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CE 2700 Final

Terms in this set (44)

Consider an engineer drawing on which the scale is not explicitly identified. A certain distance is indicated to be 100 feet, and when measured with a ruler on the paper, this distance measures 2.5 inches. Which engineering scale should be used to easily scale dimensions from this drawing?
40
What mechanism caused the failure of the Vaiont Dam Reservoir?
Slope Instability
What was the mechanism responsible for the failure of the Teton Dam?
Piping
Which of the following is true regarding the investigations of the Transcona and Fargo grain elevator collapses?
The failures provided the opportunity to validate geotechnical theory with full scale data
Which events brought the issue of volcanoes back up in the debate over the Panama route vs. the Nicaraguan route for the canal?
-A catastrophic eruption in Martinique of a supposedly dormant volcano
- the eruption of Momotombo in Nicaragua
According to David McCullough, which of the following people deserves more credit than was given at the time for the triumph of the Panamanian route over the Nicaraguan route?
George Morison
Philippe Bunau-Varilla had an interest in the French Canal Company and served as the Panamanian ambassador to the U.S. during Canal Treaty Negotiations. Which of the ASCE Ethical Canons did Bunau-Varilla violate?
Canon 4 (act as faithful agents, avoiding conflicts of interest)
Which of the following contributed to the quick success of the revolution in Panama?
The cooperation of the Panama Railroad
T or F: Treaty negotiations between the U.S. and Columbia concerning the Panama Canal proceeded smoothly and without serious obstacles. However, the apparent success of the treaty negotiations was negated by the revolution in Panama.
False
Consider the function f(x) = x-2*sin(x). Find the location on the positive x-axis where f(x)=0. Note that x=0 is a trivial solution and is not the intended solution. Use the Newton-Raphson method. For this problem, a good first guess of the solution is important. Plot the function to obtain your first guess. An example spreadsheet is available on moodle. Your answer must contain at least 6 digits beyond the decimal point. Consider that the variable, x, is in radians and no conversion to degrees is re
1.895494
Which of the following contributed to the failure of the floodwall and levee along the 17th Street Canal in New Orleans?
- The occurrence of a water-filled gap behind the floodwall shortened the soil's failure surface
- The soil strength was overestimated by the designers
T or F: At the time, the purchase of the French Canal Company by the U.S. was the largest real estate transaction in history.
True
Which of the following were particular to the lifecycle of the stegomyia mosquito?
- it will only lay eggs in an artificial container of clean water
- it prefers human blood
- it will only lay eggs near a building occupied by people
Why was Colonel William Gorgas appointed to the U.S. Canal Commission?
He was regarded as one of the leading experts in tropical diseases
Use a spreadsheet to a numerically estimate the derivative of the following function: f(x) = x^3 - x^2
what is the difference between the estimated value and the true value of the derivative at x=1 for an interval size of 0.05?
0.1025
T or F: The Liberty Ship Hull failures were caused by the combination of stress concentrations and fatigue.
True
According to Chapter 9 of Beyond Failure, which of the following is an important difference between steel and concrete?
Steel arrives at a construction site in its finished state, whereas concrete is manufactured to some extent on the job site.
Which two general principles often appear in construction materials and structural engineering?
- Structural systems often fail at connections
- Innovative materials used in new applications often have poorly understood properties or behaviors
T or F: From an engineering perspective, the Panama Canal was a complicated project. Among the challenges was a lack of space, negotiating property rights, preventing damage to existing buildings, and satisfying the demands of unionized labor.
False
In retrospect, what did John Stevens' see as his most valuable service to the Panama Canal Project?
His political role in lobbying for a lock canal
During the tenure of John Wallace as chief engineer, the great Bucyrus shovels were not able to operate efficiently. Why?
There was a shortage of trains to carry away the soil
Use a spreadsheet to numerically estimate the integral of the following function: f(x) = x^4 - x^3 +x^2
What is the difference between the estimated value and the true value of the integral at x = 1 for an interval size of 0.05?
-0.02437
Senator Marcus Hanna made a compelling case before the Senate in favor of a canal route through Panama. Which of the following were among his nine reasons that a Panamanian route was superior?
- the engineering community favored the Panamanian route
- Panama had better harbors
- fewer locks were required at Panama
Which of the following contributed to the failure of the hurricane protection system in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina?
- the system was underdesigned
- many levees were not high enough
- there was a lack on stable funding
How did Bunau-Varilla deceptively convince the Panamanians to ratify the treaty he negotiated with a Secretary of State John Hay?
Bunau-Varilla told the Panamanians that the U.S. would cease its protection of Panama and sign a treaty with Columbia.
Which of the following was not included in the Hay Bunau-Varilla Treaty?
Colon and Panama City would be part of the canal zone
What were the contributors to the Johnstown Flood?
- The dam was lowered to accomodate a road along its crest
- A trestle bridge was built across the spillway
- The outfall pipes in the reservoir were removed
- did not contribute -- piping undermined the foundation of the dam
What caused the Big Dig Tunnel Collapse?
The use of an epoxy anchor adhesive with poor creep resistance
Chief engineer John Wallace was not successful because he failed to realize what his real job was. What was it?
Preparing excavation by developing plans and infrastructure
What was John Stevens' greatest conceptual contribution to the Panama Canal Project?
He saw the excavation as a railway freight problem
Which of the following were major problems with the Austin Dam?
- The concrete construction was of poor quality
- The foundation was not designed properly
Senator Marcus Hanna made a compelling case before the senate in favor of a canal route through Panama. Which of the following were among his nine reasons that a Panamanian route was superior to the Nicaraguan Route?
- The Nicaraguan route had more curvature
- The transit time through Nicaragua would be twice as long
- The Panamanian route was much shorter
If William Lemessurier could be said to have violated any of ASCE's fundamental canons of the code of ethics in his handling of the Citicorp Tower design error, which would it be?
Canon 3 - issuing only objective and truthful public statements
T or F: According to the account of the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in Beyond Failure, Whistling blowing is an easy ethical choice because those who do so are recognized as heroes for helping to avert disaster.
False
T or F: Like Ferdinand De Lesseps before him, Theodore Roosevelt visited Panama in the dry season only and therefore could not gain an appreciation of the difficulty that the climate presented for the project.
False
Which of the following was a key difference between George Goethals and his predecessors?
As a U.S. Army officer, Goethals would not, could not, quit
What was the ultimate solution to the slides at Culebra?
Shallower slopes for sides of the cut
The power of water was engaged at the locks to do which of the following
- render the gates weightless
- lift the boats
- generates electricity
What is a difference between analysis and design?
- Design is iterative while analysis is linear
- Analysis is only one part of the entire design process
What was the biggest technical challenge in the construction of the Panama Canal?
Dealing with the slides at Culebra
For the white workers in the canal zone, daily life resembled:
A successful experiment in socialism
T or F: The engineering design process is a sequential step-by-step process that, when followed, lead directly to the correct solution of a problem.
True
Which two of the following ethical breaches best characterized the situation surrounding Sampoong Superstore collapse in Seoul, South Korea?
- Canon 6: Engineers shall act in such a manner as to uphold and enhance the honor, integrity, and dignity of the engineering profession and shall act with zero tolerance for bribery, fraud, and corruption
- Canon 4: Engineers shall act in profession matters for each employer of client as faithful agents or trustees, and shall avoid Conflicts of Interest
Which of the following were important pieces of speciality equipment on the Panama Canal project?
- Track Shifters
- Dirt Spreaders
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