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ENG INEER ING
YOUR FUTURE
AN AUSTRALASIAN GUIDE
FOU RTH E D ITI O N
David Roger Anna Tim Doug Caroline Sally

DOWLING HADGRAFT CAREW McCARTHY HARGREAVES BAILLIE MALE
Engineering your
future: an
Australasian guide
FOURTH EDITION
David Dowling
Roger Hadgraft
Anna Carew
Tim McCarthy
Doug Hargreaves
Caroline Baillie
Sally Male
Fourth edition published 2020 by
John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
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BRIEF CONTENTS
About the authors ix
Preface xii
PART 1 Introduction to engineering 1
1. What is engineering? 2
2. The engineering method 43
PART 2 Engineering in society 84
3. Sustainable engineering 85
4. Professional responsibility and ethics 128
PART 3 Professional skills 164
5. Self-management 165
6. Working with people 206
PART 4 Communication 246
7. Understanding communication 247

8. Communication skills 285
PART 5 Applying the engineering method 330
9. Understanding the problem 331

10. Engineering design 382
11. Evaluating options 422
12. Engineering decision making 448
13. Managing engineering projects 478
14. Communicating information 521
PART 6 Planning your career 569
15. Your engineering future 570
Index 600
CONTENTS
About the authors ix The scientific method 55
Preface xii 2.2 Systems thinking 56
The system boundary 56
PART 1 2.3 Project management 59
Defining the scope 59
Introduction to engineering 1 Scheduling 60
Resources 61
CHAPTER 1
Documentation — the design file 61
What is engineering? 2 Time–accuracy trade-off 62
Introduction 3 Agile project management 63
1.1 What is the role of an engineer? 4 Risk management 63
A historical perspective 4 Reporting and documentation 65
A contemporary perspective 6 Improving practice 66
1.2 Engineering disciplines 7 Life-long learning 67
Electrical, electronics and The engineering method and project
telecommunications engineering 9 management 68
Mechanical engineering 10 2.4 The life cycle of an engineering
Aerospace and aviation engineering 11 asset 68
Chemical engineering 12 Design 70
Civil engineering 12 2.5 Critical thinking 73
Environmental engineering 14 Critical thinking in an engineering
Materials engineering 15 context 74
Mining engineering 16 Moving from having an opinion to taking
Other engineering disciplines 16 a position 79
Summary 80
1.3 The core skills and attributes of an
Key terms 81
engineer 17
Exercises 81
The Engineers Australia competency Project activity 82
framework 18 References 82
The Engineering New Zealand Acknowledgements 83
framework 20
1.4 Engineering science 23 PART 2
1.5 The impact of engineering on society
and national identity 24
Engineering in society 84
A historical perspective 25
CHAPTER 3
A contemporary perspective 32
Engineering innovations 34 Sustainable engineering 85
Limitations of engineering 34 Introduction 86
1.6 Professionalism, certification and 3.1 What is ecologically sustainable
ethical practice in engineering 36 development (ESD)? 88
Summary 38 Definitions of ESD 89
Key terms 38
What is sustainable engineering? 92
Exercises 39
Why sustainable engineering? 93
Project activity 40
3.2 Strategies for practising sustainable
References 40
Acknowledgements 42 engineering 95
Constraints of sustainable engineering
CHAPTER 2 practice 98
Triple bottom line analysis (TBLA) 100
The engineering method 43 3.3 Environmentally sustainable
Introduction 44 engineering 100
2.1 The engineering method 45 A global perspective 101
Step 1. Exploring the problem 46 Measuring environmental impacts 103
Step 2. Exploring alternative solutions 51 Life cycle assessment (LCA) 106
Step 3. Evaluating alternative solutions 53 3.4 Socially sustainable engineering 110
Step 4. Engineering decision making 54 Promoting intergenerational and
Step 5. Communicating your recommendation 55 intragenerational equity 110
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 112
Community communication and 5.2 What motivates you? 172
consultation 113 Sources of inspiration 176
Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) 5.3 Developing your skills 178
114 Developing an inquiring mind 178
Engagement techniques 116 5.4 Self-management skills 181
3.5 Economically sustainable Developing goals and strategies 181
engineering 117 Being responsible 181
Costing 117 Being professional 181
Economic theories 118 Managing your time effectively 182
Least cost planning (LCP) 118 5.5 Life-long learning 183
Summary 121 Knowledge frameworks 186
Key terms 122 The program framework 187
Exercises 123
Managing your learning 189
Project activity 124
5.6 Reviewing your performance 196
References 124
Acknowledgements 126 Levels of reflection 199
Kolb’s Learning Cycle 199
CHAPTER 4 Summary 201
Key terms 202
Professional responsibility Exercises 202
and ethics 128 Project activity 203
Introduction 129 References 203
Acknowledgements 205
4.1 Professional responsibility: standards
and professional liability 130
4.2 Work health and safety (WHS) and CHAPTER 6
personal liability 133
Product recall 137
Working with people 206
4.3 Engineering ethics 138 Introduction 207
The Engineering New Zealand Code of 6.1 Collaborating with others 208
Ethical Conduct 140 6.2 Working in groups 214
The IEEE Code of Ethics 141 Establishing a group or team 215
Interpreting and applying codes of The fundamentals of an effective
ethics 142 group 217
4.4 Ethical theories 143 The life cycle of a team 220
Morals and ethics 143 Improving performance 221
4.5 Common ethical dilemmas in Leadership 223
engineering 147 The benefits of working with others 224
Micro ethics 148 6.3 Meetings 225
Balancing conflicting interests 151 The purpose 225
4.6 Macro ethics 154 The style 228
4.7 Culture and corruption 155 The timing 228
International business etiquette 156 The length of the meeting 228
Corruption and bribery 156 The participants 228
Summary 159 The procedures 228
Key terms 160 Your contribution 229
Exercises 161 Organising a meeting 229
Project activity 162 The role of technology in meetings 232
References 162 The downside of working with
Acknowledgements 163 others 232
PART 3
6.4 Negotiation 235
The preparation process 235
Professional skills 164 Approaches to negotiation 236
Outcomes of the negotiation
CHAPTER 5 process 238
Self-management 165 6.5 Dispute resolution 239
Conflict resolution 240
Introduction 166
Summary 241
5.1 Understanding self 168
Key terms 242
Your personality and attitudes 168 Exercises 242
Spatial ability 171
CONTENTS v
Project activity 243 Presenting through words and action 303
References 243 Answering questions 304
Acknowledgements 244 8.3 Written communication skills 304
Reading 304
PART 4
Writing 305
Communication 246 Wikis 311
Web pages 311
CHAPTER 7 8.4 Visual communication 312
Data 312
Understanding Summary 327
communication 247 Key terms 327
Introduction 248 Exercises 328
7.1 What is communication? 249 References 328
Key communication skills for engineers 251 Acknowledgements 329
7.2 Communication theories and models 252 PART 5
The communication process 253
A contemporary model 254 Applying the engineering
Developing a communication model for method 330
engineers 255
7.3 Communication contexts 259 CHAPTER 9
Characteristics of communicators 260
Environments 264 Understanding the
Digital communication 266 problem 331
7.4 Communication methods 270 Introduction 332
Channels 270 9.1 Data, information and knowledge 334
Communication languages 270 Data 334
Noise 272 Information 340
7.5 Communication roles 275 Knowledge 340
The creator 275 Differentiating between data, information and
The gatekeeper 278 knowledge 341
The consumer 279 9.2 Identifying information needs 343
Summary 281 Investigative questioning 343
Key terms 282 Categories of information 345
Exercises 282 Organising information needs 345
9.3 Locating and retrieving information 348
References 283
Typical sources of engineering
Acknowledgements 284
information 348
CHAPTER 8 Documents 349
Colleagues 351
Communication skills 285 Stakeholders 353
Introduction 286 Geographic information systems 357
8.1 Verbal communication skills 291 Library search tools 359
Listening 292 Internet search tools 360
Telling 293 Developing a search strategy 360
Discussing 293 Recording data about information
Informal verbal communication 294 sources 364
8.2 Formal verbal communication 296 9.4 Evaluating information and information
Media releases, interviews and sources 364
publicity 296 Evaluating information sources 364
Presentations 297 Evaluating information 365
Working to presentation time limits 298 Refining information needs 366
The presentation contexts 299 9.5 Managing and using information 366
Content and structure 300 Integrating information 367
Selecting and preparing media 301 Publishing information 368
Assembling and rehearsing the A literature review 368
presentation 302 An information management system 368
Is approval required? 303 Controlling access to your information 371
vi CONTENTS
9.6 Citing and referencing 373 Key terms 445
Listing and citing print references 373 Exercises 445
Listing and citing online references 375 Project activity 446
