Engineering sample 1

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[Company name] [Company address]

Table of ContentsAbstract.................................................................................................................................................3

Introduction...........................................................................................................................................4

Engineering and the Environment.........................................................................................................4

The Role of an Engineer.........................................................................................................................5

The Energy Challenge........................................................................................................................5

Automobiles......................................................................................................................................6

Civil Engineering................................................................................................................................7

Chemical and Manufacturing Engineering.........................................................................................8

Electrical and Electronic Engineering.................................................................................................9

Environmental Engineering.............................................................................................................10

Structural Engineering.....................................................................................................................10

Conclusion...........................................................................................................................................12

References...........................................................................................................................................12

AbstractEngineers and their innovations are often held responsible for detrimental effects on the

environment and their responsibility towards the environment is questioned. In contrast with

popular belief however, engineers are well aware of their responsibility and recognise their

role as key drivers of environmental protection. Engineers are actively playing their part by

constantly innovating designs, products and processes and bring them in line with principles

of sustainability development. Such examples might be seen across every field in

engineering. Structural engineers for example are working on reducing industry dependence

on coal and concrete and are looking forward to support buildings with the help of using

wood and frames. Engineers are busy exploiting options to counter the energy challenge and

present the world with viable sources of commercial energy generation in the future.

Experiments in this context have been carried out with solar, wind and water energy.

Automobile engineers are also working towards reduction of carbon and harmful gas

emission and are attempting to create commercially viable vehicles that would make use of

solar, electric or hydrogen generated power. Engineers recognise that they like every other

citizen are responsible towards the environment and are playing their part in promoting

sustainability development in their design and field.

IntroductionWith continuing expansive growth in human population, the rate of consumption of available

natural resources is also increasing rapidly. It is being predicted that available reserves of

natural resources might only be fit for consumption for approximately 30 years leaving

human populations with very few options in post exhaustion scenario (Gamage et al, 2013).

Governments around the world are aware of the persistent problem of global warming and are

seeking active measures so as to limit the same. Scarcity of water fit for global consumption

and agricultural purposes is forcing individuals to look for ways which might be able to

effectively treat waste water or channelize river water thereby making it fit for usage.

Increasing levels of air pollution around the globe are also encouraging experiments with the

usage of solar energy in the automobile industry (Richardson & Michael, 2012).

Engineers with their knowledge and skills have an active role to play in a world faced with

challenging sustainability expectations. They have the capability of deploying their

knowledge and devising methods of tapping renewable sources of energy as a viable

alternative to natural resources. Automobile engineers might be able to improve vehicle

efficiency and reduce the amount of environmental pollution (Zalewski, 2014). Engineers

might foster sustainability development and design green buildings for reducing global

carbon footprint. Engineers might also work on devising ways to preserve biodiversity and

help sustain ecological balance of the world. Providing a holistic view of the situation, it

might be suggested that engineers can actively facilitate sustainability development and help

the world conquer environmental challenges that it is faced with today (Gidado, 2014).

In light of this discussion, this report is aimed at elaborating the role that an engineer can play

in protecting the environment. The report stresses on the fact that the environment is an

important concern for engineers as every engineer is socially and morally responsible for

impact of his/her design on the environment. Lastly, the report highlights areas where

engineers might successfully make use of their knowledge and skills so as to foster

sustainable development.

Engineering and the EnvironmentEngineers are often viewed as technical experts who are responsible for using materials and

available technology for creating designs and structures for human benefit and convenience.

In this context, their role and often their concerns towards the environment are often

questioned. It is believed that engineers are the ones responsible for causing maximum

damage to the environment by disrupting natural ecological balance (Rutkauskas, 2012). This

however is not true as engineers are equally responsible and concerned about the

environment. Technology cannot be simply deployed to processes as though it has no impact

on the environment and on existing ecological systems. Engineers have a responsibility to try

and devise new methods which would serve to move human activity in line with patters

which can be sustained in perpetuity (Allen & Shonnard, 2012).

