Engineering Ethics: The Quebec Bridge That Collapsed Twice

Course Number: ET-1065
Credit: 1 PDH
Subject Matter Expert: Edward P. Brunet, Jr., P.E.
Price: $29.95 Purchase using Reward Tokens. Details
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Overview

In Engineering Ethics: The Quebec Bridge That Collapsed Twice, you'll learn ...

  • The incredible story of the “bridge that collapsed twice”
  • The root cause of the failures
  • How ethical lapses of the engineers on the project contributed to the first collapse

Overview

PDHengineer Course Preview

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Credit: 1 PDH

Length: 17 pages

Imagine the same bridge collapsing not once, but twice, during erection. Seems pretty unlikely? Well, that’s exactly what happened with the Quebec Bridge spanning the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City.

The bridge collapsed during erection on August 29, 1907, killing 75 of the 86 workers on the span. A second attempt to complete the bridge was made and it suffered a partial collapse in 1916. Thirteen workers were lost in the second collapse. The bridge was finally completed in 1917, and still stands today.

In this course, you’ll learn the incredible story of this famous “bridge that collapsed twice”. You’ll learn the root cause of the failures and the mistakes that were made in the design and execution of the project, as well as missed opportunities to change the fate of the men who lost their lives.

The course will examine the decisions and actions of the engineers involved in the project from an ethical point of view.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  • Why and how the Quebec Bridge project began
  • The root cause of the first and the second collapse
  • How a bridge designed by the preeminent bridge designer of the day could fail
  • The importance of staffing a project with experienced site managers
  • The role of arrogance in the bridge’s demise
  • Major findings of the Royal Commission that was formed by the Canadian government
  • Multiple ethical lapses on the project viewed through the lens of the present day NSPE Code of Ethics
  • The impact of the Quebec Bridge collapses on safety standards and the engineering community as a whole

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 10 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.

Board Acceptance
This course is applicable to professional engineers in:
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PDHengineer Course Preview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 1 PDH

Length: 17 pages

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