The Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapsed in 1940 just four months after opening. What caused the collapse?

The steel cables were made from an inferior alloy that rusted rapidly An earthquake caused the foundations to shift Wind-induced resonance caused the bridge deck to oscillate until it tore itself apart The bridge was overloaded by heavy vehicles on its opening day

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster (1986) was caused by O-ring seals failing in cold weather. What lesson does this provide about engineering decision-making?

Rubber is never suitable for use in space vehicles Safety-critical components must be tested across the full range of operating conditions, including extremes Launch decisions should always be made by managers, not engineers Cold weather launches are always safe as long as the engine works

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster (1986) involved both a flawed reactor design and operator error. Which aspect of engineering ethics does this highlight?

Nuclear power plants should never be operated at night Operators alone are always responsible for disasters Engineers must design systems that fail safely, and must not hide known design deficiencies from operators Government ownership of power plants eliminates engineering responsibility

An engineer discovers that a bridge support column is cracking and could fail within months, but her employer tells her to say nothing until the next inspection cycle (18 months away). What should she do according to engineering ethics?

Follow her employer's instructions to avoid conflict Wait until the next inspection as instructed, since it is probably fine Report the defect to the relevant safety authority, even if it costs her the job Fix the crack herself without telling anyone

An engineering team can make a car door lighter by using thinner steel, which reduces fuel consumption. However, thinner steel absorbs less energy in a side-impact crash. This is an example of:

An engineering failure caused by poor material selection A trade-off between fuel efficiency (performance) and crash safety A constraint imposed by the government A brainstorming outcome that should be discarded immediately

Why do governments and engineering bodies publish safety codes and building standards?

To make engineering projects more expensive and slow to complete To protect engineering firms from competition To establish minimum acceptable performance levels that protect public safety regardless of commercial pressure To give governments more control over private companies

A new fertiliser plant design will increase food production but will discharge nitrogen compounds into a nearby river, potentially harming aquatic life. How should engineers approach this?

Proceed with the original design since food production is more important than river health Design a wastewater treatment system to reduce nitrogen discharge and consult environmental regulations Move the plant to a location with no nearby rivers Hire biologists to monitor the river, but make no changes to the design

Which of the following best describes the term 'optimisation' in engineering?

Choosing the cheapest possible materials for a design Making a product as fast as technically possible Finding the design that best balances all requirements and constraints, accepting necessary trade-offs Eliminating all prototyping steps to save time

After the Challenger disaster, investigators found that engineers had raised concerns about the O-rings before the launch but were overruled. What engineering ethics principle had been violated?

Engineers must always agree with management decisions Engineers must prioritise public safety above employer or client interests Engineers must only report concerns in writing Engineers must avoid working on high-risk projects

What does 'sustainable engineering' mean?

Using only renewable energy in engineering factories Designing solutions that meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs Building structures that last at least 100 years regardless of cost Using the fewest possible materials in every design

An engineer finds that a faster construction schedule would save the client $2 million, but it would require skipping some foundation soil tests. These tests detect sinkholes. What should the engineer recommend?

Skip the soil tests to keep the client happy and meet the deadline Conduct the soil tests despite the schedule delay, because skipping safety tests could endanger lives Let the client decide, since they are paying for the project Estimate the soil conditions from historical maps and proceed

Learning from engineering failures is valuable because:

It allows engineers to blame operators and avoid responsibility Failures are entertaining and attract media attention Failures reveal real-world failure modes that laboratory testing did not predict, improving future designs for everyone It helps insurance companies calculate premiums more accurately