This concern has led to the development of the concept of sustainability engineering. In

addition to changing the manner in which engineering designs are made, sustainability

engineering is allowing engineers to shift behaviour and consumption patterns. Engineers are

able to exercise their responsibility towards the society along with fulfilling their

responsibilities towards their immediate clients or customers (Basu et al, 2014).

Engineers will always continue to play a key role in designing and managing complex

systems or designing simple systems for management of complex needs. Sustainability

development however has served to redefine the context in which engineering skills and

knowledge needs to be deployed (Jerneck et al, 2011). Instead of presenting engineers with a

new set of tools, sustainability engineering has become the new integrative principle and a

new foundation on which technical and environmental issues can be dealt with together (Alwi

et al, 2014).

The Role of an EngineerComplying with principles of sustainability development, engineers are playing a vital role in

transforming processes and actions across all disciplines.

The Energy ChallengeEngineers are constantly faced with the challenge of meeting increasing global demands for

energy consumption. In accordance with research reports, current global use of commercial

energy is approximately equal to 9,700 million tonnes of oil on an annual basis (Jones et al,

2014). This demand is majorly fulfilled by fossil fuels which are depleting at a rapid rate.

Although developed countries like the U.S.A, U.K and Australia are undertaking active

attempts to cut back on their dependence on fossil fuels, demand from developing nations

such as India and China is on the rise (Rutkauskas, 2012).

Increasing evidence is suggestive of the fact coal is responsible for emitting most carbon

dioxide (as compared to other fossil fuels) per unit of energy that it delivers. The rate of

usage of coal in turn is responsible for notable detrimental effects on the environment (Taheri

Najafabadi, 2013). Although the use of nuclear power as a viable alternative to fossil fuels is

being examined in various parts of the world, associated issues (economic, political, safety

and disposal of radioactive waste) with nuclear power have not been resolved as of now

(Gidado, 2014).

In order to be able to successfully take on this challenge in the future and serve their

obligations towards the environment, engineers are attempting to tap renewable sources of

energy. Solar energy is the first source of consideration as the estimated amount of solar

energy which reaches the earth in a day is roughly equivalent to 30 years of global

commercial energy usage (Gamage et al, 2013).

Owing to their persistent efforts in this direction, engineers have succeeded in creating the

first ever fixed wing aircraft (also known as solar impulse) capable of utilizing solar power to

travel around the Earth. Solar impulse is a single seat monoplane which can take off under its

own power and can remain airborne for up to 36 hours (Gamage et al, 2013). The aircraft was

first tested in the year 2009 and its first successful flight consisted of completing entire

diurnal solar cycle. The aircraft could also successfully store solar energy and remained

airborne for 9 hours during the night. Subsequent successful multi-stage flights were carried

across Spain and U.S.A in 2012 and 2013 respectively (Jones et al, 2014).

In addition to making efforts for converting, storing and making use of solar energy,

engineers are also attempting to counter the energy challenge by trying to make use of wind,

water and biomass energy. With the help of continued research and experimentation,

engineers are devising new and efficient ways of finding long term viable alternatives to non-

renewable sources of energy (Miller, 2014).

Engineers firmly believe that renewable sources of energy have the required technical

potential to meet the ever increasing global energy demand and permanently replace energy

produced by fossil fuels. No single conversion technology however has been discovered till

date so as to make this possible. Continued attempts are being made in this direction (Allen &

Shonnard, 2012).

AutomobilesThe automobile industry is also hugely responsible for contributing to global warming owing

to its large energy consumption and exhaust gasses. In order to ensure continual delivery of

good performance coupled with environmental protection, engineers are working towards

making use of renewable sources of energy as fuel (Klotz et al, 2014). Experiments with

series hybrid concept (either fuel cell or combustion powered) are being conducted so as to

find viable replacements to non-renewable sources of energy. Electric cars have already

become a reality in several parts of the world although their cost of production and

commercial viability is still under the scanner (Azapagic & Persan, 2014). Similarly, a few

solar powered cars have also been produced and tested even though they are not

commercially viable as of now. Hydrogen is also being viewed as a fuel that might be used to

replace fossil fuels especially in transport applications (Costanza, 2012).

