Engineering Professional

Practice

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 Engineering Professional Practice
Ch1:Hisotry of Engineering Practices( 3hrs)
Ch2: Profession and ethics(6 hrs)
Ch3: Professional Practices in Nepal( 3 hrs.)
Ch4: Sector contract Management (6hrs)
Ch5: Regulatory Environment (5hrs)
Ch6: Contemporary Issues in Engineering (3hrs)
Ch7: Case studies based on Engineering
Practices(4 hrs)

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 History of Engineering Practices
Man and Society
Technology and Society
History of Engineering Practice in Eastern
Society
History of Engineering Practice in Western
Society
Engineering Practices in Nepal

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 Definitions of Society
A.W. Green:
the largest group to which any individual belongs
Schaefer and Lamm:
the largest form of human group, which consists of people
who share common heritage and culture.
Ian Robertson:
society gives content, direction and meaning to our lives,
and we, in turn, in countless ways, reshape the society that
we leave to the next generation. Society is a population that
occupies the same territory, is subject to the same political
authority and participates in a common culture.
John F. Cuber:
a group of people who have lived long enough to become
organized and to consider themselves and considered as a
unit more or less distinct from other human units.
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 Definitions of Society
Ginsberg:
collection of individuals united by certain relation or modes
of behavior, which mark them off from others who do not
enter into these relations or who differ from them in
behavior
P. Gisbert:
complicated network of social relationships by which every
human being is interconnected with his fellowmen.
MacIver and Page:
system of usages and procedures, authority and mutual aid,
of many groupings and divisions, of controls of human
behavior and of liberties.
Catechism:
A society is a group of persons bound together organically by
a principle of unity that goes beyond each one of them.
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 Main Elements of Society
1.People and plurality:
Society consists of people of both sexes, of all ages, of
different ideas, race, color.
2.Likeness:
 Likeness of members in a social group is the primary basis
of their mutuality.
 May be in the beginning assumed or real common lineage,
tribal affinity, family benefit or the compactness due to a
common to time inculcated between and among the
members in the group the feeling of likeness.
 Likeness means mutuality, and that means Society.
 Likeness is the one element which must have strongly
stimulated the group feelings in bringing men, women and
children together. Likeness is the link-up for mutuality.

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 Main Elements of Society......
3. Differences:
 Sense of likeness in not always sufficient. It alone is not
adequate for social organization. The social structure of
humanity is based on the family which rests upon the biological
differences between the sexes, viz, men and women.
 The economic structure of society is based upon division of
labor in which the professions and economic activities of
people are different or dissimilar.
 They differ from each other in respect of their interests,
capacities, abilities and tendencies etc.
 Life would be boring, monotonous, prosaic and uninteresting if
differences are not present.
 We cannot imagine a society in which all people are adults or
all old or all young.
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 Main Elements of Society......
4. Interdependence:
 Society implies interdependence. It is another essential
element to constitute society. It is not possible for
human being to satisfy his desire in isolation.
 He cannot live alone. He needs the help of others for his
survival.
 One depends upon the other for the satisfaction of
one's needs.
 Today not only countries but also continents depend
upon one another.
 Likewise, communities, social groups and nations are
also interdependent.
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 Main Elements of Society......
5.Co-Operation :
 Society is based on co-operation. It is the very basis of
social life.
 Unless people cooperate with each other they cannot
lead a happy and comfortable life.
 No society can be healthy and prosperous without co-
operation. Family rests on co-operation with one
another to live happily.
 In the words of P.Gisbert “co-operation is the most
elementary process of social life without which society is
impossible”.
 Co-operation avoids mutual destructiveness and results
in economy 9
 Main Elements of Society......
6. Conflict:
 Conflict is an ever present phenomenon present in
every human society.
 Not only cooperation but also conflict in necessary for
the formation of society. Conflict is a process of struggle
through which all things have come into existence.
 George Simmel maintained that a conflict free
harmonious society is practically an impossibility.
 There is no denying the fact that society requires for its
formation and growth both harmony and disharmony,
cooperation and conflict.
 Maclver states that "Society is co-operation crossed by
conflict". 10
 Main Elements of Society......
7.Stable and dynamic:
 Society is relatively stable; the norms, values, and
culture are normally stable.
 Yet, society is dynamic.
 Some elements of a society change slowly, and some
change rapidly, depending on external and internal
factors.

