#engineering failures

[sparkmantis]

The Truth Behind Japan’s Sinking Airport

Welcome to the Floating Airport That’s… Sinking Japan’s Kansai International Airport is a modern engineering marvel. Built on a man-made island in Osaka Bay, it was meant to be a symbol of innovation, resilience, and Japan’s ability to quite literally rise above the tides. But instead of floating high on national pride, it’s slowly sinking into the sea. Yes, you read that right: the airport is…

The Truth Behind Japan’s Sinking Airport

[frnwhcom]

The Dixon Bridge Disaster of 1873: Tragedy in Illinois

On May 4, 1873, the small town of Dixon, Illinois witnessed a tragedy that would change the course of public safety standards in America. Known as the Dixon Bridge Disaster, the collapse of the suspension bridge over the Rock River claimed the lives of 46 people and left dozens more injured. This disaster serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of engineering integrity and community…

The Dixon Bridge Disaster of 1873: Tragedy in Illinois

[worldsfastestbear]

A view of the copper fins that were supposed to air-cool the Copper-Cooled 1923 Chevrolet.  Note the large fan that still didn’t prevent the motor from severely overheating and detonating.  Interestingly enough, this failure led to the development of leaded gasoline.

[brucesterling]

*I respect them for keeping such meticulous track of that 

[gmbstructural]

Primary Causes Of Engineering Disasters

We often hear news of engineering disasters and they are bound to happen because like humans, technology too is evolving and it is not perfect. Engineering disasters occur because of flaws in desig...

[corymawhorter]

Large Project? Cheap and Good: Pick and two. Sorry, no fast.

Fast, good, cheap: pick two.  Common mantra, right?

However, I'm really starting to believe that when it comes to large projects, you can only really have two options: Cheap and Good.  

Reading about large project failures is a hobby of mine; like the Denver airport automated baggage system and now healthcare.gov The solution to building these complex projects is often adding more complexity with teams running into hundreds.  To me, adding more complexity to an already complex problem seems... uhh... what is a PC way of saying retard dumb?

Maybe the solution is to eliminate "fast" from that triangle for large projects?

It's my opinion that the only answer to these routine failures in complex projects is a small team of dedicated, knowledgable individuals that are not required to deliver fast.

It'll take a lot longer, but at least it'll be done right -- and for a shitload less money.

(Admittedly, most of these huge failures stem from the process of gov't contracts, but I think my point remains valid)