Article By the President
By Brandt Saxey, SEAU President
Engineering's Benefit to Society
There is a saying: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Taken literally, it suggests a sixteen-fold return on preventative measures. As structural engineers, we are more than familiar with the phrase “life-safety”, and it can be used often enough that we sometimes lose sight of its significance. But there may be no more effective way to prevent unnecessary loss, and to improve the quality of life for the public than through the efforts of the Engineering Profession.
The Civil and Structural Engineering professions play fundamental roles in the transformation of developing countries into developed countries. Safe buildings and infrastructure are the backbone of economic development, public health, and overall quality of life. While our friends in the medical profession are undoubtedly noble and heroic, preventing injuries and the loss of life before they happen are much more effective measures than reparative treatments ever can be.
Consider the difference between the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta (California) earthquake. These earthquakes had similar magnitudes of 7.0 and 6.9 respectively, yet the impacts on the surrounding populations were vastly different. The Haiti earthquake represents a tragedy that may be unprecedented in human history, resulting in the loss of life of approximately 230,000 people, whereas the similarly sized Loma Prieta earthquake resulted in only 63 deaths, a more than 3,650-fold decrease. Even if Haiti’s higher population density is considered (10x-20x higher than in Loma Prieta), the adjusted losses in Loma Prieta would only be around 1,260 people, or a 183-fold decrease. This isn’t coincidence, but rather the result of improved engineering and construction standards and it implies that an ounce of prevention is worth much more than a pound of cure.
The pattern seen in Loma Prieta is not limited to earthquakes, but also holds for other types of natural disasters – hurricanes, floods, tsunamis and more. Robust engineering and construction standards produce communities that are not only safer but also more resilient and better equipped to recover from disasters.
As engineers, we are members of a noble profession that is responsible for some of humankinds’ most significant improvements in quality of life. Our minimum standard – life safety – is representative of this ideal. And from this minimum standard we strive to provide the public with even more - communities that remain functional and resilient through earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods and so much more.
As we begin a new year for SEAU, let us remind ourselves of the vital work that we perform as Professional and Structural Engineers. Let us remember that each ounce of effort we invest results in immeasurable pounds of benefit to society.