Further information about referencing References 446
styles 376 Acknowledgements 447
Summary 377
Key terms 378 CHAPTER 12
Exercises 378
Engineering decision
References 380 making 448
Acknowledgements 381 Introduction 449
12.1 Engineering decision making 449
CHAPTER 10 Engineering decision support 450
Engineering design 382 12.2 Complexity 452
Static and dynamic problems 452
Introduction 383
12.3 Team-based decision making 453
10.1 Design = problem solving 384
Effective team environment 455
Key ideas in the design process 384
Dominance and power 455
10.2 Systems thinking 387
Diversity in teams 456
Stakeholders 389
Making better decision makers 457
Socio–ecological thinking 392
12.4 Reviewing key decision-making
Whole system design goals 393
criteria 460
Whole system design elements 396
Uncertainty 460
10.3 Generating alternative solutions 404
Environment 460
Five Ws and an H 404
Ethics 460
Research 405
Safety 461
Brainstorming 406
Review and improve — quality
Lateral thinking, parallel thinking and the six
assurance 461
thinking hats 407
12.5 Decision support systems, tools and
Synectics 410
techniques 463
TRIZ 412
‘Pen and paper’ decision support tools 463
Transforming design through biomimetic
thinking and design 414 Computer-based DSS 465
Summary 417 Networked DSS relying on communications
Key terms 417 technology 467
Exercises 418 Intelligent DSS (IDSS) 471
Project activity 418 GIS-based DSS 472
References 419 Summary 475
Acknowledgements 420 Key terms 475
Exercises 476
CHAPTER 11 Project activity 476
References 476
Evaluating options 422 Acknowledgements 477
Introduction 423
11.1 Evaluating solutions — economics 423 CHAPTER 13
Non-economic criteria 424
Managing engineering
Qualitative approaches to project
evaluation 424 projects 478
Economic feasibility 425 Introduction 479
Sensitivity analysis 431 13.1 Understanding project management 480
A more detailed economic model 432 Key factors in project management 481
11.2 Technical feasibility 436 The Project Management Body of Knowledge
11.3 Mathematical modelling in design 438 (PMBOK) and project management
Power output 439 standards 481
Maximising energy production 440 Project management tools 485
Safety 442 13.2 Planning the stages of an engineering
Checking 443 project 488
Hierarchy of models 443 Using a tool to plan the project stages 489
Summary 445
CONTENTS vii
Planning the stages of the green-star building Project initiation documents 541
project 492 Risk management documents 547
Human resources 500 14.4 Technical presentations 553
Financial resources 502 How can poor presentation be
13.3 Creating a risk-management plan 503 avoided? 553
Dependency risks 504 14.5 Visual communication 555
Design risks 505 Drawings, plans and sketches 556
Construction risks and safety 505 Photography 557
Internal project risks 507 Engineering models 557
Long-term risks for the green-star Summary 566
building 508 Key terms 567
13.4 Developing a knowledge management Exercises 567
plan 508 Project activity 567
Document storage, archiving and data References 567
mining 509 Acknowledgements 568
Sharing knowledge 509 PART 6
Communities of practice 510
Student knowledge management 511 Planning your career 569
13.5 Quality management and its relationship
CHAPTER 15
to project management 511
Key quality management principles 512 Your engineering future
Engineering quality management 513
Quality plans and engineering 514
570
Quality and the engineering student 515 Introduction 571
Quality and student team projects 516 15.1 Engineering to meet future global
Summary 517 challenges 572
Key terms 517 Antibiotic resistance 572
Exercises 518 Climate change adaptation 576
Project activity 519 15.2 Engineering and globalisation 581
References 519 Employment in Australia 581
Acknowledgements 520 Globalisation 582
Development and post development 583
CHAPTER 14
15.3 Futuristic engineering: emerging
Communicating information fields 584
Industrial biotechnology 585
521 Materials science 585
Introduction 522 Phytomining 586
14.1 Three communication contexts 523 Biomimicry 587
The business context 524 Animatronics 588
The discipline context 524 15.4 An engineering career 589
The public context 525 Work to rule — or be inspired to work
14.2 Planning a communication 527 towards a fulfilling career 590
Using the PCR model to create effective Management approaches 590
communication 527 Different types of engineering
Developing a communication plan for an organisations 591
engineering project 528 Efficiency and respect in the workplace 591
Using the model 529 Continuing professional development (CPD)
Approach 529 592
Communication methods, styles, formats Career planning 593
and media 531 Summary 595
14.3 Writing in the engineering Key terms 595
workplace 531 Exercises 596
Practice notes 533 Project activity 597
Business correspondence 534 References 597
Human resource documents 535 Acknowledgements 598
Financial documents 539
Index 600
viii CONTENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
David Dowling
DipLSurv, ARMIT, BAppSci, MSurvMap, FIEAust
Honorary Professor of Engineering Education
Faculty of Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland
David Dowling is passionate about facilitating student learning and helping engineering students to achieve
their career goals. Consequently, much of his work and research is focused on working with industry
representatives to develop practice-based curricula and to enhance teaching and learning environments.
Recently his focus has been on: facilitating student transition to university; identifying and addressing
factors that influence success at university; assessing workplace learning; working with practitioners
to define graduate attributes; embedding graduate attributes into program curricula; and engineering
technician education.
David worked as a surveyor for 12 years prior to accepting a lecturing position at the University of
Southern Queensland (USQ) in 1978. David was appointed Head of Surveying in 1989 and worked
intensively with industry organisations to design, develop and gain accreditation for three new distance
education programs in surveying and GIS — the first in Australia.
In 1995, he accepted the role of Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Engineering and
Surveying; a position he held until 2009. His major achievement in this role was the successful 2001
accreditation of the first Australian Bachelor of Engineering to be offered by distance education. In 2005,
David developed the content, structure and study materials for the innovative Master of Engineering
Practice program. This distance education program is accredited by Engineers Australia and enables
experienced Engineering Technologists to become Professional Engineers by using their workplace
learning to demonstrate their competence.
From 2009 to 2015, David led two major projects funded by the Office of Learning and Teaching and
was a member of the project team on three other projects. He has been a member of Engineers Australia’s
National Articulation Committee since 2006 and a member of the Australasian Association for Engineering
Education (AAEE) since 1998, serving as President during 2005 and 2006.
In 2006, David received the AAEE Excellence in Engineering Education Award for Inclusive Teaching,
and in 2008 he received an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Citation which read: For
sustained leadership in using graduate attributes to design and deliver programs, courses and resources
that enhance students’ learning and their achievement of career goals.
When David retired in 2015, he accepted an appointment as an Honorary Professor at the University of
Southern Queensland. This allows him to continue his research in engineering education topics that enable
students to achieve their career goals. He also consults with engineering organisations to help them define
and develop the personal and professional capabilities their employees need to have a successful career.
Roger Hadgraft
BE(Hons), MEngSc, DipCompSc, PhD
Professor and Director, Educational Innovation, University of Technology Sydney
Roger Hadgraft is a civil engineer with more than 25 years of involvement in improving engineering
education. He has published many papers on problem- and project-based learning (PBL), and the use of
student-centred learning to meet the needs of engineering employers. He was instrumental in introducing
a project-based curriculum in civil engineering at Monash University in 1998 and in civil, chemical and
environmental engineering at RMIT between 2003 and 2006. Roger has consulted on PBL to universities
both nationally and internationally and is currently leading change at University of Technology Sydney
(UTS), transforming the engineering curricula using studios to deliver innovative, design-able graduates.
Anna Carew
BSc(Hons), PhD
Course Coordinator, University College, University of Tasmania
In 1996, Anna Carew was a water microbiologist and began working with engineers to research novel
microbial indicators of water and wastewater quality. Having realised engineering was such a powerful and
ABOUT THE AUTHORS ix