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 Types of Society
Sociologists have classified the different types of societies into
six categories:
 Tribal: hunting and gathering society: hunts for meat, gathers
natural products, do not produce food
 Pastoral: domesticate animals, mostly sheep, goat, chicken,
for meat
 Horticultural: domesticate plants, awareness of plant from
seed, slash and burn
 Agricultural: cultivation of crops, animal energy,
irrigation, saving of seed, feudal, beginning of town and cities
 Industrial: mechanized production, mass production, large
cities and slums
 Post-industrial: information, communication and service,
generation of knowledge 12
 Hunting and gathering society
 Earliest form of society.
 The members survive primarily by hunting, trapping, fishing,
and gathering edible plants.
 A majority of the members' time is spent looking for and
gathering food.
 Family is the society's primary institution. Family determines
the distribution of food and how to socialize children.
 Hunting and gathering societies are nomadic, which means
that they move constantly in order to find food and water.
 Members of hunting and gathering societies are mutually
dependent upon each other.
 Although there is equal division of labor among the
members of hunting and gathering societies, there is division
of labor based on sex.
 Men are typically responsible for hunting, and women are
typically gatherers.
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 Pastoral society
 began around 12,000 years ago.
 These societies rely on products obtained through the
domestication and breeding of animals for
transportation and food.
 Domesticating animals allows for a more manageable
food supply than do hunting and gathering.
 Pastoral societies are common in areas where crops
cannot be supported, for example in North Africa.
 Unlike hunting and gathering societies, pastoral
societies only have to move when the land in which the
animals graze is no longer usable.
 Pastoral societies also allow for job specialization, since
not everyone is needed to gather or hunt for food. For
example, while some people breed animals, others are
able to produce tools or clothing, which allows for
specialization in these areas. 14
 Horticultural society
 Pastoral societies rely on domesticating animals,
horticultural societies rely on cultivating fruits,
vegetables, and plants.
 These societies first appeared in different parts of
the planet about the same time as pastoral
societies.
 Like hunting and gathering societies, horticultural
societies had to be mobile.
 Horticultural societies occasionally produced a
surplus, which permitted storage as well as the
emergence of other professions not related to the
survival of the society.
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 Agricultural society
 People rely on cultivate crops (especially grains like wheat,
rice, corn) over a large area for their subsistence.
 Use the phrase Agricultural Revolution . Began around 8500
years ago
 Increases in food supplies then led to larger populations
than in earlier communities.
 Greater degrees of social stratification appeared in
agricultural societies.
 As villages and towns expanded into neighboring areas,
conflicts with other communities inevitably occurred.
 Farmers provided warriors with food in exchange for
protection against invasion by enemies.
 nobility organized warriors to protect the society from
invasion.
 nobility managed to extract goods from the “lesser” persons
of society.
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 Industrial society
 Industrial societies are based on using machines to produce
goods.
 Industrial revolution brought significant changes in almost
every aspect of society.
 The Industrial Revolution appeared first in Britain, and then
quickly spread to the rest of the world.
 As productivity increased, means of transportation
improved to better facilitate the transfer of products from
place to place.
 Great wealth was attained by the few who owned factories,
and the “masses” found jobs working in the factories.
 The Industrial Revolution also saw to the development of
bureaucratic forms of organization, complete with written
rules, job descriptions, impersonal positions, and
hierarchical methods of management.
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 Postindustrial society
• With the advent of the computer microchip, the
world is witnessing a technological revolution.
• This revolution is creating a postindustrial society
based on information, knowledge, and the selling
of services.
• That is, rather than being driven by the factory
production of goods, society is being shaped by
the human mind, aided by computer technology.
• Although factories will always exist, the key to
wealth and power seems to lie in the ability to
generate, store, manipulate, and sell information.

