ENGGEN403

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Annoucement: NO LEECHERS ALLOWED! Thou mustest contributest!

Emergency Listing of Exam Questions, Perhaps In Order That Many May Share Techniques and Facts for Answering

A

1. Sustainability is a concept that should be treated in the same way as the principles of liberty, equality and justice. Discuss.

  • The concept of sustainability is of paramount importance and should be treated in the same way, if not with a higher priority, as the principles of liberty, equality and justice. Maslow's hierarchy of needs ranks the needs of the world in increasing order of importance as emotional, safety and security, and physiological. Liberty, equality and justice fall under the umbrella of the former two, and I must agree that these are deemed fundamental to the survival of all humankind. Where these principles are absent, a society falls into a state of peril and life becomes intolerable as apparent in the African Arpatheid prior to 1991. Extrapolating from the portrayed importance of emotional needs, and drawing from Maslow's model, we can see by means of scale, the extent to which physiological needs play a role in our lives. Physiological needs refer to the most basic needs required to survive like eating, sleeping, drinking, breathing etc. These needs are only fulfilled by provision from the environment in which one resides in. If the environment is incapable of basic life support due to current rates of degradation as we see today, then physiological needs (and hence emotional) cannot even be met. The direct effect of such a predicament would be the inability for self-actualization to transpire, or even worse, an apocalyptic Armageddon of humankind and all animals. Sustainability, being defined as the nurturing of the environment to support our current needs without compromising the abilities of future generations to meet theirs, is the key to preserving our environment's capability to meet our physiological needs. A good example that illustrates the importance of sustainability is that of Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons". The metaphor illustrates how free access and unrestricted demand for a finite resource ultimately structurally dooms the resource through over-exploitation. This occurs because the benefits of exploitation accrue to individuals or groups, each of whom is motivated to maximize use of the resource to the point in which they become reliant on it, while the costs of the exploitation are distributed among all those to whom the resource is available. This in turn, causes demand for the resource to increase, which causes the problem to snowball to the point in which the resource is exhausted. Our world is just like the Commons that Hardin speaks of. If we do not apply principles of sustainability to all our activities, then we could ultimately face the "Tragedy" of no longer being able to meet ANY of the needs in Maslow's hierarchy.

Zlee003 20:59, 26 October 2007 (NZDT)

2. The public respond to perceived risk rather than objective risk. Discuss this with engineering examples.

  • Bruce Scheier, an information security expert wrote in his paper "The Psychology of Security" that people have trouble estimating risks for anything not like their normal situation. A good example that illustrates this phenomema is that of people with phobias of flying. While car crashes kill 40,000 in the USA each year and airplanes only kill hundreds, phobia of flying is not uncommon. Because the general public does not have the technical knowledge of engineers, they often make judgements of risk based on perception, rather than objective facts. Not having an engineering skillset also results in not being able to make proper inferences from given data and circumstances. A good engineering example is that of the sinking of the Titanic. It was falsely perceived that the ship was unsinkable. In Captain Smith's own words "I cannot imagine any condition that would cause a ship to founder. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that". It was revealed from post accident findings that the three million rivets that went into the building of the ship were of sub-standard iron. When the ship hit the iceberg, the head of the rivets broke, causing Sections of the ship to fall apart. This is the product of poor engineering which was perceived to be safe. Had the rivets been made of good quality iron, the ship might have stayed together even in the event of the iceberg collision. The objective risk was that the ship was not sail-worthy, but the perceived risk was that it was unsinkable. Another engineering example is the Transpower laying of powerlines between Whakamaru and Otahuhu. The public made their own conclusions about the dangers of Electro-magnetic fields coming from the pylons, which was one of the strong points for opposition of the project. The fact of the matter is that EMF's are not harmful to the human body. Another engineering example is that of the O-ring failures of the Challenger space shuttle. The perceived risk by the managers of the project was low despite warnings for the engineers. The managers adopted a "She'll be right" attitude which was the cause of the disaster.

