Getting Sued and Other Tales of the Engineering Life

255 Pages·1983·4.036 MB·English

by  Richard Meehan

GettiSnuge da ndO theTra les
oft heE ngineerLiinfge
GettiSnuge da ndO therT ales
oft heE ngineerLiinfge
RichardL .M eehan
The MPIrTe ss
Camrbid,Mg aessacehtutss
LondoEnn,g land
Fifptrhi nt1i9n9g1,
© 1981b y
TheM assachusIentsttsi toufTt eec hnology
Allr ighrtess ervNeod .p arotf t hibso okm ayb er eproduciend
anyf ormo rb ya nym eanse,l ectroonrmi ecc hanical, including
photocopyirnegc,o rdionrgb ,y a nyi nformation satndor rea­ge
trievsayls tewmi,t hopuetr missiinow nr itifnrgo mt hep ublisher.
Thisb ookw ass eti nL inotr2o0n2 M eliobry G raphiCco mposi­
tionI,n ca.n,d p rintaendd b oundb yT heM urraPyr intiCnog.i n
theU niteSdt atoefsA merica.
LibraorfyC ongreCsast alogiinnP gu blicatDiaotna
MeehanR,i charLd.
Gettisnuge da,n do thetra leosft hee ngineering
life.
1.M eehanR,i charLd. 2.E ngineers-United
States-Biog.r aIp.Th iytle.
TA140.M36A34 620'.0092I'B4] 81-8152
ISBN0 -262-63089-3 AACR2
ToM yM othaenrdF ather
Contents
Introductioni x
1 Cominogf A gea tS AE 1
2 A FreshmaRne trospective3 3
3 TheM an WhoB oughRto ut1e 28 49
4 Confessioofna s M ilitaErnyg ineer6 8
5 A Dam forL am PraP lerng 90
6 Snowbounodn th e RioP angal 149
7 Sediment1 79
8 HaitiO neM oreTI me 192
9 GettinSgu ed 213
Introduction
I wfiars sitn tdruocetdoc alcublyau h si hg schomoalt h
teacnhaemre Pdh birliBcrki dsga,ed srayn ds obmeNre w
Englander whhaov fiewtw o eullildn taop oebmy R obert
Frost.B riMdr.gh easdts h arta raebi liftoysr h owitnhga t
thseu ebcjotfh iesx eprstewi asr earlliyd iculsoiumspllye ,
andi nt hiasn do thoefrh itsa citwuarynps r odveidm e
witehn cuoragem,we hnitcIhb adlnye ediend stehf oor­
lorand olenstd caey.s rIe mebmer oncien tadrfuotceirn g
ust ot hseu bjoefc ti rntatieoghnep, a ssoeudat n a romatic
mimeroaghpeds hefieltl weidt ahl gebfruanioccnt .si" nI­
tegrtahtee,mt hednffi erent'ieambt aec akg aiTnh.a' ts a
goohdab i"t ,hseia dp,a uisntgo l oooku t wtihned oowv er
thsec hofoolo tbfiaellaldn dta rcka;f ewy eabresf o,ar se
sveentghrd aer,ws eh adm adeg rubcboym ptuations of
thepierri metaenrds aurnedaeshr i gsu idacneT.h ehne
madweh awta sf or ahniu mn charraicstteipcearlsloyn al
remar"kIh. a dar oommatceo lgile.nHe e'mda kuep func­
tio.Dn iseffrenttihaetmIe.n tegratbea catkgh aeimTn h.a t
wayh e'dk nowih fe 'dg otth ermi gShete.m leidek lao otf
wortkom eT.h a'twsh yh es' bai sgh oattG Ea ndI 'amh ihg
schomoaltt he aecrh."
MrB.r idsgs'se tsroyb,r iaesif wt a ,st augmhets omtehing
aboumta t.hA ndi tt augmhets omtehianbgo ulte raning
mat,ha botueta chainndag b,o MurtB. r idgteoos.Tsh ec al­
culpuarst o f tlhees shoanfs a eddf romme mor;yn od oubt
todaIyw oulbde u nbalteo w ortkh ep robloenmt sh at
homeowraks snimgetnB.u t hIa vneo fto rgotthtoeet nh er
lsesoinnst h alta cotnailocfe rtoheo mtmea.
