a fundamental issue with engineering for the public that's probably been around for as long as anyone has ever attempted to build something.

I can sort of imagine some guy saying, "You can't put it here; the ground's too squishy and we haven't completed a proper foundation," and the project manager saying, "But the church wants its Tower of Pisa up, ASAP!" Note that the tower was already leaning by the time the third floor was erected, and subsequent floors are built on a tilt to compensate for that initial tilt.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[moon161]

"speaking of moon161's comment, does it appear that professionals get pressured to move faster than they would like by managers that are not actually in that profession?".
Pressure to launch the challenger was huge. Program goal was a flight every week or 2.

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/aeronaut...-systems-engineering-fall-2005/lecture-notes/

In engineering, time is literally money, often large amounts. An engineer is typically near the apex of a pyramid of committed (presently or in the future)material, cash and labor resources. A production leader was kind enough to invite me to the shop floor and break down the cost of downtime on his idle 10+/- person line (~$10/min, bldg overhead not included)for me before sending me off to solve his problem toute suite (drove around the corner to hose shop for fittings, sketched fixture for brazer, <30 min. The cost of capitol needs to be considered as well.