<strong>Foundation Design – Does Eurocode 7 Justify Higher Bearing Capacity Values?</strong>

Foundation Design – Does Eurocode 7 Justify Higher Bearing Capacity Values?

Foundation design has traditionally been conducted using the permissible stress method with the application of a global factor of safety. With the introduction of Eurocode 7, however, a distinctive design philosophy was presented, one that is based on the application partial factors. Thus, this article aims to investigate if higher bearing capacity values can be justified to Eurocode 7.

The I-35W Bridge Failure: Another Instance of Implicit Assumption

The I-35W Bridge Failure: Another Instance of Implicit Assumption

In 2007 under-engineering, inefficient regulation, ever increasing dead loads combined with inadequate inspections led to the deadliest structural failure in Minnesota’s history. The immediate aftermath saw an investigation board commissioned to probe the cause of the failure. The investigation would discover a systematic collapse in the very layers of defense the engineering profession creates towards preventing catastrophic failures

Overreliance on Software Packages – The Modern Engineer’s Achilles Heel

Overreliance on Software Packages – The Modern Engineer’s Achilles Heel

While many engineers make the very valid argument that software prevent errors and human fallibility, many other engineers including this writer make the equally valid argument that these tools contribute to creating errors. Are these software’s actually aiding us to become better engineers or are they actually replacing us, at least, in cognitive sense, as engineers?