Ethical Issues in Forensic Engineering - a PDH Online Course for Engineers, Surveyors and Architects

Ethical Issues in Forensic Engineering

J. Paul Guyer, P.E., R.A., Fellow ASCE, Fellow AEI

Course Outline

INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS FORENSIC ENGINEERING?
FRAMING THE ETHICAL ISSUES
SYSTEMS OF LAW
LINEAR AND NON-LINEAR THINKERS
MATERIALISM
THE ETHICAL ISSUES
THE ROAD FORWARD

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 what forensic engineers do;
Learn how forensic engineering is an appendage of the legal system in the United States;
Learn about systems of law in the world and why the common law in the United States is fertile ground for forensic engineers;
Learn about the theories of psychology that can help in understanding the forensic engineering business; and
Learn what professional engineers can do to reduce the threat from unprincipled forensic engineering practitioners.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for engineers, architects and other building design and construction professionals who want to learn about forensic engineering, the ethical issues that it raises, and an approach to defending against threats it may pose.

Benefit for Attendee

This course examines the social, legal and human factors that underpin the forensic engineering business

Course Introduction

This course will introduce you to the business enterprise of forensic engineering, the ethical issues it poses, the legal system in the United States of which it is a part, the theories of human psychology which help to explain the behavior of its practitioners, and an approach to neutralizing those who use forensic engineering and the legal system for inappropriate self-gain.

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 in Forensic Engineering (PDF file, 23 pages, 0.26 MB)

Lecture Slides (PDF file, 11 pages, 0.61 MB)

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.

Because this course is offered as a "live" course, you are required to attend the webinar at the scheduled time and date. Please check the Webinar Schedule under course description on our website for currently scheduled meeting date and time. We will send you an invitation to the webinar through email approximately 24 hours before the webinar (confirmation of the receipt of the invitation is required). The certificate of completion will not be issued unless you attend the webinar and pass a quiz. Thank you for your cooperation.

Course Summary

Upon completion of this course you will have a framework and suggested approach to neutralizing threats posed by practitioners of forensic engineering. You will be prepared to discuss this with your professional colleagues and perhaps cooperate in addressing the ethical issues involved in forensic engineering.

Quiz

Before you attend the webinar, you need to print the quiz questions from your browser for your study during the webinar. At the end of the webinar, you need to complete the quiz and submit your answers 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.