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 Types of Society
• Ancient communism • Stone age
societies
• Copper age
• Slave age societies
• Iron age
• Feudal societies
• Silicon age
• Capitalism
• Socialism
• Communism
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 Factors of Social Change
 Physical environment:
Physically easily accessible society changes rapidly than
those located in remote (difficult to access) areas
 Information, knowledge and skills:
Rate of social change depends on access to information,
ability to put together the information into knowledge,
ability to convert the knowledge into skills
 Natural causes:
Earthquake, landslide, flood, desertification, and
tsunami disintegrate social fabric and changes society.
 Human activities:
International War, Civil War, displacement for
“developmental” activities, industrial accidents, mass
migration
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 Theories of Social Change
Cyclical:
 Social Change is a natural process and rise ups and
downs, birth and death,
 Oswald Spengler: approximate 1000 year cycle.
 Critics of this theory cite examples that do not follow
the 1000 year cycle.
Evolution:
 Society change from simple to complex
 Changing with time, getting complex with time, society
continuously develops through time and change.
 Society progresses in each stage.
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 Theories of Social Change.......
Functionalist:
Changes as required to keep the whole society
functioning, when particular part of a society
changes.
August Comte, Herbert Spencer, Emile
Durkheim, and Talcott Parsons propagate this
theory.
This theory emphasizes on changing role of
different parts of a society to maintain
stability of a society.

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 Theories
Conflict:
of Social Change.........
 Based on Karl Marx and Engels (1818-1883/1820-1895)
society consists of classes
 Class conflict between haves and have-nots.
 Unequal groups usually have conflicting values and agendas,
causing them to compete against one another.
 Cycle of thesis , antithesis and synthesis continues in the
society
 Thesis: existing condition of society(contradictions&
Antagonism)
 Antithesis: contradictions & Antagonism pose threats to
existing society
 Synthesis: Conflict between thesis and antithesis needs to
resolved and resolution stage is antithesis
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 TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
• Technology and human life cannot be separated;
• We use technology; depend on technology in our daily
life and our needs and demands for technology keep
on rising.
• Humans use technology to travel, to communicate, to
learn, to do business and to live in comfort.
• Its poor application has resulted in the pollution of the
environment and it has also caused a serious threat to
our lives and society.
• The biggest challenge facing people is to determine the
type of future we need to have and then create
relevant technologies which will simplify the way we
do things.
• Technology impacts the environment, people and the
society as a whole. 24
Positive Impacts Of Technology On Society
a) Impact on Agriculture
Food Production
• Food production mechanized, food production increasing, Green Revolution
Food Processing
• Food processing getting complex, requiring industrial management
Food Preservation
• Food security increasing, for most, better food preservation
Mechanization
• Mechanization of agriculture/food processing
Commercialization
• From subsistence to cash crop, patented seeds and food processing
techniques
Food Variety
• Increasing, year round availability, no more seasonal
Fertilizer/Pesticide
• From organic to chemical, pesticide use increasing
Water use
• Increasing due to cash crops & agricultural intensification; reduced by micro-
irrigation 25
b Impact on Communication
 Information generation and dissemination
• Increasing access to information
 Mass communication(Newspaper, Magazines, FM Radio,
TV, instant/breaking news)
• Enhanced public awareness, timely information to people
 Internet and Social Media
• Increased access to information, social media influencing
design of communication techniques
 Telephone, mobile phone
• Increased and easier access to telephone
 Virtual Meeting, virtual reality, tele-medicines
• Less need of physical presence in meeting, distance
medicine services and remote controller operation possible

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C. Impact on Construction Methods
 Construction Technology
• Labor based technology gradually replaced by capital based
technology
 Construction materials
• Better materials, light weight, fire proof, glass as structural
elements, increased use of aluminum, prefabricated, pre-stressed
 Size of infrastructure
• Increasing
 Mechanization, Automation, and Robotics use
• More mechanization, automation and robotics use
 Construction Project Management
• From ad hoc and haphazard decisions to scientific and systematic
management tools, like CPM, PERT, and software like MS Project,
Primevera, Project Management
 ICT use for construction site control
• Better access control, better safety, better material management

