Schaub 4:00 Pm
R 15
Ethical Decisions in Highway Improvements and Engineering
Demetri Lardas (dnl17@pitt.edu)
My Highway Dilemma
I am a civil engineer for the Federal Highway
Administration and I am in charge of highway design for
Pennsylvania. With the end of the fiscal year approaching I
was asked by my boss to design the final project to be funded
this year in my area. I know of two possible projects in
Western Pennsylvania that would be extremely beneficial to
the area unfortunately there is only enough funding in the
budget to complete one of the projects. This first is a series of
new ramps and express lane on I-376 near Pittsburgh in order
to help traffic flow. The second project would be the addition
of various safety features (traffic signs, signals, guard rails,
etc.) to reduce the number of fatalities on a stretch of I-78 that
runs through Lebanon county.
increase the amount of money that could be budgeted for other
projects in future years. While its full benefit will not be seen
immediately this project would have a long term positive
effect on the region. On the other hand the I-78 project would
have a much more immediate effect on a smaller population.
This project would directly save lives by increasing the safety
precautions on a very dangerous stretch of road.
In order to solve this dilemma I will take into account
the various economic and safety implications of each
proposed plan. Addition I will analyze the codes of ethics for
The ASCE (American Society for Civil Engineers) and The
ICE (Institution of Civil Engineering) to see if they can help
to guide my decision on this ethical issue. However, I will not
be using the NSPE’s (National Society for Professional
Engineers) code of ethics because its cannons are almost
identical to those of the ASCE.
I-376
Codes of Ethics
The proposed project on this stretch of road way
would benefit a large number of people due to the high
volume of traffic the highway sees on a regular basis. This
section of I-376 is listed in top 50 most congested highways
in the United States and it is estimated that on the worst
bottleneck alone causes at least 24 hours of weekly
congestion. Reducing congestion and streamlining the flow of
traffic through this area will have wide ranging implication
throughout the Pittsburgh area. Projections by my peers show
that this project will have a considerable economic benefit to
the area. Additionally their projections show that this project
could pay for itself within three years of completion [1].
I-78
This project is projected to greatly reduce the
number of traffic fatalities in Lebanon County which is a rural
county near Harrisburg. Lebanon County has recently had a
reduction in highway fatalities due to new laws and increased
policing but it still had a staggering 16 fatalities which is
concerning since its population is just over 100,000. Fellow
civil engineers feel that this project would reduce the number
of deaths by at least 50%. While it is not the most dangerous
stretch of highway in the state this project would be beneficial
for the overall health and safety of Lebanon County [2].
Ethical Dilemma
While both of these project would be very beneficial
there is only enough money to complete one of them so the
ethical dilemma I face is choosing which project will be
undertaken this year. The project on I-376 would effect a very
large population economically and could theoretically
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
2013/10/29
ASCE
In making my decision I looked at the ASCE’s code
of ethics for guidance in my decision. I found that the first
cannon was the most relevant to my situation, it stated;
“Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and
welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the
principles of sustainable development in the performance of
their professional duties.” This cannon is very useful in my
situation because it gives guidelines as to what type of
projects should be done. However, I can use this cannon as
support for either plan. Choosing the I-376 plan is supported
by this cannon because it would create “sustainable
development” by increasing the available funds for projects
in subsequent years. Additionally the reduction in traffic and
economic boost would increase the “welfare of the public” in
the region. One the other hand the I-78 project would have a
more direct effect on public safety. This project is not just
meant to improve lives, it is meant to save them and this idea
is emphasized by the first cannon [3].
ICE
The ICE’s Code of Professional Conduct can also
help me gain insight into my ethical dilemma. The third rule
of this code is especially pertinent to my situation. It states;
“All members shall have full regard for the public interest,
particularly in relation to matters of health and safety, and in
relation to the well-being of future generations.” While it does
share the same emphasis on safety as the ASCE’s code of
ethics which supports the I-78 plan, I feel that this rule is more
supportive of the I-376 plan [4].
Demetri Lardas
First, this rule states that an engineer should act in
“full regard for public interest” and just purely based on the
number of people that would affected by these plans the I-376
plan would benefit a much larger section of the public.
