Ethical issues in engineering design - 3TU.Centre for Ethics and ...

Ethical issues in engineering design
advice and he had to pay for that, hence, the customer expected input from the
engineers.
The requirements were listed in a table. Most of the requirements were
specific and measurable, for example the maximum mass of the trailer was to be
5000 kg, the inside volume of the trailer should be 2.47*2.75*13.67 m 3 , the trailer
lifetime was specified etc. Some of the requirements related to the environment
in which the trailer would be used. For example, pebbles or branches can scratch
or dent a trailer and this should be prevented. One of the requirements
concerned price and another requirement concerned sustainability, the trailer
was required to be aerodynamic if possible. This aerodynamic requirement was
given no attention during the preliminary design process.
The requirements also included some regulations about the maximum
heights of truck and trailer combinations, the installation of safety guardrails and
the structure of the rear bumper [voertuigreglement, 2005]. The maximum
height of trucks and trailers is regulated to prevent damage to tunnels and
bridges. A truck and trailer combination that is too high might get stuck in a
tunnel or under a bridge causing damage to the tunnel or bridge. The safety
guardrails on the side of a trailer between the wheels and kingpin are intended to
prevent cyclists from going under the wheels of a trailer. According to current
regulation, two small beams are deemed sufficient for safety purposes.
The customer indicated that transportation companies and trailer producers
do not always live by the rules. Sometimes trailers are loaded too high, exceeding
the maximum allowable mass. There are weighing bridges to control the total
mass of the truck, trailer and load combinations and in some roads systems are
incorporated to weigh the mass of passing truck and trailer combinations.
Drivers driving too heavy trucks can be fined. Trailer producing companies
sometimes make trailers that are officially too high, for example the trailer is 4,15
m while only 4 m is allowed [voertuigreglement, 2005]. This is due to the fact
that containers for aircraft use are 3 m high so the trailer’s inside height should
be just over 3 m to transport these containers. The kingpin, the point where the
trailer is combined with the truck is at 1,15 m so the total height of a truck and
trailer combination can be 4,15 m. Before trucks and trailers are allowed on the
road they have to be certified by the Rijksdienstwegverkeer (governmental road
traffic agency). The height is checked but there are tricks that can be used like
lowering tire pressure to make the trailer slightly lower. So it seems it is possible
to get certification for a truck that will be too high when used on the road. In
some countries, for example Switzerland, regulation is very strict and controls are
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