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D. Impacts on Family Structure, Culture and Livelihood
 Family
• Family relation more complex, IV-fertilization, test-tube baby, cloning,
surrogacy, same sex marriage, family size reducing, micro-family getting
possible, life span increasing, change in status of female and disabled
 Tradition/Culture
• Traditions-values challenged and altered or replaced ,heritage preservation
better
 Recreation
• Traditional dances/music/drama/games giving ways to movies, video games,
theme parks, pay per view
 Social Norms and Values
• Social norms and values increasingly challenged and altered or replaced,
social class disintegrating, new economic class emerging
 Language
• International language use increasing, language getting standardized, brail
script & sign language use increasing
 Livelihood and living standard
• Livelihood diversification & specialization increasing, Living standard & HDI
increasing, poverty decreasing, employment opportunity increasing, price
decreasing
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e) Impact on Transportation
 Land transportation
• Road, multi level roads, railways
 Underground
• Metro/Underground railways
 Water
• Naval transportation, river navigation
 Air
• Air cargo, air travel, air ambulance
 Transportation safety
• Increasing

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Effects of Major Technological Developments
a) 2D and 3D Printing:
• written and mass produced record of agreements, laws,
rules, regulations, guidelines, procedure, manuals,
books, newspapers, magazines, journals, easily available
Effects:
• need to memorize diminished, information available
when needed
• Judgment based on written laws rather than wisdom of
justices,
• 3D printing: can change production mode; from micro-
components to 3D maps to house and bridges

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Effects of Major Technological Developments ....

b) Dynamite:
• Explosives, Dynamite, Warfare, Colonization,
Endangered species, Crime, Terrorism
Effects:
warfare getting increasingly violent and costly,
species getting
extinct, increasing use of gunpowder in crimes
and terrorist activities

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Effects of Major Technological Developments ......

c) Automation/Mechanization:
• Industrial production, agricultural mechanization,
transportation,
robotics, automation,
Effects:
• Lower cost of goods and food
• Easier movement over long distances
• Standardization and interchangeability of design, size,
shape
• Safer working environment for dangerous jobs
• Higher living standard, material comfort

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Effects of Major Technological Developments .....

d) Organic Chemistry
• Plastic, Polymer, plastic, Construction glues, fossil
fuel, construction
materials
Effects:
New materials: including construction materials,
PPR pipes,
PVC pipes, synthetic glues, synthetic clothes, bio-
degradable plastic,
light weight and stronger materials, water proofing,
paint
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Effects of Major Technological Developments ........
e)Effects of developments in Internet, Communication
Satellite Communication Satellites
• Mass Communication: Radio, TV, Newspaper, Internet,
WWW, social media, virtual meetings, Satellite maps,
GIS, GPS, Map making, Open Source Mapping, Google
Maps, Global Circulation Modeling, Surveying, Wild Fire
detection, Early Warning
Effects:
• ICT development, TV, GPS, Satellite Maps, Weather
forecasting, Climate Modeling, LiDAR, GIS based
planning (urban, land use etc), Remote Sensing

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 Industry 1.0 to Industry 4.0

4. Industrial
revolution
Based on cyber-physical-
systems

3. Industrial revolution
Through the use of electronics
and IT further progression in
autonomous production

2. Industrial revolution

Level of complexity
Introducing mass production
lines powered by electric
energy

1. Industrial revolution
Introducing mechanical
production machines powered
by water and steam
Industry 1.0 Industry 2.0 Industry 3.0 Industry 4.0
End of the Beginning of the Beginning of the Today
18th century. 20th century 70th
Source: DFKI/Bauer IAO
 Cyber Physical Systems

•A cyber-physical system (CPS) is a system of collaborating

computational elements controlling physical entities.
•CPS are physical and engineered systems whose operations are
monitored, coordinated, controlled and integrated by a
computing and communication core.
•They allow us to add capabilities to physical systems by merging
computing and communication with physical processes.
Building blocks of Industry 4.0
Autonomous
Robots

Big data
Simulation
analytics

Augmented
Artificial
reality/Virtual Industry 4.0 Inteligence
Reality

Industrial
3D Printing Internet of
Things

Cyber Security
 Eastern & Western Society
The human societies in the world have been
broadly divided into two, as following on the
bases of its beginning, compositions and values
and cultures.
1. Western society, and
2. Eastern society.