Alternately, engineers are also working on reducing carbon emission rates of current cars by

introducing carbon capture and storage techniques. These techniques are aimed at achieving

‘near zero’ carbon emissions and have been somewhat successful in achieving this objective

(Miller, 2014).

Civil EngineeringAnother such example might be cited from civil engineering where engineers have deployed

principles of sustainability development to a project called Jubilee River. Past engineering

efforts have witnessed the construction of various flood alleviation channels. Although these

were designed to protect established human communities from devastating effects of river

floods, they added no or extremely limited value to landscapes into which they were

constructed (Haselbach, 2011). Jubilee River however has been constructed keeping

sustainability principles in mind and has been designed so as to have various environmental

features of a natural river. The construction of Jubilee River was proposed as an alternative to

techniques (including upstream storage, creation of protective banks and relief channels) that

were available to reduce the risk of floods to communities settled along river Thames in the

UK (Costanza, 2012).

Civil engineers and planners while trying to devise a solution to reduce the risk of floods to

approximately 5,500 homes in Windsor, Eton and Maidenhead came up with a unique

proposition. They suggested the construction of a flood channel which has not been designed

like the traditional concrete channel but mostly like a natural river with numerous public and

wildlife amenities (Klotz et al, 2014). It was further proposed that this would significantly

reduce the risk of flooding and would deliver additional benefits of re-creating a natural

habitat that had been lost owing to previous damages inflicted by river Thames. The

proposition was strongly supported by the funding body of the scheme and the project was

constructed in reality. Jubilee River came to life with an average width of 45 m and a

maximum capacity of 200 m3/sec (Azapagic & Persan, 2014). It closely resembles river

Thames channel in that region in its size and capacity and has been extremely effective in

reducing flood risk (Costanza, 2012).

Chemical and Manufacturing EngineeringEngineers have successfully served their obligations towards the society and towards the

environment in fields of chemical and manufacturing engineering as well. For years, the

focus of sustainability engineering and impact on the environment has been discussed in

terms of global warming, depleting ozone layer and in motor vehicle industry where effects

on the environment are clearly obvious (Basu et al, 2014). However, products of everyday

use with less obvious impact on the environment have been ignored. The FMCG sector

(responsible for production and manufacturing of laundry cleaning products) is extremely fast

moving and highly competitive in the current market scenario (Haemmerle et al, 2012). The

sector is also the largest spender in terms of television advertising and has several multi-

national players constantly competing against one another. Fierce competition coupled with

the need to serve customers better has thus resulted in several product changes (including

changing to spray-dyed synthetic detergents from soap based powders, development of

effective bleaches, introduction of fabric washing agents in liquid form etc) (Huang & Wang,

2013).

Where these developments have tremendously served to improve customer convenience,

negative environmental impacts might be noticed in the form of foaming of rivers, non-

biodegradable packaging materials, using animals to carry out product safety tests,

contribution of fertilizers, detergents to addition of phosphates to lakes and rivers around the

world etc (Miller, 2014).

Engineers working the field of chemical and manufacturing engineering shouldered the

responsibility of reducing negative impacts of the FMCG sector on the environment. In this

respect, they created detergents and bleaching agents in unit-dose tablet formats and

introducing a net to hold these tablets. One major environmental benefit of these actions was

that they helped in reducing use of packaging and raw materials (Allen & Shonnard, 2012).

This in turn helped in reduction in environmental waste by several thousand tonnes on an

annual basis. Engineers involved in manufacturing of these detergents also undertook several

educational campaigns across Europe so as to communicate the industry’s sustainability

profile to consumers (Killeen et al, 2012). These campaigns were centred on educating

customers about the industry’s shift from one form of cleaning agents to the other along with

correct techniques of washing and conservation of resources. Complying with their

obligations for the environment, engineers have therefore taken active charge of changing the

outlook of FMCG sector and reducing its detrimental impact on the environment (Alwi et al,

2014).

