Deck 1: Introduction

Question 1

William LeMessurier lied to the public about the Citicorp building. Did the extreme circumstances excuse his lie?

Answer 1

The question of whether William LeMessurier's actions regarding the Citicorp (now Citigroup) Center in New York City can be excused due to extreme circumstances is a complex ethical issue that involves weighing professional responsibility against potential consequences.
William LeMessurier was the structural engineer who designed the Citicorp Center, which was completed in 1977. After the building was constructed, LeMessurier discovered a potentially fatal flaw in the design: the building was vulnerable to collapse under certain wind conditions. The original design did not account for quartering winds (winds hitting the building at its corners), which could cause the building to fail.
Upon realizing the mistake, LeMessurier faced a moral and professional dilemma. He could have kept silent about the flaw, hoping that the scenario would never occur, or he could come forward and admit the mistake, which would have serious professional and financial implications for himself and his firm.
LeMessurier chose to inform the building's owner, Citicorp, of the issue. Together, they developed a plan to secretly retrofit the building with additional structural supports. This work was done at night and on weekends to minimize public attention. During this time, the public was not informed of the potential danger.
The question of whether LeMessurier's initial lie of omission to the public is excusable under the circumstances is a matter of debate. On one hand, some argue that he had a duty to inform the public about the potential danger, as public safety should be the primary concern of any engineer. On the other hand, others argue that by not causing a public panic and working quickly and quietly to rectify the issue, LeMessurier may have prevented unnecessary alarm and potential economic consequences while ensuring the safety of the building.
In the end, the retrofit was successful, and the building was made safe without any loss of life or injury. LeMessurier's actions were later used as a case study in engineering ethics, highlighting the importance of professional responsibility and the difficult decisions engineers may face.
Whether LeMessurier's lie can be excused is ultimately a subjective judgment. Some may view his actions as a pragmatic approach to a dangerous situation, while others may see it as a breach of ethical duty. What is clear is that the incident serves as a reminder of the critical importance of thorough engineering analysis, transparent communication, and ethical decision-making in the field of engineering.

Question 2

How do moral norms differ from legal ones, and can it ever be morally permissible to break the law?

Answer 2

No Answer.

Question 3

What is the difference, if any, between science and engineering?

Answer 3

No Answer.

Question 4

Should all engineers be licensed?

Question 5

Technological optimism versus pessimism: Which position is most plausible?

Question 6

When LeMessurier realized in the summer of 1978 that the Citicorp tower could collapse in a moderate storm, he knew he had to act fast. Which of the following actions did LeMessurier take?

A) He informed the building's owner about the problem, contacted the City of New York, hired a team of weather forecasters to monitor the weather 24/7, and sent out a prerelease that correctly described the problem caused by strong winds.
B) He informed the building's owner about the problem, hired a team of weather forecasters to monitor the weather 24/7, and sent out a prerelease that correctly described the problem caused by strong winds.
C) He informed the building's owner about the problem, contacted the City of New York, and hired a team of weather forecasters to monitor the weather 24/7.
D) He informed the building's owner about the problem, contacted the City of New York, hired a team of weather forecasters to monitor the weather 24/7, and wrote a letter to the National Society for Professional Engineers.

Question 7

What was the problem with the Citicorp building in New York designed by William LeMessurier?

A) The unusual glass facade of the tower made the tower vulnerable to perpendicular winds.
B) The unusual glass facade of the tower made the tower vulnerable to quartering winds.
C) The unusual location of the load-bearing columns made the tower to quartering winds.
D) The unusual location of the load-bearing columns made the tower vulnerable to perpendicular winds.

Question 8

The design flaw in the Citicorp building was first discovered by

A) LeMessurier while double-checking his calculations.
B) an undergraduate engineering major who called LeMessurier's office.
C) the code enforcement arm of the City of New York.
D) None of the above

Question 9

What changes had the builders made to LeMessurier's design?

A) They moved the load-bearing columns away from corner of building.
B) They increased the amount of glass in the building.
C) They changed the number of load-bearing columns.
D) None of the above

Question 10

Why might the winds of a 16-year storm have the power to topple the Citicorp building?

A) There were two few columns.
B) Flooding might undermine the columns.
C) A loss of power would disable the mass damper.
D) None of the above

Question 11

Upon discovering the danger of a collapse, LeMessurier first

A) informed the building's owners.
B) informed the City of New York.
C) developed a plan to fix the problem.
D) informed FEMA.

Question 12

As Hurricane Ella approached New York with winds that would topple the building, LeMessurier

A) ordered an evacuation.
B) told the truth to the public about the danger.
C) contemplated suicide
D) None of the above

Question 13

LeMessurier told the truth about the building's situation to

A) only those workers fixing the problem.
B) only the employees working in the building itself.
C) the media.
D) None of the above.

Question 14

The workers who repaired the design flaw in the building

A) worked with nondisclosure agreements barring them from talking to the press.
B) were chosen because they did not speak English.
C) were disguised every day when brought into the building.
D) worked only at night.

Question 15

LeMessurier put out a press release about the repairs that, among other things, stated what?

A) The risk of collapse is quite low.
B) Only a 55-year hurricane could topple the building.
C) There is no danger.
D) None of the above

Question 16

The public only became aware of the full story when

A) LeMessurier put out another press release upon the completion of repairs.
B) The New Yorker ran a story about it 17 years later.
C) a city council meeting the following year.
D) None of the above.

Question 17

LeMessurier's claim in the press release

A) was an outright lie.
B) was illegal.
C) resulted in the loss of his license.
D) All of the above

Question 18

The NSPE code of ethics holds that engineers shall "issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner." Why might LeMessurier's actions be ethically acceptable anyway?

A) The NSPE has exceptions for when one's professional reputation is in danger through someone else's mistake.
B) The NSPE code also prioritizes public safety and the press release prevented a panic.
C) These are guidelines, LeMessurier had no proper duty to the public.
D) None of the above

Question 19

The main lesson of the LeMessurier case is that

A) the NSPE should be ignored.
B) one should always do whatever maximizes the consequences in the situation.
C) the NSPE should be followed to the letter of the law in all situations.
D) None of the above

Question 20

Both scientists and engineers must master mathematics and science; the difference is that engineering

A) is much easier than scientific research.
B) comes under ethical constraints; scientific research does not.
C) is about making the subject matter of science useful.
D) None of the above

Question 21

In the United States, the regulations for engineers

A) come from the NSPE.
B) are developed by professional organizations.
C) are mandated at the state level.
D) None of the above

Question 22

Engineers who work for the US government

A) make regulations for the rest of the engineers.
B) are exempted from being licensed engineers.
C) are subject to more strict licensing standards.
D) None of the above

Question 23

All of the following are ways to practice engineering without being licensed except

A) practice engineering in the United Kingdom, Germany, or Sweden.
B) obtain an industry exemption.
C) work for the US government.
D) None of the above.

Question 24

Microethics concerns

A) an individual's act.
B) microeconomics.
C) scientific research standards.
D) None of the above

Question 25

According to legal positivism,

A) morality and the law cannot be treated as separate domains.
B) we can infer what should be legal by what is moral.
C) laws are never morally neutral conventions.
D) None of the above