Name: Kaye D.

Alimento
BS Statistics 1, MW 4:00-5:30 PM

The Cost of Integrity

Dr. X, distinguished structural engineer, received a phone call from an engineering student at
a nearby college. The student expressed concerns that Dr. X’s famous skyscraper had a serious
technical design flaw. At first, Dr. X dismissed the student’s concerns outright but the
conversation gets him thinking. Over the weekend, Dr. X sifts through his data and realizes the
student is indeed correct –strong winds could cause famous landmark to fall to people and in the
process kill thousands of innocent people. Rectifying the problem would be no small task would
require notifying building’s owner, city officials, and the press might negatively impact Dr. X’s
professional reputation.

1. What is the action or inaction that is the cause for concern?

It all started with the phone call of the engineering student, if hadn’t expressed
his concerns to the structural engineer, then Dr. X would have not discovered his flaws
and realized that the student is indeed correct. Now, Dr. X is having second thoughts in
rectifying the problem since it would be no small task to rectify and his professional
reputation is even at stake. I’m sure, he had confusions on whether what actions he
should take. Should he save the lives of a thousand people or his professional
reputation? What should he consider?
In thinking thoroughly, the root of the problem and concern is the structural
design of the skyscraper itself which is Dr. X’s responsibility. As a structural engineer,
he should have made sure that everything is well and the design can withstand
environmental conditions. He should have not be careless enough and make a
miscalculation on the design simply because, it is no mere building but a skyscraper for
Christ’s sake!

2. Who or what may be affected?

One mistake can be a match that would light a huge fire and a huge fire has the
power and capability to cause damage and affect many people. In this case, there are
two that are affected; the engineer itself and the welfare of a thousand innocent people.
The engineer is affected in the sense that he is liable to his own creation since the
building is his project so it is his responsibility. If anything happens with the skyscraper
due to his lacking as the structural engineer, then he can be blamed. In addition, his
professional reputation as a distinguished structural engineer will also be. There is even
a possibility that his license will be at stake.
But the most affected if ever the building fall down are the casualties that it would
produce which are the lives of the thousand innocent people living beneath and within
the range of the building.
3. How will they be affected? (i.e, what are the possible consequences?)

If one commit a malpractice, then there is big price to pay. In this case, the
structural engineer, who committed a serious technical design flaw, might make his
license as an engineer be at stake. Aside from that, people would now doubt his efficiency
and credibility as a structural engineer given that he holds a professional reputation as a
distinguished structural engineer. An engineer committing a mistake is a huge loss, as it
can break trust among the people he works with. People will have second thoughts to
have him as a structural engineer because of his history and worst, they will always think
of the possibility that he would commit another mistake again to his every project.
In addition, if the skyscraper falls down, then a thousand lives of innocent people
will be endangered. Lives are irreplaceable and for sure, the deaths of those people will
bring sorrow to their relatives, and worst, they will cry for justice as they mourn. Some
will definitely blame Dr. X, some will demand for compensation and some will not forget.

4. Are there any laws, regulation written or unwritten that may apply?

Any person or individual has the freedom to speak in accordance to the Freedom
of Speech Act, which the engineering student applied. Usually, people are hesitant to
speak and express their opinions to people who are licensed professionals. So expressing
his concerns was quite brave on that part.
As per General Provisions Section 1.01.06: Maintenance Act of 6541. All
buildings or structures, both existing and new and all parts thereof shall be maintained
in a safe and sanitary condition. All devices of safeguard, which are required by this
code in a building or structure when constructed, altered or repaired, shall be
maintained on good working order.

5. What actions might be taken and what would the consequences of these actions be?

According to third of law of motion, it was stated that in every action, there is an
equal and opposite reaction. So accordingly, in this case, Dr. X should be responsible to
his actions. He should notify the people about the problem of the skyscraper, yes, by
doing so, it might ruin his professional reputation but in exchange, it will save the lives of
a thousand innocent people.
He needs to act immediately by thinking of possible countermeasures and seek for
other structural engineers’ opinion if the building is still repairable and can be fixed
before everything is too late and the damage has been done. In this way, minimizing the
casualties will be possible and attainable.
After everything is settled, Dr. X needs to apologize to the building’s owner, city
officials, citizens and other people that are involved. Through this, he can compensate to
his faults and wrongdoings, even by little.
6. Can anything be done to prevent this from reoccurring or to minimize the severity
of the consequences?

Being an engineer is not always an easy feat as engineers are the backbones of
every infrastructures out there. They are builders and therefore legible to their buildings.
Accidents and failures are always inevitable but the severity of the end result can be
possibly minimized with the help of some precautions and the proper measures to be
taken. In addition, every engineer should study their projects thoroughly and
meticulously, they can’t afford to miss a single detail and make a miscalculation as it can
create error and cause more damage in the long process. That is why engineers need to
make sure everything is according to how it is supposed to be. That the buildings they
make will have a strong foundation and no strong winds will easily make it fall.
Structural engineering is a specialty within the field of civil engineering that
designs the framework of buildings who are responsible for engineering design and
structural analysis. Basically, these frameworks is similar to the “bones” and “muscle”
that creates the form and shape of a man. These type of engineer needs to make sure they
can with stand stress and environmental conditions, remain safe, stable and secure
throughout their use, make sure that buildings don’t fall down and bridges don’t
collapse.
So every structural engineer should live to their names and be responsible
enough to minimize or if possible, to prevent such circumstances to happen.

7. RECOMMENDED COURSE OF ACTION

It takes a lot of courage to admit one’s mistakes and be a man of integrity that
would take full responsibility to his actions.
In this case, Dr. X should be responsible enough to accept his faults and notify
the people he needs to notify that his work, which is the famous skyscraper, had a serious
technical design flaw. Doing this particular action might be disadvantageous on his part
and might make his license as an engineer be at stake but he should know that if he will
just keep it a secret then karma will come and make him pay someday. How can he even
live and continue his life if his conscience is bugging and killing him from the inside for
the deaths of a thousand of innocent lives (that is, if he still have conscience and believes
in karma).
Also, he should sincerely apologize to all the people that was involved especially
the building’s owner that admit his faults. He needs to act immediately by thinking of
possible countermeasures and seek for other structural engineers’ opinion if the building
is still repairable and can be fixed before everything is too late and the damage has been
done. In this way, minimizing the casualties will be possible and attainable.
It is Dr. X’s duty to be responsible for his actions and be a man of integrity,
meaning, he needs to take full responsibility of his actions. His duty as a structural
engineer was to make sure that the structural design of the skyscraper can withstand
environmental conditions and will remain secure, safe and stable.
There are a lot of things he needs to make sure, check and follow. It is also his
duty to ensure the lives of the people, as they will be affected if the skyscraper falls down.
In short, he has no choice but to face his responsibilities. Yes, his professional reputation
will be damaged and people will surely doubt his credibility but, he should know and
weigh that his reputation does not compare to the lives of a thousand innocent people.
Therefore, no matter what consequence Dr. X will encounter in end, it will not
matter because he needs to perform his duties as a structural engineer. Based on Duty-
based ethics, duties come first and must be performed no matter what consequence it will
produce.
Note:
Ma’am, I am really wondering why the name of the structural engineer is Dr. X when he is not a
doctor, shouldn’t it be Engr. X? Just Saying. XOXO.