Engineering Lessons from the 1987 Schoharie Creek Bridge Failure
The 1987 Schoharie Creek Bridge failure was not caused by material failure or structural overload. It resulted from foundation loss driven by hydraulic scour—a mechanism that was not fully appreciated at the time of design
The March Ethical Dilemma: Request for Specification
Would it be a conflict of interest and therefore unethical for Engineer Alice to prepare a set of specifications for an air compression system and then have her company manufacture the air compression system under the facts?
March 2026 Pop Quiz for Engineers
This St. Patrick’s Day, test your luck with this month's Pop Quiz for Engineers. Will you be the lucky engineer to top the charts?
The Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was not a failure, nor was it a disaster. It was an extraordinary engineering response to extraordinary circumstances. Built rapidly under wartime pressure, it achieved its strategic objective while revealing the limits of contemporary construction knowledge.
Engineering Lessons from the 1993 Milwaukee Drinking Water Contamination
The 1993 Milwaukee water contamination was not caused by a single design flaw or mechanical breakdown. It resulted from a combination of inadequate pathogen barriers, limited monitoring capability, and delayed operational response within a system that appeared compliant and functional by regulatory standards.
The February Ethical Dilemma: Changes in Compensation
Was it ethical for Engineer Walter to indicate to Client that Client should pay additional compensation for the preliminary investigation services Engineer Walter originally provided when Attorney Larry was Client's attorney?