Engineering Ethics and the Big Dig Collapse: A Case Study

This report analyses the significance and principles of engineering ethics in modern engineering projects, using the Big Dig collapse as a case study. It explores the role of engineers in project development and management, and the ethical considerations involved in cost estimation and stakeholder management.

03 October 2018
Ethics Case Study

Abstract
The work is aimed at describing the significance and the principles of engineering ethics in
the modern engineering projects of the 21st century. The case study of the “Big Dig” collapse
has been analysed from the point of view of the engineering failure and the role of ethics in
the same. The report concludes with the role of the engineers in various stages of the
development and management of the projects.

Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Background................................................................................................................................3
Initial Planning and Work..........................................................................................................4
Design of the project..................................................................................................................4
Further Overruns........................................................................................................................5
Inferences for the engineers.......................................................................................................6
Cost of engineering projects and the Ethical Considerations.....................................................6
Engineers as Stakeholders..........................................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................9

Introduction
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the term ethics is defined as the framework
that deals with what is good or bad, and governs the conduct on line of the moral duty and
obligation (Merriam Webster Dictionary, 2018). Thus, term ethics is concerned with the
actions that have the potential to affect the lives of the others in a serious manner. The
matters of ethics are a concern for every individual and the group of individuals in the
society, including the engineers. As the engineers possess specialised knowledge and skills
which have been acquired through an intensive set of study and training, and can only be
exercised by them; it is important that engineers assure the public that they are worthy of
their trust (Luegenbiehl and Clancy, 2017). Thus, the public lives to an extent are dependent
on the engineers. The work explores the various facets and the principles of the engineering
ethics with the help of a case study. The case study chosen for the evaluation is popularly
known as the “Big Dig” the megaproject based at Boston.
Background
The project Big Dig was based at Boston, and was a Central Artery/ Tunnel Project. It had
redirected the principal highway, i.e. the Interstate 93’s Central Artery through the heart of
the city to the Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Tunnel, which was 2.4 km in length (Boateng, Chen and
Ogunlana, 2015). There were a number of incidental constructions to the project such as the
Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, passing over the Charles River, the Ted
Williams Tunnel, and the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The project was basically aimed at
reducing the chronic traffic congestion in the region of the Boston because of the intertwined
streets and lanes. The project was regarded as the largest ever infrastructure project that was
taken in the United States and the largest construction project in the world in terms of the
construction within the heart of the major operating city (Greiman, 2013).

The July 10, 2006 witnessed the fail of the project when approximately 26 tons of concrete
had fallen on a car travelling through the connector tunnel in the Big Dig tunnel system in
Boston.
Initial Planning and Work
It is significant to note that the Boston Transportation Planning Review had perceived the
idea of the project in the 1970s, and the planning work for the project has started in the year
1982, i.e. more than two decades back from now. As there was no initial standard time set for
the completion of the project by the Federal Highway Administration, which led to the
completion date of the said project consistently change over time. While the initial
completion date of the project was 1998, seeing the complexity and the public interest of the
project. The finish date later on deferred to the year of 2001, which accounted for around 20
years from the planning. Not only this, the occurrence of the further changes led to the final
completion of the project in the year 2007. The management of time is an important principle
in the field of engineering ethics.
In addition, it must be noted that the year 1997 witnessed the transfer of the responsibility of
the management and undertaking of the said mega project via the state legislature to the
Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA). The authority did not possess the required
experience to handle the magnitude and the scope of such a project.
Design of the project
The construction within the city meant that the infrastructure would stand on already filled
land and not on the consolidated soil, which meant the land for the construction did not had
the potential resistance to sustain the weight of the infrastructure (Kassel, 2016). Some of the
major causes of failures in addition to the faulty maintenance and the administration of the

project were the fault in the design of the projects, selection of the material for the
construction, and the errors in the construction activity itself. As depicted by the reports on
findings by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the chief reason for the failure
of the project was the usage of the anchor epoxy for fastening the concrete panels and the
hardware to the tunnel ceiling (Harris Jr, et. al, 2013). It was found in the investigations that
the product as distributed by the company Powers Fasteners Inc. had two variations. While
one was the Standard Set, the other was the Fast set. The latter type of the epoxy that is the
fast set was susceptible to the process of “creep,” which means the deformation of the epoxy,
which further allows the pulling free of the support anchors (Hofherr, 2015). Thus, it was
concluded by the investigation team that the ceiling tile had fallen because of the occurrence
of the above phenomena because of the use of the fast set of epoxy. In addition, the report
stated that the construction contractors had failed Gannett Fleming Inc. and the
Bechtel/Parsons Brinkerhoff had failed on their responsibilities to account and evaluate for
the creep process under the long-term load conditions. The construction tea comprised of
engineers should have performed the load tests initially on the adhesives before being used
and the regular inspections should have been made of the portal tunnels.
Further Overruns
Another significant fact to note is that the structure comprised of a number of the post
construction issue such as far-reaching destruction to the fire proofing systems and the steel
support system because of the water, about thousands of the leaks in various parts, and the
drainage systems being overloaded. The cost overruns were conducted in order to repair the
said leaks and damages, which accounted for a major cost of the overall projects (O'Neill,
2014). The same could have been avoided earlier, had the gravel and other debris was
removed before the pouring of the concrete. Thus, failure to understand the process is evident
in the case.