fascinating field, she moved into industrial training, and then research consultancy in sustainable water and
waste management with the Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS. A passion to effect change led Anna
to undertake her PhD at the University of Sydney, investigating the teaching and learning of sustainability
in engineering (2005). In 2011, Anna was awarded an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)
Citation for her outstanding contribution to the teaching and learning of graduate attributes in engineering.
At that time, Anna wanted a new challenge so she joined the Tasmanian Institute for Agriculture at the
University of Tasmania to refocus on technical research and completed a second PhD on the marvellous
fusion of microbiology, chemistry and bioprocess engineering that is pinot noir winemaking (2015).
Anna now manages a teaching team delivering short courses, Diplomas and Associate Degrees in applied
technologies at the University College, University of Tasmania (UTAS). Applied technologies pervade
all aspects of working life and Anna’s teaching team works with students who are focused on para-
professional jobs in areas like automation, sensing, cybersecurity, high-rise construction, maintenance
scheduling, applied sciences and civil infrastructure development.
Tim McCarthy
BE, MSc, PhD, MIEI
Professor of Structural Engineering, University of Wollongong
Professor Tim McCarthy joined the School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering in December
2004 after nearly 20 years as Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester Institute
of Science and Technology. Tim’s specialisations include sustainable buildings, engineering education
research, integrated design systems and steel structure design, and he has supervised and co-supervised
62 PhDs, MPhil and MSc theses. In 2010, he received an Australian Learning and Teaching Citation for
Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for leadership in curriculum and space design that fosters
collaborative learning. Tim is also the author of the best-selling textbook AutoCAD Express. He has taken
University of Wollongong (UOW) students to two Solar Decathlon world finals. In 2013, Team UOW won
the Solar Decathlon China while in 2018 they achieved the overall silver medal in the Middle East contest
in Dubai. Tim is currently Head of the School of Civil Mining and Environmental Engineering.
Doug Hargreaves
PhD, MSc, BEng, EngExec, Hon (IEAust)
Professor Doug Hargreaves is an Emeritus Professor in mechanical engineering at Queensland University
of Technology (QUT). He has spent his professional life in a mixture of academic and industry practice. He
was National President of the peak professional body for engineers, Engineers Australia, which had more
than 100 000 members in 2010. He was Head of School of Engineering Systems at QUT for seven years,
leading about 145 staff members. He returned to teaching over 1000 first-year engineering students a unit
called ‘Engineering and Sustainability’, which effectively taught what engineering graduates do in the real
world. He has published over 50 papers on the topic of engineering education and over 100 on his discipline
of tribology. He is co-author of a leadership book called Values-Driven Leadership. He was awarded a
member of the Order of Australia in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his significant contribution
to engineering education and to the community. He is the Executive Officer for the Australian Council
of Engineering Deans (ACED), Chair of the technical committee for the World Engineering Convention
to be held in Melbourne in November 2019, represents Engineers Australia (EA) on the Federation of
Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific (FEIAP) and chairs EA’s International Advisory Panel.
Caroline Baillie
BSc(Hons), MHEduc, PhD
Professor of Praxis in Engineering and Social Justice, University of San Diego
Caroline Baillie is Professor of Praxis in Engineering and Social Justice at the University of San Diego.
She brings over 25 years of experience in teaching engineering across multiple engineering disciplines and
countries, research and development in engineering and education as well as community development and
social justice work. Previously she was Chair of Engineering Education for the Faculty of Engineering,
Computing and Mathematics at University of Western Australia, Chair of Engineering Education at
Queens University, Canada, educational developer and materials lecturer at Imperial College, UK and
the University of Sydney, as well as holding a three-year position founding and running the Materials
Engineering Subject Centre in the UK. Baillie’s research considers socio-technical processes and systems,
x ABOUT THE AUTHORS