Zlee003 21:36, 26 October 2007 (NZDT)

B

3. Explain why 'fitness for a purpose' is an obligation for any engineering project.

  • Fitness for purpose equates quality with the fulfilment of a specification or stated outcomes. An engineering project is typically the outcome of a binding contract. If the stated outcomes or specifications in the contract are not fulfiled, then the project can be deemed not to satisfy the contract, which could result in litigation. This is not the most important of the issues that could arise. Not complying to the purpose of the project usually means that the outcomes of the project are different from what was originally planned. This would mean that there could be unforseen effects that were unplanned for prior to the start of the project. The implications of this are that the project could have adverse social, cultural, environmental and economic effects. As engineering is ultimately about people, and because many more people could be affected by the unintended outcomes of the project, not complying to the "fitness for purpose" could result in a total engineering failure.

Zlee003 22:17, 26 October 2007 (NZDT) (Again I am ranting)

4. Environmental legislation reflects the underlying philosophy of our society. Discuss

C

5. A fundamental difference between a profession and a trade is a core code of ethics. Discuss with specific regard to engineering.

6. Trust and understanding are the best foundations for professional relationships. Discuss including reference to legal contracts.

D

7. Why should Maori always be consulted, this consultation usually just defers the start of a project?

  • Well, engineering is ultimately about people. It is in line with the Judeo-Christian ethos of "do unto others what you would have them do unto you". When carrying out a project, one should always consider the effects that it may inflict onto all groups of people. More often than not, these effects are not clearly understood, especially if the engineer is not a representative of a particular group of people. This applies to all cultures in New Zealand, including Maori. Why should Maori be consulted? Because they are the indegenous people of the land (Tangata Whenua). The needs of Maori can be different to the needs of Pakeha, especially where it comes to issues that touch on cultural ground. The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi have a large influence in New Zealand. An engineer should perform fiduciary duty and this should take the form of having the courtesy to consult hapu or iwi. "Partnership" - this is effected through commnication, re-inforcing the need for Maori to be consulted. "Active protection of Taonga" - as a project may impinge upon Taonga that we are not aware about, we must consult Maori for they are most clear on these issues. The next thing to add is that Maori are under-represented in Engineering. Therefore, it is highly likely that a project will run into Maori issues that the engineers themselves are not aware about. According to the 2002 Census, 1 in 7 NZ people are Maori. IPENZ has 2490 members in AKL of which 300-400 should be Maori but only 20-40 are Maori or PI. Consulting iwi is a sign of good faith which is essential (ok i'm getting repetitive).
  • (I AM SICK OF PD)

Zlee003 22:06, 26 October 2007 (NZDT)

8. Discuss whether the concerns of all effected parties must be satisfied before undertaking an engineering project in New Zealand.

  • First and foremost, the RMA's section 8 requires consultation with iwi. Some regional councils even have consultation protocols with local iwi. To not address the concerns of all effected parties would be a blatant disregard for the regional councils. Coming from a profitability (selfish) point of view, a company could run into serious liability problems if problems surface from the project after the completion of the project. If these problems had not been identified prior to the project, they could have serious implications. Consulting all effected parties before undertaking the project would allow all these issues to be sorted out. Conducting a social impacts assessment makes people better informed and the project better informed as well. Not addressing the concerns of all effected parties is a blatant infringement of the IPENZ code of ethics, of which one of the values is "Commitment to community well-being". Only by practising the code of ethics can engineers be considered professional whom the public trusts and hold in high regard (blah blah omg sigh i'm ranting, even non-grammatically)

Zlee003 22:06, 26 October 2007 (NZDT)

E

9. Is "Engineering Globalisation" and oxymoron or an opportunity?

Zlee003 22:23, 26 October 2007 (NZDT)

