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The book is about bridging the huge gaps between what engineers
know, what they do and why things go wrong. It puts engineering
into a wider perspective so readers can see how it relates to other
disciplines - especially science and technology. Many intellectuals
have dismissed engineering as 'applied science', but this book
shows how wrong it is to do so - engineers apply science, but their
purpose is quite different.It takes the reader on a learning
journey of reflections on the gaps between theory and practice in
professional life - not just in engineering but across all
disciplines. The learning is summarized through 20 learning points
or lessons, each one placed in context. Some of the important
lessons are about learning from failure, joining-up theory and
practice, understanding process, classifying uncertainty, managing
risks, finding resilience, thinking systems to improve performance
and nurturing practical wisdom.
This book highlights the unique need for philosophy among
engineers, which stems from issues regarding their knowledge
(epistemology), role or being (ontology) and influence (ethics). It
discusses practice, context, ethics, models and failure as key
aspects of engineering, and provides an easy but essential
introduction to philosophy for engineers by presenting four key
philosophers and linking them to these aspects: Karl Popper
(failure), Thomas Kuhn (models), Michael Polanyi (practice &
ethics) and Martin Heidegger (context & ethics). Popper, Kuhn
and Polanyi are philosophers of science (epistemologists) who have
challenged the view that science is a 'cool, detached' discipline,
since it also depends on human imagination (Popper), consensus
(Kuhn) and judgment plus artistry (Polanyi); factors that are
central to engineering. Heidegger (an ontologist) critiqued
technology on the one hand (ethics), but also stressed the
importance of 'doing' over 'knowing,' thus 'authenticating' the
highly pragmatic engineering profession. Science is the 'core'
component of engineering, which is overlaid by a variety of
heuristics . Practice-based knowledge can be formalized, with
artificial intelligence (AI) offering a valuable tool for
engineering, just as mathematics has done for science. The book
also examines systems thinking in engineering. Featuring numerous
diagrams, tables and examples throughout, the book is easily
accessible to engineers.
Doing it Differently: Systems for Rethinking Infrastructure, Second
edition proposes 'systems thinking' as a methodology to deliver
change. The book sets out the theory, concepts and tools using
real-life examples to persuade people to think differently rather
than simply relying on specific techniques or methods for
particular types of problem. The first edition was published in
2000 to respond to the Egan Report of 1998, which called for
radical change in the construction industry. With UK government
spending of the order of GBP200 billion over the next 10 years,
this book is directly helpful to those responsible for changes in
the delivery of infrastructure needs. The second edition has been
updated to reflect the current and growing realisation of the
importance of infrastructure to the national economy and to manage
the effects of climate change. It is organised using a simple
framework to help improve systems thinking capability and shared
learning. It also includes a coherent treatment of complexity in
construction with new clarifications of terms such as 'risk',
'vulnerability' and 'resilience', and more on how to use tools such
as the 'Italian flag', as well as a new treatment of
high-consequence, low-probability events to improve resilience.
Doing it Differently: Systems for Rethinking Infrastructure: (1)
reflects the current and growing realisation of the importance of
infrastructure to the national economy in the UK and
internationally, including the USA; (2) includes numerous practical
examples and case study boxes that help to illustrate major points;
(3) provides the inspiration and resources to enable all
infrastructure players to rethink and deliver change by doing it
differently.
Engineering is part of almost everything we do - from the water we
drink and the food we eat, to the buildings we live in and the
roads and railways we travel on. In this Very Short Introduction,
David Blockley explores the nature and practice of engineering, its
history, its scope, and its relationship with art, craft, science,
and technology. He considers the role of engineering in the modern
world, demonstrating its need to provide both practical and
socially acceptable solutions, and explores how engineers use
natural phenomena to embrace human needs. From its early roots
starting with Archimedes to some of the great figures of
engineering such as Brunel and Marconi, right up to the modern day,
he also looks at some of its challenges - when things go wrong -
such as at Chernobyl. Ultimately, he shows how engineering is
intimately part of who and what we are. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very
Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains
hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized
books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.
Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas,
and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly
readable.
Have you ever wondered how it's possible to build a skyscraper, a
big bridge, a jumbo jet, or a cruise liner? Everything has
structure. Structure is the difference between a random pile of
components and a fully functional object. Through structure the
parts connect to make the whole. Natural structures vary from the
very smallest part of an atom to the entire cosmology of the
universe. Man-made structures include buildings, bridges, dams,
ships, aeroplanes, rockets, trains, cars and fair-ground rides and
all forms of artefacts, even large artistic sculptures. The wide
range of different industries in which structural engineers work
includes construction, transport, manufacturing, and aerospace. In
this Very Short Introduction, David Blockley explores, in
non-technical language, what structural engineering is all about,
including examples ranging from the Shard in London and the Golden
Gate Bridge in San Francisco to jumbo jets like the A380 and the
Queen Elizabeth cruise liner. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short
Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds
of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books
are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our
expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and
enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly
readable.
Bridges touch all our lives - every day we are likely to cross a
bridge, or go under one. How many of us stop to consider how the
bridge stands up and what sort of people designed and built
something so strong? Bridge building is a magnificent example of
the practical and every day use of science. However, the story of
bridges goes beyond science and technology, and involves issues
relating to artistic and cultural development. After all, bridges
are built by people, for people. Bridges can be icons for whole
cities; just consider New York's Brooklyn Bridge, London's Tower
Bridge, and Sydney's Harbour Bridge. Such bridges can be considered
functional public art, as they have the power to delight or be an
eyesore. David Blockley explains how to read a bridge, in all its
different forms, design, and construction, and the way the forces
flow through arches and beams. He combines the engineering of how
bridges stand up with the cultural, aesthetic, and historical
importance they hold. Drawing on examples of particular bridges
from around the world, he also looks in detail at the risk
engineers take when building bridges, and examines why things
sometimes go wrong.
This is a completely new and fully comprehensive edition aimed at
anyone who has contact with the construction industry. Written in a
simple, easily accessible fashion the book contains major features
on sustainability and the environment, hazard, vulnerability and
uncertainty management together with new categories on business and
finance, sustainability, water and transport. This edition offers
easy and extensive cross referencing and definitions designed to
help students to learn and associate ideas making this the perfect
guide for anyone interested in any aspect of civil engineering.
This book illuminates what engineering is and how it relates to
other disciplines such as art, architecture, law, economics,
science, technology, and even religion. The author explains, from
an intrinsic as well as descriptive perspective, why engineering is
essential for our collective well-being, and how, like medicine, it
is undertaken by people, and for people, to improve the human
condition. He brings out the 'magic' of engineering practice as
well as addressing the darker aspects such as warfare and the
misuse of the internet. A too commonly held view assumes that the
practice of engineers is a cold, purely quantitative and wholly
technical enterprise of applying know science, and devoid of
creativity or aestheticism. In 2013 the United States National
Academy of Engineering launched a campaign called "Changing the
Conversation, Messages for Improving Public Understanding of
Engineering" with four messages to impart about engineers: that
they make a world of difference; are creative problem solvers; that
they help shape the future, and are essential to health, happiness,
and safety. In this volume, Professor Blockley incorporate these
messages into an engaging exposition of engineering accomplishment
in all of its evolving diversity, from the technician to the
academic research engineer, illustrating the continuum of thinking
and purpose from the fixer of the gas boiler to the designers of
the A380 and the iPhone.
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