Texas Engineering Professional Conduct and Ethics Examination Based on the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board...

 

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Texas Engineering Professional Conduct and Ethics Examination Based on the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board Rules The objectives of this quiz are to: 1. Introduce the students to typical ethical and professional practice issues 2. Ensure that the students are familiar with the process of professional conduct and ethical decisions In accordance with these objectives, you will need to refer to a current copy of the Act & board rules as you take the quiz, which may be found in electronic copy on the Board's website at http://engineers.texas.gov/downloads.htm. OR you can review the posted copy at our class Blackboard. Examination Format and Responses: You will be asked to consider a series of typical professional conduct and ethics scenarios that may have actually occurred in engineering practice in Texas. Following each scenario, you will be asked one or more questions. Based on the scenario and your review of the Act and board rules, chose the best answer for each of the following questions. Please read each question carefully. It is important to understand each participants' role in the scenario and if a rule is applicable to that participant. Scenario 1 Direct Supervision and Sealing of Engineering Work Brian is a graduate engineer and has passed the FE exam but is not yet licensed. He is employed by a small engineering firm, and works with Jim, a licensed professional engineer and owner of the company. The firm is retained to do the structural design of a new rural public school. The project is assigned to Brian. After completing his preliminary calculations for the structure, Brian does a computer analysis of some of the more complex aspects of the design. This computer analysis shows Brian's hand calculations are essentially correct. Although Brian feels he is quite thorough and conscientious, he notices that Jim is rarely in the office, provides little or no supervision, and never checks Brian's work before sealing and submitting the plans and specifications to the client for the bidding and construction phases. board rules and decides to discuss the matter with him. After talking with Brian, Jim agrees that he needs to review the design. He studies it in detail, noting a few minor errors in the wind loading that Brian used, but finds nothing that would require changes in the design when constructed at that location. Brian appreciates the feedback and becomes more comfortable in his job. Then Brian learns that Jim has given the design plans and specifications to his brother, Christopher, a construction contractor, not a licensed engineer. Rather than hire an engineer, Christopher incorporates the design documents into a design-build proposal for a like-sized (small) school. Jim is aware of this and does not object. Question 3. Which section of the Act or board rule relates to Christopher's actions? A) § 137.59(a) B) § 137.65 C) § 139.13 D) § 1001.004 E) $139.17 In part due to the competitive advantage afforded by using an existing set of drawings, Christopher's company wins the design-build contract for the school. Christopher studied mechanical engineering in college and designs the mechanical systems for the school. He knows he needs an engineer's seal on the drawings before he can get a permit to start construction. He has a good friend, David, who is a mechanical engineer licensed in Texas, so Christopher asks David to seal the drawings. David obtains a digital copy of Christopher's drawings, carefully reviews each sheet, adds the title block and other administrative designations, and affixes his engineer's seal to the drawings. David's act of sealing Christopher's design drawings can be evaluated based on definitions in §131.81 of Act and board rules, in particular, "direct supervision." "responsible charge," and "responsible supervision." Question 4. Does David meet the requirements of direct supervision in as defined in §131.81 of the board rules? A) Yes B) No Texas Engineering Professional Conduct and Ethics Examination Based on the Texas Engineering Practice Act and Board Rules The objectives of this quiz are to: 1. Introduce the students to typical ethical and professional practice issues 2. Ensure that the students are familiar with the process of professional conduct and ethical decisions In accordance with these objectives, you will need to refer to a current copy of the Act & board rules as you take the quiz, which may be found in electronic copy on the Board's website at http://engineers.texas.gov/downloads.htm. OR you can review the posted copy at our class Blackboard. Examination Format and Responses: You will be asked to consider a series of typical professional conduct and ethics scenarios that may have actually occurred in engineering practice in Texas. Following each scenario, you will be asked one or more questions. Based on the scenario and your review of the Act and board rules, chose the best answer for each of the following questions. Please read each question carefully. It is important to understand each participants' role in the scenario and if a rule is applicable to that participant. Scenario 1 Direct Supervision and Sealing of Engineering Work Brian is a graduate engineer and has passed the FE exam but is not yet licensed. He is employed by a small engineering firm, and works with Jim, a licensed professional engineer and owner of the company. The firm is retained to do the structural design of a new rural public school. The project is assigned to Brian. After completing his preliminary calculations for the structure, Brian does a computer analysis of some of the more complex aspects of the design. This computer analysis shows Brian's hand calculations are essentially correct. Although Brian feels he is quite thorough and conscientious, he notices that Jim is rarely in the office, provides little or no supervision, and never checks Brian's work before sealing and submitting the plans and specifications to the client for the bidding and construction phases. board rules and decides to discuss the matter with him. After talking with Brian, Jim agrees that he needs to review the design. He studies it in detail, noting a few minor errors in the wind loading that Brian used, but finds nothing that would require changes in the design when constructed at that location. Brian appreciates the feedback and becomes more comfortable in his job. Then Brian learns that Jim has given the design plans and specifications to his brother, Christopher, a construction contractor, not a licensed engineer. Rather than hire an engineer, Christopher incorporates the design documents into a design-build proposal for a like-sized (small) school. Jim is aware of this and does not object. Question 3. Which section of the Act or board rule relates to Christopher's actions? A) § 137.59(a) B) § 137.65 C) § 139.13 D) § 1001.004 E) $139.17 In part due to the competitive advantage afforded by using an existing set of drawings, Christopher's company wins the design-build contract for the school. Christopher studied mechanical engineering in college and designs the mechanical systems for the school. He knows he needs an engineer's seal on the drawings before he can get a permit to start construction. He has a good friend, David, who is a mechanical engineer licensed in Texas, so Christopher asks David to seal the drawings. David obtains a digital copy of Christopher's drawings, carefully reviews each sheet, adds the title block and other administrative designations, and affixes his engineer's seal to the drawings. David's act of sealing Christopher's design drawings can be evaluated based on definitions in §131.81 of Act and board rules, in particular, "direct supervision." "responsible charge," and "responsible supervision." Question 4. Does David meet the requirements of direct supervision in as defined in §131.81 of the board rules? A) Yes B) No

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