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 Eastern Society
• The values accorded by the culture to the
individual and groups in the eastern societies
are to achieve high morality, power of truth,
and achievement in religious activities.
• They, who have achieved those, are regarded
higher than those acquiring materialistic and
physical objects.
• The Saint, Mahatma, Sadhu are examples.

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 Western Society
In the western societies, the following values are
regarded as the success in lives-
• Achievement & success,
• Activity and work,
• Moral orientation,
• Efficiency and practicability,
• Progress,
• Material comforts,
• Equality,
• Freedom,
• Use of technology,
• Individualistic,
• High concern over time.
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 Engineering practices in earlier days can only be traced
from dusty manuscripts, and crumbling relics, explains
as well the state of the world today as all the accounts
of kings and philosophers, generals and politicians.
 Civilization has arisen only when men discovered how
to raise crops and tame animals about 10,000 years
ago. The revolution seems first taken place in the hills
that curve around to the north of Iraq and Syria. From
Iraq and Syria, agriculture revolution quickly spread to
the valley of the Nile and the Indus, which in turn
became centers of cultural radiations.
 Agricultural revolution brought about changes fully. In
3000 to 4000 BC, some of the farming villages of the
Near and Middle East grew into cities. Then with a rush
came metals, writings, large-scale government, science
and other features of civilization, which save times for
other works.
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 Wealth and experiences piled up. Men undertook projects
too large for a single craftsman, even with the help of his
sons and apprentices.
 Those projects called for the work of hundred or even
thousands of men, organized and directed towards a
common goal.
 Hence arose a new class of men- the technician and
Engineers.
 The technicians and engineers could negotiate with the king
or priesthood for building a public works plans the details
and directing the workmen.
 They combined practical experiences with knowledge of
general, theoretical principles.
 Sometimes they were inventors, as well as contractors,
designers and foremen, but all were men who could
imagine something new and transfer a mental picture into
physical reality.
 The mere fact of having large interconnected populations,
thus, meant that inventions took place at faster rate than
before, those inventions in turn made denser and more
widely interconnected population possible.

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 Moreover, the inventions on which civilization was
founded tended to spread.
 These inventions did not spread out evenly in all
directions.
 They spread along trade route, and they spread to lands
where these ideas could be profitably applied.
 Natural barriers such as deserts, and oceans stopped
the spread; and they died out where conditions made
them useless.
 Civilization failed to penetrate the Negro-Africa, being
stopped by the barrier of the Sahara desert, the swamps
of the White Nile, and the mountains of Abyssinia.
 Similarly, old world civilization failed to leap the watery
barriers to reach the Pacific Islands, Australia, or the
Americas.
 In another millennium, however the people of Central
and South America began independently to develop
their own civilizations.
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• Irrigators, Architects and Military engineers were the
first engineers.
• They were expected to be an expert at all three kinds of
works. The Babylonian Gugallu or irrigation inspector
was such an expert.
• Soon the kings who ruled cities desired houses larger
and more comfortable than the huts of stones, clay and
reeds wherein people had been living. So, they called
upon Architects to build Palaces.
• Next, the priests insisted that the Gods would be
offended, as they were not housed at least as splendid as
the kings. So, the architects put up temples, containing
statues of the gods and other arts of work.
• To protect the wealth of the Gods and the Kings, military
engineers built walls and dug moats around cities.
Where stones were not available, bricks were used.
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 History of Engineering Practice in
Eastern Society
Engineering practices in eastern societies can be with
significant events as follows.
1. During 5000 BC, civilization developed near Yanshao,
where people roamed seeking new soil for animals and
agriculture. People used earthen pottery and stone tools.

2. During 4000 BC, early Chinese communities planned cities

according to Grid pattern with intersecting streets at right
angles to each other.