Thibso oaki misn s imiflaasrh itootn e lslo emthing
abouwth aitt i sl ikteob ecomaene ngienrIe.h avaep -
Introduction
x praoc hetdhs eu bjbeyct tei lnlsgo mset orfireomsmy o wn
expeernciheo,p nigt oc ovneys moethionftg h flea voorf
thtee chnolloig,fri eeccanolig zitnhgas tu pepmletnarvyi ­
tamiannsd mailn,nse ortto s paek fiobfe cra,bn e f ounidn
othveorl umseusca hs tChheem icRaulbe brH adnbook.
Probatbhleyir sea m orsey stemwaatyti oca pproach
thissu ebjcbta,s edp,er haspo,n t axnoomioefps e rsointayl
tpyesh,ei rcahrioefsm oteisvs,c heduolflef iesp asseas,g
and tlhi.ekI eti st ruteh awte s icentainsdte sn gineers
generparlelftyeh rse y smtateitcot haen ecd,ot thaAerl si­
totetloit ahHneo meircB.u tth earreoe c acsoinwsh etnh e
poinmta yb em admeo rree adwiiltyahs totrhya and isrs­e
taotniF.o erx amlpel,eu tss atyh attw enyteya orfse xperi­
enchea sl emde t ob elitehveeir esn othing inherently
mordee humaniiznti encgh lnoogiecnatlpe rritshea inn
medicoirnl ea, wt hatth eirsea lomto rteo a careienr
technyo tlhoagOnh m'sl awa ndF ORTRANa ndm ixing
conctrete,h apte opalnedm oralsd eailngdha tn dm isrey
arael wla itincgon ftrooy notuw hethyeoru 'arc eo mptuer
enginoerae p ru bl-iicnteorrce osrotpr altwaey eorr a v il­
lagheed amani nT hainldIa.b elviete h.aM tye xperience
ovetrh lea fsetwy ears tegarcahdiusnatgtu edt eshn acso n­
vincmeedt hatth iksi nodfm esgsea-anItd h iintik s a n
imoprtaonnte -cbaenm orree adtirlayn stmeitdto s tu­
detnsa necdotthaalsnly ys tteimca.a lly
Certatihndele yt lasoi fe very'oesn xeperiveanrcayen, d
Id on optr etetnhaddt ei sgneorfcs o muptemri croocpers­
sorosrp rofesosfco hresm iecnagli nehearvitenh ge same
storIpi rese sthe enr.Ne onetlheeIse sx petchtam to stte ch­
nolog,wi hsattsetvheersi pre lctiayato, n tei mleev aeh om,e
juasstd iId to,j oiap nr osfsoeinatlrb iet,h eernec otuenring
peopwlheoh avbee esni mliartlaryi nbeudht a vceu tlural
bacgrkountdhsa dtffi erg reaftrloytm h eoiwrn. A to ne
timoero thetrh,ew yi ,ll likmey m anw hob oughRto ute
128,be tirdnoucetdofi nancpiraelsr seausn dt empttiao.n s
Thewyi lelx pieercnea,s dIi dt,h ce ofnusioannd p anic
Introduction
xi thacto mewsh eno nei sc agewdit thh adtie ffresnpte ecsi,
lawryseT.h ewyi ldlic sovtehra tth earrede i fferebnec­es
tweehno meowrkp roblaenmdsr eaplr obl;eb mestween
celvearn alyasnedsc e lvedre snis;gt hat noziragtaions
havae m oralaintdwy i lolft heoiwrn t;h abto ss'oe rs
clite'sgn oaalrsne e veern tireexllpiyc oiret v ernta iao;ln
thatth erisea lwaaynsu ncosncioguaspb etwewehna t
peopwlaena tn dw hatth esya tyh ewya n.t
Ofc ourmsoeso tft helsees smounssbt e l erandea sw ell
bya ccotuatnn,sm ilitoafifrcye ,ra srchtists,ece cinti,s ts
managers-aanttyeomnpett iosn ugc ceien dp ar eofssion.
