St. Francis Dam Essay

The St. Francis dam was a big learning moment for engineers in the US, and perhaps across the world. The dam collapsed due to lack of clear knowledge of geology and engineering, along with other ethical issues. While engineers in the 1920’s didn’t have advanced knowledge of engineering and geology as we do now, but there were still innovative ways that would’ve allowed them to study the project. The biggest engineering failure from the St. Francis dam was the lack, there little of, geotechnical study of the project site. Understanding the soil type and properties is a major component of the engineering design and construction process. Ignoring or not giving enough attention to geotechnical properties of the land can have catastrophic results as seen in the St. Francis dam. Additionally, further understanding the geological settings of the area is al so important. Had the engineers of the

Engineers today follow a very detailed and rigorous safety code while designing and building any project. These safety codes ensure the engineer doesn’t go over the safety factors to get better results. The engineers of the St. Francis disregarded the capabilities of the dam and went ahead to expand the dam for further profit. This is a violation of safety procedures as well as a major ethical violation. Striking a balance between client’s satisfaction and keeping ethical and safety codes is a very fine line engineers must walk. The engineers of St. Francis dam were pressured to increase the size of the dam from various groups. Increasing the size of the dam without properly considering all the factors was a big mistake by the engineers of the dam. Motivated solely by the profits they stand to gain and the external pressure put on them, engineers of the St. Francis dam violated basic ethical and professional code. Violations such as this one also lead the public to lose its trust on the civil engineers.