10. Is cultural diversity critical to the success of an engineering enterprise?

We Can Never Be Alone As Long As We Have zlee

no text

Emergency Summarizing of Lecture Notes

Lecture 1

  • Professional engineers work in an environment with
    • Complex relationships
    • Limited resources
    • Different priorities
    • Different beliefs and values
  • The negligence of mankind in general has led to the degradation of our environment. Examples:
    • Aberfan tip disaster
    • Melting of permafrost
    • Landslides at Glen Ogle
    • Railway slope failures of Culleden
    • Tsunami of 2004
    • Air pollution in Shanghai, China
  • Alternatives can have associated costs:
    • Wind farms require large areas
      • High maintenance
      • Unsteady supply
    • Hybrid cars
    • Reduce air travel
  • Engineering is the combination of societal need, analysis and scientific knowledge, and creativity, whereas design alone does not take societal need into account

Zlee003

  • Process
    • Engineering and Technology impacts Society and Environment
      • Society and Environment impacts Engineering and Technology
  • Context
    • Engineering solutions done within social and political environment and laws of a country
    • Society has
      • complex relationships
      • limited resources
      • different priorities and cultures, beliefs

eyeu003

Lecture 2

  • Science is no longer a pure form of knowledge as it is theory-laden and heavily integrated into global civil society.
  • Due to the concerns about the ramifications of science, many scientists have become engaged in global political issues.
  • Due to commercial interests, the principle of sharing of scientific information no longer exists.
  • Information may be protected from public release in order to maintain power or privacy.
    • This means that whistle blowers can potentially put themselves into a lot of trouble.
    • There can be conflicts of interests as these individuals may have commercial or other professional interests which can be affected by the decisions they participate in making.

Zlee003 17:45, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

  • Distinction between 'pure' and 'applied' science is blurred
    • some distinction made between 'thinking' and 'doing' science
  • Freedom of Scientific Information
    • results of scientific investigations freely shared
      • can be duplicated and checked
      • tested emperically without bias
    • can no longer be assured
      • commercial interests
      • IP
      • Maintaining power or privacy
  • Ethical problems
    • Pure Science
      • Any responsibility to see that primary aquisition of knowledge is universally restricted?
      • applied later, or further developed, in a manner inteded for potential harm
      • few scientists acknowledge any responsibility
      • indirect impact
    • Engineering
      • Hazard created by engineering activity always in need of mitigation
      • direct impact

eyeu003

Lecture 3

  • Ethics enforced by peers = self-regulation
  • Contextual knowledge of society
  • Tech knowledge, mgt skills, wide perspectives, leaders and communicators
  • Perspective of iwi and hapu
  • Engineering professionals are trusted
  • Needs a body to enforce discipline
    • Collegial regulation and setting of standards
  • Professional body provides professional development support

Zlee003 17:45, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 4

  • Law /= ethics. You can't tell people without morals to have morality
  • A professional is ethical
  • Ford Pinto case
    • Compensation costs were less than re-design costs so re-design was ditched
    • Disregard for human life
  • Brent Clode case
  • Profession and the practice of its members rests and relies upon a set of ethical values
  • Moral evaluation is dependent on the social role, not on the individual
  • Clients have limited abilities to assess the professional's expertise or diligence
  • Clients RELY on professionals
  • Clients are vulnerable
  • Professions require their members to avoid conflicts of interets

Zlee003 15:40, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 5

  • Argument = collection of statements intended to prove a point
  • Conclusion = statement that is being argued for
  • Premise = reason for believing in the conclusion
  • Standard form is where the conclusion is last
  • Don't write anything controversial
  • Conclusion should not be re-statement of the premise
  • Don't use faulty inference
  • Always give sufficient evidence

