Integrity: The Quebec Bridge Disaster

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Recommended: Following the code of ethics for engineers

Integrity is a characteristic that everyone can have, but only some choose to show. Integrity is doing what is morally and ethically right no matter the circumstance. It means that one is to be honest and able to uphold moral standards that are seen as right and just. Portraying integrity is a quality that will only propel one's life or career. People do not like to be lied to or done wrong in any situation. In the engineering field, engineers have an obligation to show integrity in their work and how they function with the public. An engineer has certain sets of ethics such as American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) ethics that make it a little clearer to keep them honest. Although these sets of morals and ethics are not always how a person …show more content…

It is these types of engineers that make it harder for the honest ones to keep people's faith in their work. The most notorious case of an engineer failing to be honest and upright is the case of the Quebec Bridge Disaster. This case study shows someone who is trying to do the right thing amidst his lacking experience, all the while showing a man who lacks the integrity to do what it right. The Bridge engineer Theodore Cooper made changes to the bridge design without going back and checking his previous calculations. This indicates that he was too arrogant to think that his work was incorrect and that he needed to make adjustments to protect the people that were working on the bridge and also the people that would be using the bridge. The man in the case study that proved to have integrity was a person that worked under Cooper that insisted that the design of the bridge was inadequate. Despite apparent deflections in the bridge Cooper still did nothing to resolve the issue. After the demise of the bridge, engineers made a point to remain honest and complete in their work. The Order of the Engineer Ceremony was born from this incident. Engineers who choice to take part in the ceremony wear rings on the little finger of their working hand as a sign of honesty and

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