Electrical and Electronic EngineeringMobile phones are the icon of the 21st century and the resultant of sophisticated software and

hardware engineering efforts. With the continued introduction of ever interesting and

interactive applications in the android marketplace and the Apple Store, this trend is expected

to continue (Mihelcic & Zimmerman, 2014). However, mass production of mobile phones

has recently come under the scrutiny for its detrimental effects on the environment. Among

potential impacts that are being discussed, human health risks are a major cause of concern.

In addition to these concerns life-cycle impacts on the environment are now being

investigated. Interventions are now in place to push responsibility of improvement on-to

manufacturers and designers of mobile phones (Marteel-Parrish & Abraham, 2013).

Engineers employed with leading phone manufactures such as Samsung, Apple and Nokia

are taking active initiatives so as to reduce environmental impacts from various products

utilised throughout their life-cycle (Haemmerle et al, 2012).

In various research attempts conducted by engineers employed with various organizations

revealed that component manufacture and use phase are biggest contributors to detrimental

environmental effects of a mobile phone (Mohammed et al, 2013). In the use phase, standby

power of the charger (assuming that the charger is left plugged in and has not been switched

off) is responsible for emission of radio waves which in turn cause disruptive effects on the

environment. In this context, engineering innovations have served to greatly reduce stand-by

consumption of the charger and therefore its environmental impact (Costanza, 2012).

Additional innovative engineering efforts have been undertaken and are concentrated on

designing for the environment. These efforts are focused on reducing energy consumption of

the printed circuit board and liquid crystal display (Haemmerle et al, 2012). Additional

efforts are also being undertaken so as to make use of individual components which can be

re-cycled after a phone has been utilised throughout its life-cycle. Engineers are also working

towards producing effective documentation and user manuals so as to enable consumers take

better care of their handsets and operate them in a manner so as to reduce hazardous impacts

on the environment and on self (Haselbach, 2011).

Environmental EngineeringIn addition to their contribution for improving sustainability in various primary engineering

fields, engineers have also served well to create building designs which can be re-used. In

order to foster sustainability development, it is essential that buildings and their land is re-

usable (Mihelcic & Zimmerman, 2014).

The Mossley Mill building was designed, re-furbished and constructed on the basis of various

environmental and social concerns. Additionally, engineers ensured that they design the

building in line with principles of sustainable development and that the building design can

be reused again and again without causing any damage to the surrounding ecological systems

of the area (Alwi et al, 2014).

Sustainable design of the building focussed on preservation and protection of species in the

region, prevent disruption of natural habitat, maintaining biodiversity of the region and

maintaining quality of pond water. It was ensured that contaminated land was removed on an

immediate basis and principles of green space usage were brought to forefront (Klotz et al,

2014). The building was designed in a manner so as to minimise energy consumption and

carbon footprint of the building on the environment. Double glass protection was utilised so

as to trap solar energy and facilitate natural heating in the building. Open spaces were

facilitated and plantation was utilized so as to maintain air quality of the building and keep

the environment conducive to human productivity (Haapala et al, 2013).

Structural EngineeringIn wake on recent findings linking impacts of structural design on the environment, structural

engineers are constantly making efforts in this direction. So as to provision structural designs

that are in line with requirements of the U.S Green Building council, engineers are working

to improve life cycle performance (Basu et al, 2014). Most structures in the current setting

are designed in order to ensure that initial costs are minimised as opposed to whole life costs.