Zlee003 17:45, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

  • Forms:
    • [Premise] [Conclusion Indicator] [Conclusion]
      • Conclusion indicators:
        • therefore, so, we can conclude that, in sum, in conclusion, thus, hence, consequently, so it follows that...
    • [Conclusion] [Premise Indicator] [Premise]
      • Premise indicators:
        • since, because, for, given that...
  • Unstated assumptions - suppressed premises
    • must make it explicit
  • Complex arguments - series/parallel argumentation
    • premise of an argument is conclusion of another argument
  • Good argument
    • Material Test - premises plausible
      • Material failure -> false dilema, begging the question
    • Logical test - if premise true, all who accept premise ought to commit to conclusion
      • Logical failure -> insufficient evidence, irrelevant premises
    • Rhetorical test - clear, unambiguous

eyeu003

Lecture 6

  • Engineering is ultimately about people
  • Maori under-represented in Engineering
  • Treaty /= Law, just principles
  • RMA requires consultation with iwi
  • Engineers can truly contribute to improve the quality of the lives of the indegenous
    • Eg. Core house for Ngati Whatua

Zlee003 17:45, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

  • Who are indigenous?
    • Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historic connection
  • 2 Cultures in NZ
    • Maori & Pakeha (Political not descriptive)
    • “Pakeha New Zealanders who are committed to this land and its people are no less “indigenous�? than Maori�? - Michael King
  • Treaty of Waitangi 1840
    • Broad statement of principles
    • not Law, unless stated in the Acts (eg RMA)
  • The problem?
    • Engineering is important
    • Indigenous people are not aware of the importance of engineers
      • therefore do not see engineering as an answer
    • Engineers not able to appreciate qualitative potential of the engineering profession

eyeu003

Lecture 7

  • ToW often referred to by a large number of Acts as "the Principles of the Treaty".
    • However, no recognition in NZ law
    • It is just a treaty
  • Principles of the Treaty
    • Fiduciary Duty
    • Partnership (via communication)
    • Active protection of Taonga
    • Right of development

Zlee003 17:45, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 8

  • Thermal sterelization is the most common method used to treat food
    • However, thermal procesing kills essential minerals and Vitamins like Vitamin C
    • While we are killing bacteria, we are also killing vitamins!
  • Due to uneven heating, there always seems to be some concentration of bacteria left over
  • Even with thermal pouch heating, the heating is uneven
  • Therefore we need new methods of food processing

Zlee003 17:45, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 9

  • Ecosystems approach now adopted to environment
    • Requires integrated environmental management (IEM)
  • Requires integrated decision making process
      • Normative (principles) + Strategic (policies and planning) + Operational (execution)
  • There have been legislative reforms in NZ. Eg RMA
    • Systems approach
    • Involvement of Maori
    • Sustainability principles
      • Remediation of adverse effects, safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of the environment

Zlee003 20:40, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 10

  • Health records are sensitive information
  • Focus on ethics (There is an SE code of ethics)
  • SE - application of a systematic, disciplined, quantifiable approach to the development, operation, and maintenance of software
  • CS - Can I do it? SE - Should I do it?
  • What are the risks for a user in using a piece of software?
  • The ability to achieve something does not equate to a requirement to do so/
    • Ask the question - "Would you do that with a paper health record?"
  • Know when you don't know

Zlee003 20:41, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 11

  • No failure is acceptable in medicine
  • Tell the truth - lives at stake.
  • Medical failures can kill people
  • Acknowledge that it is not possible to discover every problem during testing, but when a prob is discovered, it should immediately be reported
  • Professionalism is the combination of ethics, morality, conduct and achievement
  • Should you help design products that will kill people?

Zlee003 20:41, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

  • ethical relativism
    • no principles universaly valid
    • all moral principles valid, relative to cultural tasts
    • brings tolerance of other cultures
    • confuses what ought to be done
  • divine command theory
    • moral standards depend on God (who is all knowing)
    • Ten commandments
    • standards from higher authority than humans
    • give reasons for why man should behave morally
    • gives worth to all equally
    • can be arbitrary depending on interpretation
  • utilitarianism ethics
    • maximize good (happiness, minimize bad (suffering)
    • promotes human wellbeing (and lessens suffering
    • one persons good, another's evil
  • Deontological ehtics (Kant)
    • Act according to rule that could become universal law
    • moral rules and duty
  • Virtue ethics
    • morals inherent
    • internalizes moral behavior
    • offers no guidance for resolving ethical dilemas