AsJ acBorbo nowpsuktii t ",Wh ethoeurwr oriks a rotr
scieonrct ehd ea iwloyr okf s ocyi,ie tit so nltyh feo rimn
whicwhe e xlporoeu erx periwehnicciehs d iffereSnot ."
ina b roasde n,st ehibso oakd dretshseeex sep rietnhcaet
beaflallsol fu sb etwetehnte i mwee d eciodnoe u wro rk,
ats aayg ee ightaenedtn h,te i mwee fi nalulnyed rstand
somethianbogu tw hait sr ealgloyi nogn ,at a bouta ge
thrity.
Althotuhgseht ortiheafsto llaorwse e itnc hrnoological
ordret,h gea pisnt hesierq ueanncde atbhsee nocfce h ar­
actefrrsom my p ersonlail(f cere taoifwn h omn onheetless
cassth ado,ww hsicnhoa djsutmeonfst t alggieh tiwnigl l
removdesi)q ualtihfiicesos l lecotft iaolanese s v eanj uor­
neym'asna utogbaripoh.yH owevetrop, r ovide readers
witsho mgee neorrailte tanioIni ,n clauf deewb ripearfa ­
grahpsd ecsribmiyne gm polymehnits yt.o r
Wel idv ecao fmotralbes ubbuarnlf iew heInw asac hdi,l
andc ertaiInh laydn on eetdot akaej oHbo.w ev,we hren
Iw asi nt hfief tha dgeIrw, a si nfleuncbeydo thbeory wsh o
weraebl et op resgelnatm ooursslwya ggearcicunongt osf
thjeyo so fc addyinIgti. sa m arvetlh heou fm ainm agina­
tiotnh aotn ec oulfidn dr omanicnse p enditnhgbe e tter
parto fa d ayc arryihnevgay l etahebra gosfg olcfl ubs for
ricmhe na,l floo rn deo lrlH.ao wveeor,no ef t hmeo rceo m­
fortliensgs oofnl si ifset haitn tehnedt hearrece er tain
Introduction
xii fixeqdu anotfap elasuarnedp aiinna lmoasntyh uman
actiovric toyn ditTihoecn l.io cfak p erfect swhooootnd
am istJyu lmyo rnitnhgue;n ziipnpogf a s tralnegtaeh er
poucphr,en ganwti tghl meianwgh itbea lalnsdc hrome
yelltoeews t;h ec asusatllr lou pt ot hep inc,a relfluy
plnaneda ndp erfcetleyx ecustoet dh aotn se s'hadow
nevfearl blest wetehnbe a laln dt hheo l;we hoc asna tyh at
as alv'eps elasuarreneso etq utaola k insg,'c oan saunl'tst
toac leint's?
Fosrve erhailg shc hosoulm me,r wsIa sa g erenrgocse r'
boyi n the wAh&iP.s t"IlT herdeC eo inins tFhoeu nt,a"i n
sptlw iatmeerlo,n sagnudra detdh eu peprmopsutr ple
stratoufbm o xecdh erraigeasi anssustla bty d angerous
shopper.As ftsevere rsaulm mearsas p roduce Iw calse rk,
promoted etrob, u cItph reocvkteobd e a s ianc ehpetec rk
asI w asa na irplpainlmeoa tn yy ealrast seorI w, a sd e­
motetdot hbea crko oomf tghreoe crdye pratme,wn htere
Is lciartt nos,s tmapedp urple opnrc iacn,eas sn ds pecu­
latoendt hpeo tentbiziaalrldryie s ptoisooinfh orsetm ea
ands heeotfKs l eenIew xo.r kweidt mhe n tihne eiarr ly
twetniwehso h attehde mseflovlreo sv itnhgGe r eAattl an­
tiacn dP aciTfieacC omapnyw,h os worteh ewyo uldg et
out eavste hne gyr eswi cwki tdhe isrfeo ars sainssttt ore
managheirspsI.w asg laIdd i ndo nte etdow orrya bouatl l
th,af toIrp ossesasnedd ,ts huamtm erre aadn dr ere,a da
singslhee eotfb onfdr oMmI Ts' admisnssi fioocfeo,n
whicwhe rtey epdt hweo rdtsh at werteo c garormiye n g
awafyr otmh e Aa&nPdi nttoh weo rldde srcibiendt his
book.
