Floodwater Engineering and Ethics

Considering the big picture results

By: Ryan Malone
Published: 07/08/2022

The engineer’s duty is to make things work. Following instructions, complying with the law, and using current best practices are usually good enough for the present.  But the engineer’s task to make things work in the future. This requires making projections about future conditions and use. While engineers prefer hard facts, we are sometimes forced to work with “soft data” that require evaluating many possible options.  During this evaluation, we use legal requirements and best technology as tools. Ethics can be used as a third tool to make decisions. Ethics and Flood Water Engineering contains many examples of using ethics in real-world situations to make engineering decisions.

After completing this course the Engineer will be able to: Consider and explain the long-term implications of design decisions beyond code requirements by reviewing real world problems and scenarios, explain considerations and implications when forced to work with soft data that require evaluating many possible options by reviewing real-world scenarios, explain use of legal requirements and best technology as tools, explain the use of ethics as a third decision making tool by reviewing previous examples and scenarios of an experienced engineer. As well as recall many examples of using engineering ethics in real-world situations to make engineering decisions when multiple solutions to an ethical problem are presented.

PDH Now is an approved and affordable source of PE continuing education. Sign up for the course Ethics and Floodwater Engineering to learn more about the field and get the credit you need towars your PE contiunung education and license renewal.