eyeu003

Lecture 12

  • Constrution is dangerous
  • Elements of safety for engineers
    • Safety in Design
    • Safety in Construction
    • Safety in operation
  • Risk management is a core skill of an engineer
  • Law is quite general - all practicable steps : What does this entail? So practice good judgement
  • Use safety equipment
  • Check equipment
  • Don't let complacency get in the way (Titanic captain)
  • Plans are nothing, planning is everything

Zlee003 20:43, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 13

  • Globalisationn drivers: market, science and tech, MNCs, Global economic organizations, transnational movements
  • Advantages
    • Prosperity and growth
    • Socially enabling and empowering
  • Disadvantages
    • Widening of gap between rich and poor
    • Transnational crimes
    • Negative impact on global commons
    • Can have uneven effects on states
  • Regionalization
    • Regional economic integration
    • Increasing informal social, political and economic linkages among states and peoples

Zlee003 20:44, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 14

  • Forensic Science is the application of scientific methods to determiniations within the justice system
  • Requries that experts are unbiased
  • Experts report to the court, not to their instructing party
  • Expert evidence may be in the form of scientific analysis of evidence or in the form of opinions based upon the results
  • Techniques and methodologies used by the expert have to be established and widely accepted in the community
  • Important to analyse the event relationships between evidence elements as an evidence element could have derived from several alternate events
  • The expert should not usurp the function of the Court by stating an opinion that purports to determine the ultimate issue
  • Bayes theorem takes into account probability of an event occuring given previous evidence and also the probability
  • Car crash analysis is multi-discipline
  • Continued professional development is required through regular review of the technical literature, membership of technical groups, attendance at conferences and formal study
  • Performance of such analysis and giving expert evidence is a serious responsibility because of its potential impact upon the lives of those involved in crashes and their families
  • Requires knowledge of the inherent limitations of the analysis methods used and the logic involved in order to progress correctly from the available evidence to the expert opinion expressed
  • Process involves - investigation, recording, interpretation, analysis and reporting

Zlee003 20:39, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 15

(by Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons)

  • Peak oil is close, yet demand is growing -> fuel poverty.
  • Climate change is accelerating, increasing evidence. More extreme weather in NZ and elsewhere
  • NZ emissions on the rise - very high per capita.
  • Need to reduce: air transport, frequency of tourist trips, high seas fishing
  • Learn about: wind assisted shipping, sharing oil without war, low energy farming
  • Carbon capture: Likely necessary, inadequate on its own, not useful in NZ
  • Renewables: more wind, more solar, design houses for solar-heating, use waste wood as fuel, develop wave, tidal
  • Save energy: Insulate homes, pay-per-power-use (no fixed charge), rebuild public transport networks, facilitate cycling and walking

--Aols010 17:45, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 16

Lecture 17

  • Alternative Fuels - alternative to oil, used for 150 years, cheap and energy rich
  • Oil has let us ignore the fact that population should match resources
  • We need to use fossil fuels to make the transition to renewable alternatives
  • Alternatives:
    • Better Efficiency
    • Coal: greater reserves, but still CO2
    • Uranium: <20 years reserves if used as a sole alternative
    • Solar - direct and indirect - includes wind, hydro, biomass: currently best alternative. Still problems with finding locations
    • Marine, Tidal: huge potential, years of development required
    • Geothermal: limited availability
    • Hydrogen? Not if its made using fossil fuels. Infrastructure costs will be huge
    • Other? Nanotech, fusion, something unexpected

