Engineering is building at the fairest cost

We would like you to engage on leaving your opinion on this topic. “𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁”.

We have the technology and means to build better from the start. As Peck mentioned in 1969 “𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹.

However, 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 of the design during construction, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 by designing on the basis of the most probable rather than the most unfavorable possibilities. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽𝘀 in the available information are 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 during construction, and the 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 in accordance with the findings.”

The industry has evolved to become over conservative in order to cope with Geotechnical Uncertainty, and to avoid risk and liability, which leads to unnecessary expenses waiting tax payers money and to more carbon footprint than what would be strictly necessary. Is it possible to change how we work?, or is the industry not interested because it would threat their “way of living”?