Inferences for the engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers was provided with the following inferences and the
recommendations from the report of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
(Greiman, 2015).
 The lack of knowledge on the part of the engineers led to the incident of the collapse,
and the engineers must consider the concepts of ethics, safety, and responsibility even
more comprehensively in their activities.
 The engineers are required to be educated on the various types of the materials being
used in the construction of the project (Nemeth, 2016).
 The engineers must in addition must be equipped with the knowledge of the skills and
the processes that are being employed in the construction activity.
 The engineers are required to assess the characteristics of processes like creep. This
would be done by the evaluation of whether the material (in this case anchor) used
was able to sustain the tensile strength in terms of the load bearing capacity or not.
Cost of engineering projects and the Ethical Considerations
As stated by the reports of the federal task force, the initial cost of the mega project as
determined by the federal officials and the managers was concealed and the overruns were
not efficiently estimated (Montero et. al, 2015). The project which was intended to be
completed at a cost of $ 13.6 billion, was later on completed after an add on in the costs of
about $6 billion, in a period of 10 years. Applying the standards of ethics for the engineers
(as described by the federal government), it can be stated that it is the duty of the project
directors and engineers to efficiently estimate the cost overruns, to keep the project on
schedule, and to arrange the financing for the increased cost (Colby and Sullivan, 2008). The

cost escalations are crucial particularly in the cases of the engineering mega projects that take
a long time for the completion and implementation of the project (Shane et. al, 2009).
Engineers as Stakeholders
In addition, the environmental assessment of the Big Dig project had stated a range of the
complexities for the project and the stakeholders. The stakeholders of this project numbered
in thousands, with various interests, positions, influences and the motivations. The multiple
government agencies, engineers, managers and other people involvement resulted in a
conflict of interests at various stages of the project. The engineers being one of the
stakeholders of the projects like the Big Dig should look the construction of the infrastructure
while coordinating with the other stakeholder’s teams (Nicholas and Steyn, 2017). Some of
the activities that the engineers must inculcate into their planning and implementations are
maintaining the control of operations over the control site, meeting the performance
requirements, working within the obligations of schedule of time and maintaining the
required standards of quality (Kardes et. al, 2013).
Situation Today
As per the new roadways system, today central artery is capable of carrying 536,000 vehicles
a day. Blockages have been minimised because of the use of the add-a-lane design. However,
there are certain red flag areas still existing. The Big Dig does not solve the issue of traffic
congestion in the areas of south and north of downtown. In addition, it must be noted that as
per the reports of the Boston Globe in the year 2008, though the traffic seems better in the
core, it continues to be worse in other parts (Flint, 2015). Greater Boston continues to rank
high in national congestion surveys. Thus, it can be stated that the Big Dig is working within
the scope of the plan, but only therein.

Conclusion
As per the discussions held in the previous parts it can be concluded that ethics play a crucial
role in the range of professions around the globe, including the prestigious profession of the
engineering as well. From the point of view of the safety of the stakeholders, cost, and money
involved and the development of the profession, it is crucial that the engineers follow a set of
the framework that guides their activities and conduct. Some of the major reasons for the
implementation of ethics in the profession of engineering are the occurrences of the structural
failures leading to number of lives being lost, to protect the interests and the welfare of the
public in general, enable the whistle blowing and lastly on the lines of the professional
associations. As depicted from the case study of the Big Dig collapse in Boston, it can be
stated that engineering fails coupled with the large investments of time and money lead to
drastic economic and other losses to the country. The failure of the usage of the proper
material, failure to understand the various processes and the failure of the overall
management responsibilities led to the collapse. Thus, it can be stated that engineers are
required to take due consideration of the various materials and processes being involved in
the projects, as recommended by the American Society of Civil Engineers as well. Thus,
ethics must play a chief role in the overall conduct, knowledge, and operations of the
engineers.

References
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