Print this page Ethical Issues from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse
J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI
Course Outline
1. Introduction
2. History
3. Design
4. Oscillation Mitigation Efforts
5. The Collapse
6. The Investigation
7. The Ethical Issues
8. Lessons Learned
This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the student will learn:
- Learn about the history of the project and the economic, commercial and national security issues that shaped its development;
- Learn about the two different design approaches suggested by different engineering teams;
- Learn about the ominous oscillations observed both during and after construction;
- Learn about the previously unseen mode of oscillation observed on the day of its collapse;
- Learn from file photos, and a link to an on-site video, what observers at the scene saw at the time;
- Learn about the technical investigation that followed the collapse;
- Learn about the vortex-shedding/resonance theory;
- Learn about the aerodynamic flutter theory;
- Learn about the ethical lessons learned from collapse of he Tacoma Narrows bridge; and
- Learn about a tool employed by bridge engineers today to address the issues illuminated by the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse.
Intended Audience
This course is intended for engineers, architects and other design and construction professionals wanting to learn about the ethical issues that were raised by the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge, and the lessons engineers learned from this major engineering incident.
Benefit for Attendee
This course will give engineers and others an ethical framework within which to address many complex engineering projects that challenge the limits of engineering theoretical knowledge and experience.
Course Introduction
This is a discussion of issues in bridge engineering ethics, that has application in all engineering disciplines and fields of practice.
About Course Author
Paul Guyer is a registered mechanical engineer, civil engineer, fire protection engineer and architect with over 35 years experience in the design of buildings and related infrastructure. For an additional 9 years he was a senior-level advisor to the California Legislature on infrastructure and capital outlay issues. He has designed and supervised the design of hundreds of construction projects requiring the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications for federal, state and local public agencies and private companies. He is a graduate of Stanford University and has held numerous national, state and local positions with the American Society of Civil Engineers and National Society of Professional Engineers.
Course Content
The course content is contained in the following PDF file:
Ethical Issues from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse
Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.
Course Summary
This course will give engineers and others an insight into the lessons that can be learned from the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940.
Quiz
Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
