- Good
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- Nov 07, 2020
Henry Petroski Quotes
Most Famous Henry Petroski Quotes of All Time!
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- Last Updated on May 30, 2021
- Emphasize
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- Nov 07, 2020
I emphasize that virtually every engineering calculation is ultimately a failure calculation, because without a failure criterion against which to measure the calculated result, it is a meaningless number.
- Failure
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- Nov 07, 2020
I employ case studies of failure into my courses, emphasizing that they teach us much more than studies of success. It is not that success stories cannot serve as models of good design or as exemplars of creative engineering. They can do that, but they cannot teach us how close to failure they are.
- Failure
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- Nov 07, 2020
Case studies of failure should be made a part of the vocabulary of every engineer so that he or she can recall or recite them when something in a new design or design process is suggestive of what went wrong in the case study.
- Design
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- Nov 07, 2020
Any design, whether it's for a ship or an airplane, must be done in anticipation of potential failures.
- Hard
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- Nov 07, 2020
There's so much written about the Titanic, and it's hard to separate what's fact and what's fiction. My understanding is that the way the Titanic was designed, the emphasis was placed on surviving a head-on collision.
- Future
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- Nov 07, 2020
The paradox is that when we model future designs on past successes, we are inviting failure down the line; when we take into account past failures and anticipate potential new ways in which failure can occur, we are more likely to produce successful designs.
- Look
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- Nov 07, 2020
I relax by looking at things and reading about things. Even the simplest thing can reveal a great deal about the world around us. It relaxes me greatly to sit back with my feet up and look around my study at the everyday things that surround me.
- History
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- Nov 07, 2020
I was always told that I was good in mathematics, and I guess my grades and standardized test scores supported that. My worst subjects were those that generally involved a lot of reading - English and history. So, having good test scores in math and mediocre ones in reading, I was naturally advised to major in engineering in college.
- History
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- Nov 07, 2020
I'm a firm believer that no matter how small an object is, you can find interesting things out about it and its history.
- Important
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- Nov 07, 2020
Read and write with a sensitive ear. The craft of writing is very important. Practice the craft.
- Experience
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- Nov 07, 2020
Indeed, an engineer designing a structure is not unlike an artist painting one. Both start with nothing but talent, experience, and inspiration. The fresh piece of paper on the drawing board is as blank as the newly stretched piece of canvas.
- Blame
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- Nov 07, 2020
We can't simply blame the engineers when things go wrong because, no matter how well they plan, things don't always go according to plan.
- Leave
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- Nov 07, 2020
We call the fates of the Titanic and the Concordia - as well as those of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia - 'accidents.' Foreseeing such undesirable events is what engineers are expected to do. However, design trade-offs leave technological systems open to failings once predicted, but later forgotten.
- Dock
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- Nov 07, 2020
Companies selling a product play down its vulnerability and emphasize its robustness. But only after technology leaves the dock is it really tested. For human operators in control of a supposedly infallible system, complacency and overconfidence can take over, and caution may be thrown to the wind.
- First Place
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- Nov 07, 2020
Typically, highway bridges have about 50 years. But over in England, they have iron bridges approaching 250 years. In France, there are Roman aqueducts that are approaching 2,000 years old. So a bridge can last a very long time if it's built properly in the first place and then maintained properly.
- People
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- Nov 07, 2020