which enhance social justice, and educational systems that promote these. Baillie brings lessons learnt from
these studies and practices into the curriculum and the classroom to facilitate the transformation of future
generations of engineers. In 2006, Professor Baillie founded Waste for Life (WFL) (www.wasteforlife.org)
to ‘practise what she preached’ as a socially just engineer. WFL ‘socialises knowledge’ about materials
engineering with communities wishing to transform waste into composite material products for income
generation. Her most recent program, ‘Standing People Together’ (www.wasteforlife.org/spt) adapts forest
school pedagogy in support of grassroots community action. Baillie also co-founded the Engineering
Social Justice and Peace network in 2004 (http://esjp.org). Professor Baillie has published 27 scholarly
books, an edited series of books on ‘Engineers, Technology and Society’ and over 200 book chapters,
peer-reviewed journal and conference papers.
Sally A Male
Dr, BE, PhD
Chair in Engineering Education, The University of Western Australia
Sally A Male is a Fellow of Engineers Australia. She is an electrical engineer with a PhD on employability
in engineering. Sally is the Chair in Engineering Education at The University of Western Australia (UWA)
and is a Governance Board Member of the Engineering Institute of Technology. In her research, Sally leads
the UWA Engineering & Science Education, Society and Work Research Cluster and has led competitively
funded research projects in engineering education and higher education, focusing on curriculum develop-
ment, inclusion and work integrated learning (placement and non-placement, face-to-face and virtual).
Sally is Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Journal of Engineering Education and an Associate Editor
of Journal of Engineering Education. In her teaching, Sally oversees the UWA Engineering Professional
Practicum, capstone electrical and electronic engineering design project units and the unit ‘Introduction
to Professional Engineering’. In 2017, Sally received the Engineers Australia Medal for contributions to
industry engagement in engineering education, and gender inclusion in engineering.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS xi

PREFACE
The 1996 Review of Engineering Education1 in Australia found that ‘engineering education must become
more outward looking, more attuned to the real concerns of the communities. Courses should promote
environmental, economic and global awareness, problem-solving ability, engagement with information
technology, self-directed learning and lifelong learning, communication, management and teamwork
skills, but on a sound base of mathematics and engineering technology.’ The report contained a series
of recommendations that changed the way engineering was taught and learned over the following decade.
One of the key changes was the adoption by Engineers Australia of an outcomes-focused accreditation
system for undergraduate degrees, based on a set of graduate attributes that Engineers Australia defined
in consultation with industry at that time. During the early 2000s the graduate attributes were further
developed to form a detailed set of competencies. Since then engineering schools have adapted their
curriculum to ensure that engineering students have opportunities to acquire these competencies, in
addition to the competencies defined by their own university. Many of these competencies are introduced
in first-year subjects and students then practise and enhance those skills in subjects and projects in the later
years of their programs.
The consultations undertaken for the Engineers for the Future project2 found that industry supports
this explicit focus on graduate attributes. It also reported on engineering-specific graduate outcomes
and attributes. They formed the view from their consultations that ‘engineers do their work by having
knowledge and skills in varying combinations of the following thematic areas: the engineering life-cycle
of concept, design, implementation, operation, maintenance and retirement (with increasing emphasis
on uncertainty and risk assessment as well as systems thinking, and integrating ideas and technologies);
managing complex engineering projects; mathematical modelling; and scientific knowledge of established
and emerging areas.’2
This text is designed to provide first-year engineering students with a solid grounding in many of these
engineering and generic graduate attributes, as well as many of the tools and techniques that facilitate the
application of those skills in real engineering work and study. Although this text may be used as the text
for one or more courses, the authors see it as a resource that students can use throughout their program.
Numerous historic and contemporary Australian, New Zealand and international examples are used to
illustrate the principles that are discussed in the text, and to highlight many of the important innovations
that have built the reputation of Australian and New Zealand engineers. The examples are drawn from
a range of current engineering disciplines, from emerging disciplines, and from a range of organisations
and projects, large and small. These examples will enable students to explore engineering and how it is
practised in Australasia, as well as the approaches used by Australasian engineers, who have a reputation
for being flexible and adaptive.1 The Australasian focus and context of the text will also assist students to
formulate their future career preferences.
The chapters are arranged in six sections to facilitate student learning. The first section provides an
introduction to engineering and the engineering method. This is followed by a section on engineering in
society, which includes sustainable engineering, professional responsibility and ethics. This is followed
by two sections that provide students with the opportunity to acquire some of the key skills they will need
to be successful in their first year at university, such as self-management, teamwork and communication.
The fifth section provides an overview of each of the steps engineers use when they apply the engineering
method: information and research skills, design, evaluating solutions, reviewing project outcomes, com-
munication outcomes, and managing engineering projects. The final chapter provides information about
the engineering profession, as well as existing and emerging specialisations — information that will help
students to refine their career choices.
The authors wish to thank the engineering academics who provided feedback on the first and second
editions of this text. Their comments helped to shape the content and the structure of the third and fourth
editions, as well as the focus and content of individual chapters.
1 Institution of Engineers Australia 1996, Changing the culture: Engineering education into the future, IEAust, Canberra,
p. 4.
2 Australian Council of Engineering Deans 2008, Engineers for the future: Addressing the supply and quality of Australian
engineering graduates for the 21st century, ACED, p. 61. This project was funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching
Council.
xii PREFACE
The support for the first three editions of this text, as well as what it is achieving for undergraduate
engineering education in Australia and New Zealand, means a lot to us. In many ways, this text and
its accompanying extensive resource package should be seen as a resource generated for all engineering
schools in Australia and New Zealand. The authors would therefore welcome constructive feedback from
academic staff and students so that future editions continue to meet the needs of first-year engineering
students. This includes information about innovative engineering projects that may be suitable for inclusion
in future editions of the text.
Many people have contributed information that was incorporated directly into the body of the text,
or in one of the many practical engineering ‘spotlight’ features. The authors acknowledge the impor-
tant contribution of the following people to the development of this fourth edition: Armando Apan,
Madhu Bhaskaran, Gunilla Burrowes, Caroline But, Ian Cameron, Miles Cattach, Susan Conrad, Cheryl
Desha, Jason Eshraghian, Peter Fagan, Tim Gale, Peter Gibbings, Sue Murphy, Andrew Guzzomi,
Chris McAlister, Nicole Hahn, Charlie Hargroves, Prue Howard, Ali Kharrazi, Peter Knights, Ilsa
Kuiper, Nelson Lam, Julia Lamborn, Traci Nathans-Kelly, Christine Grohowski Nicometo, Katherine
Nguyen, Sharon Nightingale, Timothy Pfeiffer, Matthew Preston, Carl Reidsema, Philip Rubie, John
Russell, David Sampson, Warren Sharpe, Lori Sowa, Geoff Spinks, Clive Stack, Peter Stasinopoulos and
Andrew Schroder.
We would like to thank the team at Wiley for their assistance in the development of this text and its
associated resources.
We would also like to acknowledge the members of our families who have lived the highs and lows of
this project with us, some for the fourth time. We know the many sacrifices you made to help us meet the
tight deadlines that accompany a project of this nature.
David Dowling
Roger Hadgraft
Anna Carew
Tim McCarthy
Doug Hargreaves
Caroline Baillie
Sally Male
May 2019
PREFACE xiii
ENGINEERING
SPOTLIGHTS: AT A
GLANCE
Mechanical/ Electrical/
Chapter Spotlight Civil manufacturing electronics
1 Engineering vision through artificial intelligence X
Aerospace engineering and the drone wars X X
Engineering better flood modelling X
Software engineer wins top student award X
Getting the gas on flatulence X X
Learning journeys X X X
Early Aboriginal engineering X
Engineering breakthroughs in early X