Citing the example of bridges in this context it might be suggested that maintenance and

demolition costs often tend to increase costs of construction. However, whole-life design

costs rarely receive the required amount of attention (Alwi et al, 2014). Small increase in

costs incurred during initial construction phases might greatly serve to reduce costs

throughout the project life-cycle. This might be attributed to the fact that paying extra

attention to the construction phase and deploying only quality raw materials would serve to

reduce the need for maintenance and demolition thereby making structures more sustainable

in nature (Haselbach, 2011). Paying attention to construction and reducing overall life-cycle

costs remains an obvious goal for engineers today. Joerg Conzett’s Traversina Bridge in

Switzerland is an excellent example of design where structural engineers utilised their

knowledge and skills to reduce whole life-cycle costs of the bridge. The elegant design of the

structure also proved beneficial for deriving environmental benefits in the area (Johnson &

Gibson, 2014).

Structural engineers are further working to specify recycled materials. In accordance with

traditional engineering approaches, natural resources are mined and then converted into

useful materials (Shields et al, 2014). This practice however is not sustainable as natural

resources are limited and engineers need to begin looking for alternate sources which can be

deployed into the field of structural design and construction (Alwi et al, 2014). In order to

overcome this challenge, engineers are beginning to exploit the possibilities of making use of

material that has already been used. For example, one engineering study indicates that more

copper might be located in the built environment as compared to the natural environment.

Efficient methods are being designed to extract and re-use this copper (Haapala et al, 2013).

Reusing copper would not only help engineers in dealing with copper shortage but will also

curtail costs associated with land filling and waste disposal. Methods are also being exploited

to make concrete out of salvaged materials, fly ash and other possible waste products

(Costanza, 2012).

Structural design engineers are also aiming to improve flexibility of their designs so as to

allow future changes to take place freely. The Stansted Airport Terminal in England is an

excellent example of engineering design which is flexible and made with the help of recycled

materials (Mathaisel et al, 2012). The building has been constructed with the help of long

steel modules and these allow for the building to contract and expand as and when required.

As the use of this building evolves over time, the current structure would allow for changes to

be made by causing minimum possible damage. It would not be necessary to dismantle the

structure and start from scratch. Such a structure would be extremely beneficial while

planning ahead of time and trying to save costs (Costanza, 2012).

Lastly, structural engineers are working towards making use of alternative materials in their

design. The branch of structural engineering primarily depends on two main raw materials

namely steel and concrete (Miller, 2014). Production of both of these materials requires high

amounts of energy and carbon emission from the process is extremely high. In wake of this

realisation structural engineers are attempting to look for alternate materials (especially those

with lower environmental impact). The Japanese Pavilion at Hannover Exposition is a

brilliant example of construction without any significant use of steel or concrete. The grid

shell which spans up to 35 meters is produced primarily with the help of paper tubes that can

be easily recycled at the end of exposition (Killeen et al, 2012). In addition to being

constructed from paper, the Pavilion was supported with the help of simple foundation

materials such as wood and stand. This clearly demonstrates the fact that the concepts of

physics and engineering can be deployed to construct structures without depending on any

particular construction material (Alwi et al, 2014).

ConclusionLooking at the above discussion, it might be concluded that engineers are often viewed as

technical experts and their role and often their concerns towards the environment are often

questioned. . It is believed that engineers are the ones responsible for causing maximum

damage to the environment by disrupting natural ecological balance. This however is not true

as engineers are equally responsible and concerned about the environment. So as to fulfil

energy global energy demands of the future, engineers are attempting to tap renewable

sources of energy. This includes solar energy, wind energy and biomass energy. Pioneers in

civil engineering have constructed projects like Jubilee River which in addition to offering

flood control benefits, serves to preserve the environment in an excellent manner. Chemical

engineers have worked tremendously so as to reduce the detrimental effects of chemicals

deployed in the FMCG sector on the environment. Structural engineers are working towards

developing buildings which are flexible and can be reused and reconstructed as and when

required. Structural engineers are also working towards reducing industry dependence on

steel and concrete. In summary, engineers are able to exercise their responsibility towards the

society along with fulfilling their responsibilities towards their immediate clients or

customers.

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