Additionally this rule emphasis that engineers should not only
help the current population but they should also act in the
interest of future generations. The I-376 plan is meant to
benefit the population in the long run by creating more free
funds to be used for future projects.
The Cost of Traffic
One major benefit that reduced congestion would
bring about would be to the drivers themselves. With our
economy recovering at its current rate it is projected that by
2020 the average commuter will see a seven hour increase in
delays. Additionally it is projected that by 2015 the cost of
congestion will jump to $133 billion [7]. These projections
show that traffic is becoming very burdensome to the
population and in future years it could be detrimental to public
welfare. Thus, by reducing congestion around the Pittsburgh
area the I-376 project could directly improve public welfare.
Other Tools
When trying to resolve an ethical issue engineers
must look at the future implications of their actions. Even
when looking at the Codes of Ethics it is important to look at
more than just the immediate consequences of a decision.
While a decision may currently seem ethical it could in fact
be unethical in the long run. What seems to benefit the public
now could in fact be harmful or at least not the most beneficial
decision for future years. In the case of my ethical dilemma
the I-78 plan creates a very tempting but possibly short
sighted ethical decision. While it will immediately reduce the
number of fatalities in Lebanon County it could be passing up
the opportunity for countless future projects that could be
completed with the money save by the I-376 plan [5].
Another important resource that is overlooked by
many when making ethical decisions in engineering is
intuition. Sometimes the best markers for what constitutes an
ethical decision are an engineer’s own gut feeling and
personal morality. After all, Codes of Ethics are rooted in a
general consensus by engineers for what is moral or immoral.
In my personal situation my “gut feeling” is that the I-376 will
benefit a much larger population in the long term [6].
Overall Economic Benefit
In recent years the government has put emphasis on
transitioning the United States towards a more sustainable
manufacturing economy. It is believed that this switch could
aid the floundering U.S. economy and greatly benefit the
population [8]. Unfortunately our current infrastructure,
especially in Pennsylvania, will not be able to handle the
stress of such an economy [9]. For an example of what to do
we should look to one of the world’s manufacturing
powerhouses, China. In recent years China’s GDP (Gross
Domestic Product) yearly growth has out done the U.S.
consistently and sometimes by even more than 10%. Most
recently in 2012 China’s growth slowed to 7.6%, this is still
far greater than the U.S. GDP growth of 4.9%. Coincidently
China also outdoes the United States in another key category,
infrastructure spending. While the U.S. spends 2% of GDP on
infrastructure China spends and astounding 9% which may
account for its greater economic growth [10].
While the I-376 project would not greatly affect the
overall all U.S. economy or GDP, it would have profound
impact on Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas. Easing
congestion would not only improve the mobility of our work
force but it would also allow raw materials and finished
products to be distributed more efficiently; this in turn would
benefit the local economy. Additionally, studies show that in
the U.S. one dollar of effective infrastructure spending creates
two dollars of economic growth. This means that the money
spent on the I-376 project would be doubled in its effect on
economic growth [11].
While economic growth does directly increase
public welfare, in the case of choosing which project should
be funded, economic growth has even father reaching benefits
for public welfare and safety. Earlier I discussed how the
money predicted to be saved by the I-376 project could be
used to complete many more projects than just the I-78
project; economic growth would have the same effect. In a
thriving economy more money is available to the government
for various public works projects [12]. By focusing on
economic growth the I-376 project improves the possibility
for more future projects that can benefit public health, safety
and welfare.
Highway Economics
When trying to decide on which project would be
most ethical I feel that the ethical codes where very good
guidelines because they stated that an engineer’s decisions
should always be aimed at improving public safety and
welfare. However, in my situation it seems that both decisions
would improve public welfare, which makes them both
ethical decisions on their own but the problem comes in the
fact that I have to choose one over the other. Also, this
situation becomes even more ethically charged because it
seems to be a choice between saving lives and saving money
but this is not necessarily the case. I feel that saving money
could intern save more lives than the I-78 plan ever could.
Also the I-376 plan would improve public welfare by
improving the possibility for economic growth in the region.
Through my research I have discovered that streamlining
traffic can have countless benefits to public welfare.