New Zealand history
Consumerism and the growth of e-waste X X
2 Wind energy X X X
Water recycling X
Will your next phone be a watch? X
Design for earthquake-resistant buildings X X
Engineers Australia and Engineering X X X

New Zealand — CPD
Driverless vehicles will change our lives X X X
Finding the unasked question X X X
3 Lake Pedder hydro-electric scheme X X
NZ ETS prompts metal manufacturer to upgrade X X

and save money
Australasian students shine on the world stage X X X
Energy tips: landfill gas X X
Wine carbon footprinting X X
Life cycle assessment of Greek beer X
Unintended consequences of engineering X

breakthroughs
Multi-criteria evaluation: recreation and X

tourism in Victoria
Least cost planning in the ‘sunburnt country’ X
xiv ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE

Chemical (includes
Environmental petroleum) Mining Other
Software
Aeronautical
Software
Biomedical; materials
X X X All other disciplines
X Agricultural; aeronautical; maritime
Maritime
X Computer
X Aerospace/aviation
X X
Software; hardware
X Materials
X Materials
X X
X X
X X
ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE xv

4 Shared paths and the role of engineers X
Creating recycling facilities in a X X

post-conflict country
Design for the dump X X
Learning from nature’s design principles X X X
Reporting a leaky pipe
James Hardie and asbestos-related disease X X
Admitting failure X X X
Whistleblower slams Japan nuclear regulation X X X
Free prior and informed consent X
Monsanto penalised for bribery X X X
5 The Competencies of Engineering X X X

Graduates Project
Graduate perspectives X X
Putting passion into practice 1 X
Putting passion into practice 2 X
Hydrographic surveys X
Life-long learning as a career develops X
A 3D printed car X X
The law of the pendulum X X X
Promoting a culture of life-long learning among X X X

engineering staff
A reflection: working on large projects in X

isolated areas
6 The collaboration capabilities for two X X X

engineering disciplines
Team innovation and success: why we should X X X

fight at work
Collaborating and colliding: when alliances X X X

go wrong
Negotiating tight spaces X
xvi ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE

Chemical (includes
X Geomatic
X X
X X
X X X Chemical; nuclear
X X X Agricultural
Geomatic
X X Geomatic
ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE xvii

7 Catastrophic communication breakdown X X X
Releasing Fletcher Aluminium’s X

invisible handbrake
Developing, managing and communicating X X X

our brand
Environmental engineering in Alaska
Communicating from space X
Swarm communication X X
The plant visit X
Who is the gatekeeper? X X
8 Reporting on data breaches X X X
Communicating bad news X X X
Cardiac resynchronisation therapy — a research X

and development success
Working with rubbery figures X X X
9 Smart technologies: how accurate are their X X X

measurements?
Exploring the accuracy of spatial location devices X X X
Flood protection for a mine tailings slurry system X X
Quantum computer: we’re planning to create one X X X

that acts like a brain
WestConnex stakeholders seek compensation X X
Surf, dive or scan X X X
Road design specifications — a summary X

approach
3D buildings in a 3D world X
Do you need better cybersecurity? X X X
10 The good news about plastic waste
Living Building Challenge X
Formula E — high performance electric cars X X
Rethinking timber: a story of a long life X
Qantas Q Bag Tag X X
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge X X X
11 Upgrade of concentrate thickeners X
HamiltonJet, New Zealand X X
Software checking X X X
xviii ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE

Chemical (includes
Geomatic; telecommunications
Geomatic; telecommunications
X Biomedical; materials
Biomedical
X X Geomatic
X Minerals/metallurgical
X X X Geomatic
X X X
X Geomatic
X Materials
X X Materials
Telecommunications; software
X Structural
X X X Software
ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE xix