--Aols010 17:44, 25 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 18

  • Human needs (in this order):
    • Physiologic Needs
    • Safety and Security
    • Belongingness and Affectio
    • Esteem and Self Respect
    • Self Actualisation
  • Fossil fuels gave us a 200 year reprieve from a Malthusian Catastrophe (where the population is too large for the resources).
  • We aren't meeting humanities needs. The "undone" engineering: 1.1 billion have no water access, also no healthcare, 2.4 billion have no sanitation, half of everyone lives on < $2/day, education/transport similarly absent
  • Fossil energy has lulled us into false sense of security. Now: Cheap oil -> constrained oil, climate -> change, economy -> collapse
  • Technology may help? Unable to predict beyond 10 years. Fusion power, fuel cells, hydrogen, ethanol from cellulose, nanotechnology?
  • It will cost us to become sustainable, but we must start
  • Decisionmakers need engineering advice to arrive at solutions. Need engineers at political level.
  • Economic growth based on consumption not quality of life is a foolish goal

--Aols010 16:29, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 19

  • 7kW Micro hydro power installed in Faseu, Papua New Guinea.
  • Funded by voluntary labour and overseas donors, serves the entire community.
  • Electricity (along with roads, water supply) a top priority for rural people.
  • Many other communities asking for advice on how to achieve a similar result.
  • Lack of infrastructure to help in PNG - no development agency until now. Recently PNGSDP and PGNSEL were formed.
  • Faseu has effective governance, social order, coherence, all Lutheran Christian, and has leader Johannicus Yang, a teacher, tech demonstrater and preacher.
  • Fawseu is now planning to build a gravity water supply.

--Aols010 16:04, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 20

  • RedR - Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief
  • Started after Oxfam recruited Engineer Peter Guthrie in 1979 to help in Malaysia.
  • Objective: To provide a resource of technically competent, experienced people to work for human aid agencies at disaster relief.
  • The Register: A list of people who have been trained by RedR.
  • RedR does not run projects, it receives requests from UNHCR, WFP, UNJLC, UNICEF, etc.
  • Training courses:
    • Essentials of Humanitarian Practice
    • Humanitarian Logistics
    • Personal Security & Communications
    • Needs Assessment
  • Recently deployed in: Aceh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Sudan, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea

--Aols010 13:36, 24 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 21

  • NZ houses have always leaked, hard to build non-leaky homes in NZ conditions.
  • 1920s villa had eaves, flashings, weatherboards, no insulation, cladding did not come down to ground.
  • Weathertightness involves:
    • Deflection - water kept from openings (eaves flashings)
    • Drainage - water falls out again (no insulation, cladding above ground)
    • Drying - ventilation (weatherboards have gaps)
    • Durability (first rimu used, then boron treated pinus radiata)
  • Changes: 1970s to 1990s: insulation introduced, building boom collapsed, tradespeople leave, no more apprentices, market changes to condos
  • New materials (untreated timber, stucco, EIFS, etc - hard to do well, best suited to overseas)
  • Systemic failure: involves designers/architects, developers, builders, roofers, plumbers, plasterers, certifiers
  • Two acts: WHRS 2002 and WHRS 2006 - first one too slow, second one more effective (allows class action, wider remedies, lending assistace)

--Aols010 16:39, 23 October 2007 (NZDT)

Lecture 22

Lecture 23

Lecture 24

  • NZ needs twice as many Eng. graduates to align with the OECD norm
  • Measurable shortage of Engineers in USA, UK, Europe causes loss in value generation.
  • Engineer graduates decline or stay static as other graduates increase, inspite of increasing demand.
  • China, India, Europe produce 600k 470k 100k engineers respectively.
  • Brazil Russia India China economies predicted to overtake US UK Japan Germany Italy France by 2040.
  • Future engineers need to cope with rapid tech development, globalisation.
  • Future engineers will need to be expert tech specialists, manage across boundries, provide creativity, innovation, leadership.

--Aols010 15:38, 23 October 2007 (NZDT)

Emergency Sharing of References

Telecommunications

References

Arguments

  • NZ government not doing enough
  • Below OECD standards
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