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Demetri Lardas
My Decision
References
While both projects are necessary and ethically
sound I do feel that when having to choose one, there is a more
ethical choice. While the codes of ethics helped me come to
this point I think that using other sources was an important
part of my decision making process too. In order to find the
ethical solution I needed to speculate on what the future
implication of my choice would be. I felt that the use of
economic statistics was an integral part of my process. Even
though the I-78 project would reduce highway fatalities in
Lebanon County by at least 50% it would not create the
greatest possible increase in public health, safety or welfare. I
feel that the ethical choice would be the project that had the
greatest potential for gross increase in public welfare. This
choice would be the I-376 project because it has the potential
to create funding for numerous other projects that would
greatly benefit the public, in addition to the benefits that
would be gained populous from living in a healthier economic
climate.
[1] D. Whistler (2011) “Ranking the nation’s most congested
highway corridors” Fleet Owner
[2] Lebanon Daily News Staff (April 2013) “PENNDOT: Pa.
highway deaths in 2012 third lowest on record” Lebanon
Daily News
[3] ASCE (2013) “Code of Ethics” American Society of Civil
Engineers
http://www.asce.org/Leadership-andManagement/Ethics/Code-of-Ethics
[4] ICE (2013) “Code of Professional Conduct”
http://www.ice.org.uk/About-ICE/What-we-do/Professionalconduct
[5] N. Cadieux (2009) “Professional ethics and ethics in
engineering” Industrial Relations p.307
[6] C. Bauer (May 2010) “Construction ethics: 7 tips on
Ethical Practices” Construction Business Owner
[7] Texas A&M Transportation Institute (September 27,
2011) “Traffic Problems Tied to the Economy, Study Says”
http://tti.tamu.edu
[8] B. Obama (July 25,2013) “Infrastructure and the
Economy.” Given in: Jacksonville, Florida
[9] H. Shatz, K. Kitchens, S Rosenbloom (May 2011)
“Highway Infrastructure and the Economy : Implications for
Federal Policy” RAND Corporation
[10] E. Kurtenbach (December, 2010) “U.S. Infrastructure
Spending Falling Far Behind China, Emerging Economies”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com
[11] L. Kawa (November 2012) “STUDY: Every $1 Of
Infrastructure Spending Boosts The Economy By $2”
Business Insider
http://www.businessinsider.com/infrastructure-economicmultiplier-2012-11
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/infrastructureeconomic-multiplier-2012-11#ixzz2j5i74sA7
[12] B. King (September-October 2006) “A strong economy
rides on a strong transportation infrastructure: a metro area's
logistics infrastructure is an indication of a region's ability to
support a manufacturing economy” Expansion Management
How to make ethical decisions
When assessing an ethical situation engineers have
many tools at their disposal. Codes of ethics, speculation on
the future, intuition, facts and statistics are all very useful
when trying to resolve ethical dilemmas. For some situation
ethical decisions are straight forward for example when it
come situations like bribery or cutting corners. For these types
of situation all an engineer needs are the Code of Ethics,
sometimes all that is needed is the intuition and personal
morality to know that those actions are wrong and could have
disastrous consequences. However, there are some situations
in which the ethical decision is more ambiguous, for example
the situation of which highway project to fund. In these types
of situations engineers must take all factor under
consideration and use all available resources in order to come
to an informed decision.
First I think it is important to look at whatever code
of ethics they fallow. A code of ethics is a good basis for an
ethical decision, unfortunately many time there are grey areas
that are left up to the interpretation of the engineer. For this
reason simply using a code of ethics is not enough so it is
necessary to use other available decision making tools. An
engineer must also look at the facts and statistics of the project
they are working on to see if they can shed any light on the
issue. While statistics may seem too cold and mechanical to
use when deciding the ethics of a situation they actually serve
as a very good way to rationalize a decision. I feel that the
most important thing engineers should keep in mind when
assessing whether a situation is ethical is that; the decision
should be made to fit what it means to be ethical. Under no
circumstances should an engineer try to manipulate what it
means to be ethical in order to fit their decision.
Additional Sources
J. Terwillger (August 2002) “Infrastructure is 'in'”
FrontLine Solutions
W. Wulf (2004) “Engineering ethics and society”
Technology and Science Entering the 21st Century
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Trevor for helping me work through
the writing process.
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