12 Understanding complex systems X X X
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa X
Designing a natural air-conditioning system X
SMART decisions for bridge maintenance X X
Flood emergency DSS for the Gold Coast X
13 Winning project management in engineering X X
Lean management and Fast Jet X
Project management oversights and the Australian

eCensus fail
14 When public information becomes unintelligible X X X

to the public
Developing a communication plan for X X X

a student project
The differences between academic and X X X

practitioner writing
Planning a proposal X X X
When things go wrong: a legal perspective X X X
Legal games at Wembley Stadium X X X
Death by lack of communication and X X X

lack of design
Slide rules X X X
+
Using 3D models to communicate design and X X
operational information
Using virtual mines to communicate the

complexity of mining operations to students
15 Home medication dispenser X X
Digital diagnosis: how your smartphone or X

wearable device could forecast illness
Climate change adaptation and maritime X X X

engineering
On mining, poverty and development
Microscope in a needle X X
Mimicking the retina X
Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, New Zealand X X
xx ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE

Chemical (includes
X X X
Structural; computer systems
X Geomatic; software
X Aeronautical
Aerospace
Software
Structural
Biomedical; mechatronic; software
X Coastal/ocean/marine
Mechatronic; software
ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE xxi

PART 1
INTRODUCTION TO
ENGINEERING
1 What is engineering? 2
2 The engineering method 43
CHAPTER 1
What is engineering?
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1.1 describe the roles of an engineer
1.2 identify the major engineering disciplines
1.3 list the core skills and attributes of an engineer
1.4 identify some of the fundamentals of engineering science
1.5 explain the impact engineering has had on society over time
1.6 explain the need for professionalism and ethics in engineering.
‘Engineering is intellectual and practical — understanding social needs, conceiving

solutions and predicting how they’ll work . . .’
James Trevelyan (mechatronic engineer)
Pdf_Folio:2
Introduction
In this chapter you will explore what engineers know, think and do in practising engineering. Perhaps you
have chosen to study engineering with clear ideas about engineers being people who design technological
solutions to problems. You may be motivated by job security and a good salary. You might want to make
a difference in the world.
You will learn about the many dimensions of engineering work. The emergence of the main engineering
disciplines will be explained. You will learn how engineering innovation has coloured people’s lives
throughout history, and how the fundamental concepts of engineering science underpin engineering. You
will also discover some of the core skills of an engineer (many of which are explored in depth in the coming
chapters). But first, what is engineering?
In his article ‘Engineering a future’, published in the New Zealand Education Review (2007), journalist
John Gerritsen asked leading professionals and academics for their take on ‘what engineering is’. The
article won Gerritsen a New Zealand Engineering Excellence Award in Engineering Journalism. Consider
the following extract from this article (p. 8):
‘The difference between engineering and science’, says the chair of the Council of Engineering Deans, Bob
Hodgson, ‘is that engineering has to work’. After all, there’s not a lot of use for bridges that test interesting
principles but can’t be driven on, or electricity grids that black out.
The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand [now Engineering New Zealand] executive
director Andrew Cleland agrees. Overseas experience indicates businesses are stronger if engineers are
involved in their management and governance. Andrew suggested engineering is divided into two broad
types — infrastructural or ‘civil’ engineering, and wealth creation. The former is concerned with the
systems on which modern society depends, such as roads, and the latter with new products or systems,
such as those developed in the field of information technology.
Natasha McCarthy, policy advisor to the Royal Academy of Engineering in the United Kingdom, states
in her book (2012, p. 15):
Engineering is inherently creative — it takes what nature provides in order to make something new, or
to make things behave in novel ways. Engineers should never be satisfied with the way things are; the
successful engineer will always want to intervene, to change things so that they work better.
In Australia and New Zealand, professional bodies accredit engineering courses and register engineers
to practice. These bodies are Engineers Australia and Engineering New Zealand. There are nine general
areas of practice recognised by Engineers Australia: aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, electrical,
environmental, ITEE (information, telecommunications and electronics engineering), mechanical and
structural (Engineers Australia 2018a). Many fields of engineering sit within the nine general areas of
practice. For example, mining engineering, mechatronic engineering and medical engineering are named
engineering courses at Australian and New Zealand universities. Graduates from those courses would
register under the most closely related general area of practice.
In addition to general areas of practice, it is possible for practicing engineers to register their
expertise and competence to undertake specialist engineering work under a ‘special area of practice’.
In Australia, there are 13 recognised special areas of practice including amusement ride inspection, fire
safety, heritage and conservation management, leadership and management, petroleum engineering and
subdivisional geotechnics.
These areas of practice and specialisation change over the years in response to industry and societal
demand. Engineering is about innovation and there are a range of views on what the future holds for
engineers and engineering specialisations. We will examine these in more detail as this chapter progresses
and in subsequent chapters of this text.
Engineers Australia offers a fairly clear description of what engineering is from an Australian perspec-
tive. For the sake of brevity, the following summarises the key aspects of Engineers Australia’s description
of engineering from their Stage 1 Competency Standards (Engineers Australia 2017a).
Engineers take responsibility for engineering projects and programs in the most far-reaching sense.
This includes:
• reliable functioning of all materials and technologies used and the systems created
• interactions between the technical system and the social and physical environment where it functions
• understanding the requirements of clients and of society as a whole
• working to optimise social, environmental and economic outcomes over the lifetime of the product
or program
Pdf_Folio:3
CHAPTER 1 What is engineering? 3

• interacting effectively with the other disciplines, professions and people involved
• ensuring that the engineering contribution is properly integrated into the totality of the project
or program.
Engineers Australia emphasises the engineer’s role in: explaining technological possibilities to society,
business and government; bringing knowledge to bear from multiple sources to develop solutions to
complex problems and issues; and managing risk. These statements from Engineers Australia emphasise
the importance of technical excellence and a capacity to consider and take into account the full social and
environmental context in which engineering work takes place. This is the career you have chosen and the
coming chapters in this text will start you on your journey into the rich, complex and important world and
work of the professional engineer.
1.1 What is the role of an engineer?