Thes ummearf tmeyrf reshymearana tc ollIet goeoa,k
joibn tqhuea littyr-oclor naltaobirony fi as wha reohusien
SoutBhos to.Tn herIec ountweodr misn c odfi ltesa nd
weigheds tfiis.cMh ky s boswsa sa b oichemwihsot de­
rivaende quoatnti op redtihcfetr s ehneosffis s fihl tesa sa
functoifto enm eprataunrdte i m.Te hiwsa s fitrhset ti mIe
witsnseetdh ter sanfortmiaoonfa n atuprraolc ienstsao n
Introduction
xiii equtaioann,d I mwuacshi mpsrseebdy t hem agiacn d
pelasuorfte h ifsun dameenntgailn eoepreirtnaigo n.
Thef ollionswgu mmerb,e tweseonpo hmoraen dj nuior
yeraI,w orkaesda c onscttriuionnse pctfoorar c otnractor
ata B OMARCm isssiil.teT e heB OMARCm issiwleerse
suppotsope odpo uotf tgorhuen odn C ape aCnodfld y u p
toC anatdoai nterRcuseispatbn o mberasr rivfirnotgmh e
NortPho lTeh.e B OMARCs trumcek aas s roto fa erial
NasRha mlbe.r wIa sa lwagylsat dh ato nnefo o uncda use
tofi rteh eomff f,o Irf eartehdat th ewyo uladsl ieklflyy o ff
int hwer ondgi recotris oimnp ly ubptl hoewli irt tle cin­
debrlohcouks eSsev.e rpaelo ptloelm det hamtyw orwka s
quigtoedo ,a ndh awlafyt hroutghsheu mmeItr h ougohnt
thibsa stihsaI st h oualsdfk o arr aiTshei.rs e sulitnme yd
beiinsngt anfitrldey.W a lkitnhgr ouacg ohtn racsto ofifrc'e
aftbeeirn cga nnedw,i tthh per ojmeacnta gsehro utaitn g
mef obre iunngg ratlef four otphoper tunoifat s yu mmer
jbo andt hbeo okkeepearnsds eectraarnyd c lreko ft he
worktsu rnipnagla en dw ishitnhgew ye rsemo ewhere
elsiesa, t en-seecxopnedr iiennf creee en tperritshea t
shounlodbt e m issbeyad n yone.
A fulla ccnotu lofifea sa ne ngineuerneidrnggdr uaate
deesrvesb ewt roti tenH.e rIev' et reidt oc aptuornela y
smaplalr to f tehxapte rcieie,nnc hapt1 era ndp ariton f
"HaitOnie M orTeim e".S ubesqueenxtp eriaesan s cteu ­
detnc-itizoelndr-iw,seh icsht uedntosf t1h98e0 psr obably
will aognaccieno t nemlpatwei th stahmefe e elings that
wee xeprienicnet dhs oeB erliWnal ld ayosf t hee arly
1960si,sd esrcibiend" Conefssniso ao Mfi iltaErnyg i­
neerI.v"'e n ot aytemttpe tedw rtioat nea ccuonto fp ost­
armlyi faesa NewY orkc ommut,ew rorkifnogar l rage
NewY orka rhcitect-engfiirnm;et ehraiitsn a g f uture
project.
"AD amf oLra m PPrlraen "gd esrcibtewsoy eaorfst he
enginelefireii nTn hga iliantn hdee a r1l96y0 sAf.t Tehra i­
lnadb,e tweens ttmehyaa ef tneoroinnJ unteh aIlt fe tm y