Professional Ethics in Engineering, Part 6: The Citicorp Center Case

Summary

In this compelling story, Professor Michael Louie discusses the engineering challenges faced by William Lameer, a distinguished structural engineer who designed the City Corp Center in New York. The building, supported by unique central columns and wind braces, was found to have a serious design flaw when bolted joints replaced welded ones, weakening the structure. Lameer took personal responsibility for the problem, managing costly repairs to ensure the building's integrity. His actions highlight the social obligation engineers have toward public safety, and the case underscores the importance of ethical responsibility in engineering.

Takeaways

• 😀 William Lameer, a distinguished structural engineer, designed the City Corp Center skyscraper in New York City in the 1970s.
• 😀 The City Corp Center's design included nine-story high columns placed at the center of each side of the building, rather than at the corners, to avoid a church located at one corner of the block.
• 😀 Lameer introduced an innovative system of wind braces, consisting of 48 chevron-shaped steel members, to direct weight toward the center columns.
• 😀 In June 1978, a student's question led Lameer to re-examine his design, revealing that under certain wind conditions, the forces on the braces were 40% larger than originally calculated.
• 😀 The replacement of welded joints with bolted joints during construction had weakened the building's structure, making it susceptible to failure in strong winds.
• 😀 Calculations indicated that a storm with sufficiently strong winds, occurring about once every 16 years, could cause the building to collapse.
• 😀 Lameer took personal responsibility for the issue, and quickly developed a plan to secure the joints by welding steel plates over 200 of them, ensuring the building's integrity.
• 😀 City Corp's CEO, Walter Wriston, supported Lameer’s plan and allocated resources to manage the repairs, which included the installation of strain gauges and coordination with local agencies for evacuation plans.
• 😀 Despite rumors about the building’s issues, the media did not report on them due to a strike that lasted until repairs were completed.
• 😀 After two months of repairs, the building could withstand storms that were expected only once every 700 years, making it one of the most structurally sound buildings in New York City.
• 😀 Lameer emphasized the social obligation of engineers to prioritize the safety of society, beyond just their client’s interests, and the importance of taking responsibility even after a project is delivered.

Q & A

Who was William Lameer, and what role did he play in the City Corp Center project?

William Lameer was a distinguished structural engineer who designed the City Corp Center skyscraper in New York City in the mid-1970s. He was responsible for the structural design of the building, which included innovative elements like the placement of supporting columns and wind braces.

What unique feature did the design of the City Corp Center have compared to typical skyscrapers?

The City Corp Center was supported by nine-story high columns placed in the center of each side of the building, rather than at the corners. This was due to the presence of an existing church on one corner of the city block, making it necessary to place the columns at the sides.

What was the structural innovation used in the City Corp Center's design?

Lameer designed an innovative system of wind braces consisting of 48 chevron-shaped steel members welded together to form the building's superstructure. These braces directed the weight toward the center columns of the building.

What issue did William Lameer discover in June 1978, and how did it affect the City Corp Center?

In June 1978, Lameer discovered that the welded joints in the building's superstructure had been replaced with bolted joints during construction. These bolted joints were dangerously weak and could cause the building to collapse under certain wind conditions.

How often did meteorological records suggest a storm strong enough to cause the building to fail?

Meteorological records indicated that such a storm would occur on average once every 16 years, meaning that every 16 years, a storm strong enough to tear apart the joints and cause the building to collapse could occur.

What solution did William Lameer propose to address the weak joints in the City Corp Center?

Lameer proposed welding 2-inch thick steel plates over 200 of the joints to secure them. This solution was costly but necessary to ensure the building's structural integrity and safety.

How did the CEO of City Corp, Walter Wriston, respond to the situation with the building's structural issues?

Walter Wriston, the CEO of City Corp, supported Lameer's plan and assigned two vice presidents to work on managing the repairs. They provided resources for the necessary repairs and worked with various agencies to ensure the building's safety.

How did the media react to the situation with the City Corp Center during the repairs?

Although rumors about the building's issues began to circulate, the media largely remained uninformed about the problems due to a strike by the city's newspapers, which lasted until after the repairs were completed.

What was the outcome of the repairs made to the City Corp Center?

After the repairs, engineers estimated that the City Corp Center could withstand a storm expected only once every 700 years, making it one of the most structurally sound buildings in the city.

How did William Lameer handle the issue of his professional liability insurance after the repairs were made?

After the repairs, Lameer faced the threat of an increased premium on his professional liability insurance. However, he dispatched his deputy to confront the insurance company, and after emphasizing the company's good behavior, the insurance premium was reduced instead of increased.