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1.1 Describe the roles of an engineer.
The role of an engineer is constantly evolving. Market demands, community expectations and advances
in technology are constantly reshaping the practice of engineering. Engineering is pervasive in that it
influences and is evident in a wide array of our day-to-day activities. This means that engineers are
everywhere and their roles are many and diverse. Today’s engineers work in a variety of roles:
• choosing to be specialists who design or develop technological solutions to problems
• thriving in management or project management roles where they oversee budgets and organise the work
of others
• devoting their working lives to researching radical new applications of the fundamental concepts of
engineering and physics
• getting ‘hands on’, working with operators and tradespeople to maintain equipment in heavy industry
• moving into policy and specialising in creating the regulatory or legislative frameworks to ensure
engineering solutions take account of the broader economic, social and political factors that engineering
work sits within
• opting to work alone and in the background, or being ‘out there’ meeting clients and working
with people.
Some students may even graduate and elect not to work as an engineer. Engineers Australia reported
that approximately 40 per cent of people with an engineering qualification work outside the field of
engineering (Engineers Australia 2017b). This means a substantial proportion of engineering graduates
move out of engineering and apply their problem-solving skills in non-traditional fields such as medical
logistics, political activism or merchant banking. Ultimately, all of these different roles are important to
the transformation of natural capital into built and human capital, and to the prosperity and functioning of
our society. They may all lead towards satisfying, productive careers.
We will now look at how the role of the engineer has evolved over time. Different skills and attributes
have become increasingly important in engineering — a reflection of the diverse job responsibilities of
today’s graduates and professionals.
KEY POINT
All engineers should be technically competent; beyond that there are vast arrays of ways to be, and
practise as, an engineer.
A historical perspective
The engineer, as we understand the role, began to emerge during the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries in the United Kingdom and Europe. These engineers relied heavily on precedent,
rules of thumb and experimentation to execute technical projects. The engineer was considered as much
an artisan or master craftsperson as they were a scientist. During the 1900s, significant discoveries in
mathematics and physics and the advent of computing paved the way for engineering approaches based on
mathematical modelling and the application of fundamental principles known as engineering science. (An
overview of engineering science is given later in the chapter.) This science-based approach to engineering
enabled many of the technological breakthroughs of the twentieth century. Two examples of technological
Pdf_Folio:4
4 PART 1 Introduction to engineering

innovation that have affected the work and role of engineers are early advances in polymer chemistry
and advances in glass purity and lasers, which allowed development of optical fibre technology. We will
now briefly explain how these two examples came about and how they influence the work and lives of
contemporary engineers.
During the 1920s and 1930s, a brilliant chemist called Wallace Carothers worked at the newly formed
DuPont chemical company in the United States in the frontier field of polymers. Carothers and his
team are credited with kick-starting the commercial development and manufacture of synthetic rubber
(neoprene) and synthetic silk (nylon). Contemporary engineers rely on these polymers for a range of uses.
Neoprene is commonly used for safety gloves and face masks, corrosion-resistant gaskets and hoses, water-
resistant housings for consumer electronics (e.g. tablet devices, smartphones) and for personal buoyancy
and insulation gear used by engineers working offshore and in the maritime industry. Nylon has evolved
from its earliest, most recognisable application as a replacement for the silk that was commonly used
to manufacture ladies’ hosiery. Now engineers use nylon to achieve engineering outcomes in a range of
applications such as in the form of injection moulded rocker covers and gaskets in car manufacturing; as
strong, porous, chemically stable matting for soil erosion control; and for the biomedical engineering of
prosthetic limbs and organs (e.g. bladders, heart valves).
Biomedical engineers use nylon in the design of prosthetic limbs.
As a result of the advances in glass purity and lasers, engineers (and most of the rest of society)
have come to rely heavily on dependable, high-speed, high-fidelity telecommunications based on fibre
optics. Fibre optics allow engineers to, for example, communicate in real-time when working in global
design teams, track and digitise human movement to develop high-end movie graphics, provide medical
aid in rehabilitation medicine and develop distributed control systems by combining fibre optics, infra-
red detectors and signal-processing electronics to safely and remotely monitor and control systems in
chemical engineering and manufacturing. Optical fibres came about as result of the confluence of two
technological and scientific breakthroughs. The first was a breakthrough in physics by Charles Townes
and his colleagues at Columbia University in New York and was based on Einstein’s earlier discoveries
about stimulated emission (the capacity of electrons to absorb and emit photons). The Columbia team
led by Townes developed microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation or ‘maser’. The
maser was an immediate precursor to light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, which is now
known as ‘laser’.
The second breakthrough paving the way for society’s current ubiquitous reliance on optic fibre was the
development in the 1970s of high-purity glass fibres. To make optical fibre communications viable, these
Pdf_Folio:5

fibres needed to be of sufficient purity for light travelling through the glass to suffer attenuation of less than
20 dB/km. Attenuation is the loss of signal strength over distance and is expressed in units of decibels (dB)
per kilometre (km) travelled. Much modern-day fibre optic technology utilises lasers as the most effective
and efficient light source. Australia’s largest ever infrastructure project, the National Broadband Network
(NBN), which commenced roll-out in 2010, relies on fibre optic technology. The NBN is intended to
support growth of the ‘digital economy’ through high-definition, high-speed communications. Originally
planned to deliver transmission speeds of 1 gigabit per second, it has been estimated that the NBN will cost
between $36 and $76 billon. A strategic review of the project recommended modifying the technologies
used and reducing the transmission speeds to 50–100 megabits per second in an effort to deliver the
project for approximately $41 billion by 2020 (NBN Co. 2013). More recent estimates suggest the 2020
completion date will see approximately 19 million premises able to access the network and a final price
tag of $51 billion (Ryan 2018).
As you will discover in the coming chapters, engineering science, engineering innovation and engineer-
ing work have evolved over time. With this evolution has come the need for engineering practitioners to
adapt their knowledge, skill sets, perspectives and attitudes.
A contemporary perspective
The skills, knowledge and attitudes employers and society expect of engineers have changed over time.
Literacy in maths, physics and computer modelling have long been considered fundamental to the work
of professional engineers (Stephan 2001), but engineers are expected to know and do more than that.
Mitchell, Carew and Clift (2004) suggested the main role of engineers is to apply technical competence
as a means of transforming ‘natural capital’, such as water, solar energy or mineral deposits, into ‘human
and built capital’, such as energy or metal goods. Strong technical competence is the requisite basis for
designing this transformation; however, as many engineering practitioners are now discovering, technical
competence is not the only requisite skill for professional practice.
According to prominent UK engineer Roland Clift, an engineer must be not only technically competent,
but must understand that technology often has diverse consequences. The job of engineers is to seek an
understanding of, and take responsibility for, the broader social, environmental and economic impacts
of the work they do. They need to consider the impact of their work through the whole life cycle of
an engineering product or process — from cradle (extraction or acquisition of raw materials) through to
production and use and then to grave (decommissioning and disposal or recycling) — in terms of possible
impacts on future generations (Clift 1998).
In a survey involving 300 Australian engineers, participants were asked to identify which skill, attribute
or area of knowledge was most lacking in recent engineering graduates (Male, Chapman & Bush 2010).
The survey participants rated the following competencies as the most lacking: communication skills, self-
management, attitude, problem solving and teamwork. In line with these findings, the UK Henley Report
(Henley Management College 2006) and the Australian King Report (2008) suggested that engineers
needed the skills to fit into one of five broad categories. These are outlined in figure 1.1.
FIGURE 1.1 Engineer roles in the future
• Technical specialists. Engineers at the leading edge of their discipline, who work with those in other
disciplines to conceive, create and implement highly innovative engineered systems.
• Integrators. Engineers skilled at working across technical, disciplinary and organisational boundaries
in complex business, social and political environments.
• Change agents. Engineers who apply creativity, innovation and leadership developed through
engineering studies and practice to solve high-profile issues, such as ecological sustainability and
climate change.
• Project managers. Engineers who deploy highly developed interpersonal, organisational and financial
management skills to execute engineering projects.
• Asset maintainers. Engineers who are responsible for understanding, maintaining, adapting and
upgrading existing major engineering infrastructure, equipment and systems.
Source: Adapted from the UK Henley Report (2006) and the Australian King Report (2008).
Augustine (1994, p. 3) observed that, ‘Engineers must become as adept in dealing with societal and
political forces as they are with gravitational and electromagnetic forces’. A contemporary perspective on
Pdf_Folio:6