3. During 3300 – 3200 BC, Egyptians first developed a system

of Division of Labor on closed societies in Sumar and
Egypt, particularly among merchants and metal workers.
 Engineering Practice in Eastern.....
5. During 3500-3000 BC, in Sumeria, the appearance of
towns and cities coincide with the production and
distribution of goods through trades.
6. In 132 AD, Chinese philosopher Chang Heng invented
a Seismoscope.
7. In 510 AD, China’s Grand Canal (Shan-Yang) in
southern China was built connecting Yangtze (Chang-
Jiang) and Huang-He (yellow river), which played a
lifeline for north China providing a transportation
route for grains and commodities.
8. During 704 AD, the Buddhist text “Dharani Sutra” was
printed in Korea during 704-751 AD, using block-
printing technique. It is the oldest existing printed
book.
 Engineering Practice in Eastern.......
9. In 805 AD, the forerunners of Gun were invented,
which is called ‘fire lance’, early models consisting of
Roman Candles tied two spears, resembling flame
throwers.
10.In 1040 AD, Chinese writer Tseng Kung – Liang
published the first known Gun-powder formula for
use in three weapons- a. Bomb held by a king of
catapult, b. Bomb with hooks and c. Poison smoke
ball
11.In 1045-1048 AD, Pi-Sang invented movable type of
printing. Printing with movable type was developed
in Europe in mid 15th century.
Engineering Practice in Eastern.....
12.In 1250 AD, true guns with a gun powder
chamber and strengthening explosion chamber
to prevent splitting appeared in China. In less
than a century, guns reached in Europe and
changed to characters of medieval warfare.
13.In 1805 AD, Habaoka Seishu performed the first
Surgery under a general anesthesia in Japan.
14.The Iranians built many bridges, however of
which some survive from the time of Shapur-I
(300 AD).
 Engineering Practice in Eastern......
15.In 400 AD, the Sassaid kings built a great palace
at Ctesiphon, which was a capital on Tigris,
north east of deserted Babylon and downstream
from the village of Baghdad. Part of this palace
still stands, including most of the vaulted dining
hall –“the widest single span vault of
unreinforced brick work in the world.” The vault
is 77 feet wide at the base and 112 feet high.

16.In 515 BC, Persian building method with stone

instead of wood introduced in to India when
Darius conquered the Punjab.
 History of Engineering Practice in
Western Society
Engineering practices in western societies can be traced out
with significant events as follows.
1. In 3000-1000 BC, Stonehenge – a monument consisting of
concentric circles of stone oriented towards the Sun
position on the summer solstice in England.
2. In 300-100 AD, agriculture and power appeared in ancient
Mesoamerica.
3. In 250-900 AD, Maya created and maintained a
sophisticated pair of interlocking calendar to help them
plan ceremonies.
4. In 1268 AD, English scientist and philosopher Roger banon
records a statement about using lenses to improve vision
with eyeglasses. At the end of 13th century, many wealthy
and elite people in Europe, Asia, and Africa wear glasses.
 Engineering Practice in Western......
5. In 1487 AD Aztee ruler Ahuizotl dedicated the new Tempo
Mayor (great temple), an enormous double pyramid in
Tenochtitlan to the warrior God of the Sun.
6. In 1673 AD, English Mathematician, John Hadlley and
American inventor Thomas Godfery independently
invented the Sextant, an optical instrument to measure
angular distance between any two objects.
7. In 1747-1752 AD, American Scientist Benjamin Franklin
theorized that lightning is a form of electricity.
8. In 1780 AD, Scottist inventor James Watt and English
manufacturer Matthew Boulton began manufacturing a
steam engine for individual use.
9. In 1793 AD, American Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin,
a device that rapidly and effectively removes the seeds
from cotton fiber.
 Engineering Practice in Western......
10. In 1807 AD, American inventor and engineer Robert
Fulton inaugurated a new era of power driven
navigation as a steamboat.
11. In 1660 AD, a fine opportunity for planned city was
offered after a great fire of London by John Evelyn,
the diarist and civil servant and Christopher Wren, an
architect to Charles II for rebuilding the burnt city
before the ashes cool down.
12. In 1548-1620, Simon Stevin discovered the triangle of
forces in Netherlands, which helped to calculate the
actual load on the members of cranes, trusses and
other structures.