Modern Engineering Challenges

1
Modern Engineering Challenges
2
New Challenges 1950s 70s

• Interstate Highway System
• Man on the Moon
• Introduction of the Computer
• Microchips
• Oil Spills
• Air pollution
• The 70s Oil Crisis

3
International Competiveness

• America moves from a goods producing economy to a
  service economy,
• Meanwhile the rest of the world continues to
  improve the manufacturing economy,
• Edward Deming, Total Quality Management
• Japan becomes the manufacturing envy of the
  world,

4
Rebuilding the Infrastructure

• Roads,
• Bridges,
• Airports,
• Sewage Treatment Plants,
• Water Treatment Plants,
• Dams and Waterways,

5
Pollution

• Air Pollution
• Major Cities and burning Fossil fuels,
• Photochemical Fog,
• Water Pollution
• Nineteenth Century,
• Raw Sewage being dumped into rivers and lakes,
• Cholera outbreaks,
• Twentieth Century,
• Improved Sewage treatment,
• Increased Industrial chemicals in the water,
• Lake Erie, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay

6
Acid Rain

• pH levels in rain begins to drop,
• Normal ph is 7.0,
• Northeastern United States drops to 4.1,
• Research shows that Appalachian forests are
  beginning to defoliate,

7
The Greenhouse Effect

• By the end of the nineteenth century carbon
  dioxide levels increase by 23 percent,
• Carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere,
• Consequences,
• Rise in sea levels,
• Beach erosion,
• Climate changes,

8
Energy

• 70s oil crisis,
• 80s oil glut,
• 90 of Americas fuel is based on fossil fuels,
• Why did Hurricane Katrina caused the price of
  gasoline to rise?,
• Alternative Fuels,
• Hydrogen,
• Solar,
• Electric.

9
Nuclear Energy

• 1960s Nuclear power is deemed to be the wave of
  the future,
• Cheaper than coal based energy,
• A government report entitled Wash-740 is
  released to the public,
• Detailed the deaths that would occur during a
  major nuclear accident,
• Industry Regulation begins,

Nuclear Accidents

• Three Mile Island, 1979,
• Chernobyl, 1986,

10
Todays Focus

• Green Technologies
• Sustainability of all energy types is a major
  focus for all Engineering fields.
• Realization that recycling alone will not answer
  the problem.

11
A Look at the Future

• Engineering will continue to increase in
  importance,
• Computers will continue to grow in importance,
• Renewable Energy (Sustainability) will grow in
  importance,
• Water will be a major problem,
• Transportation systems will be rejuvenated,