the role of an engineer is that today’s engineers must possess more than technical competence; they must
have the skills and inclination to understand and take account of the people and contexts that surround and
give purpose to all engineering endeavours.
SPOTLIGHT
Engineering vision through

artificial intelligence
Engineering innovation can change the way peo-
ple live and create opportunities for many who
face challenges. Ms Marita Cheng, who has been
recognised as one of Australia’s most innovative
engineers, is using sensing and analytics to help
blind people identify objects in real time. Ms Cheng
is a roboticist and co-founder of Aipoly, a company
that has developed a smartphone app that allows
people who are blind, vision impaired or colourblind
to identify objects and colours.
The app grew from a program at Singularity
University in California where entrepreneurs and technologists worked together on team-based technol-
ogy solutions. Ms Cheng, along with Mr Alberto Rizzoli from Italy and Mr Simon Edwardsson from Sweden,
developed Aipoly Vision, an app that can recognise up to three objects per second in real time using a
smartphone. The app recognises over 1000 different food items and dishes, and can tell 1400 colours
apart and name them. The app offers simple colour naming if the user is not familiar with unusual colour
names like ‘celadon’, ‘malachite’ or ‘seafoam blue’ (Engineers Australia 2016).
According to Ms Cheng, the unique thing about the app is that rather than a person taking a photo and
sending it over the internet, objects are detected and identified in real time using the computation ability
of the phone (Engineers Australia 2016).
All you have to do is hold your phone, pass it over the various objects, and in real time it recognises
chairs, the floor, tables, different colours . . . A blind person would be able to have a much richer
experience of the world through this kind of technology (Engineers Australia 2016).
The pathway to working as an AI, robotics and technology entrepreneur has been interesting and
satisfying for Ms Cheng. She grew up in a Queensland housing commission suburb in a single-parent
family. After graduating from high school in 2006, Ms Cheng studied for a Bachelor of Engineering
(Mechatronics) and Bachelor of Computer Science at the University of Melbourne. Marita became aware
that there were very few female students in her engineering classes so she and her fellow engineering
students went to schools to teach girls robotics. While on academic exchange at Imperial College London,
Ms Cheng expanded Robogals to London and then throughout Australia, the UK, the US and Japan. Today
Robogals continues, running robotics workshops, career talks and community activities to introduce
young women to engineering (Cheng n.d.).
............................................................................................................................................................................
CRITICAL THINKING
It is clear that Ms Cheng is strongly motivated to develop innovations and take action that enable people
who are challenged by vision impairment or gender stereotypes. In your future work as an engineer, what
might motivate you and shape your direction as a professional? It could be that you want status and
financial security, or you may be driven to protect the environment, support social justice or develop
radical new ways to do everyday things. Take the time to draft a clear statement of the personal mission
guiding your career direction.
1.2 Engineering disciplines

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1.2 Identify the major engineering disciplines.
The importance of engineering in the day-to-day lives of Australians and New Zealanders should not
be underestimated. The work of all engineering disciplines is important. Engineers and the engineering
work they do influence how people live, work, play, recuperate, eat, breathe and communicate. Beyond
influencing lives, it is no exaggeration to say that engineering also saves lives, and mistakes and oversights
in engineering can cost lives.
Pdf_Folio:7

Here are a few examples of engineering in our day-to-day lives.
• We eat and drink fermented, cultured, cooked, canned and cured foodstuffs (e.g. yoghurt, beer, cheese,
salami, canned tomatoes, smoked salmon), the safe mass-production of which is often designed and
overseen by chemical, manufacturing, agricultural, process and biochemical engineers.
• We drive cars or ride in trains designed by mechanical, electrical and rolling stock engineers, which
conform to stringent safety standards ensuring that only the unlucky few fail to make it to their
destination. The work of traffic engineers and software engineers ensures that the speed and routing
of cars and trains are controlled to reduce commuter frustration, delays and road and rail accidents.
• We consume therapeutic medicines and vitamin supplements that have been mass-produced with the
aid of biochemical, chemical and manufacturing engineers, and distributed by road, air and rail by
engineers who manage pharmaceutical supply chains. Some of these medications are administered to
us via technology designed and maintained by biomedical and maintenance engineers who work in the
health and hospital sector.
• We stay warm in winter and cool in summer through the efforts of petroleum engineers who refine
fossil fuels for energy production to drive our heaters and air-conditioners, or through the clever, passive
solar design of civil and industrial engineers, or, by using renewable energy from systems developed by
mechanical and electrical engineers who work in photovoltaic, hydro and wind energy production.
• We breathe air that is maintained within safe limits through the work of environmental engineers, who
monitor and mitigate industrial air pollution. Environmental, chemical and civil engineers also ensure
that wastes discharged to water (e.g. sewage, stormwater, industrial liquid wastes) are monitored to
ensure waters remain safe for recreational use (e.g. swimming, boating) and as healthy ecosystems
(e.g. maintenance of biodiversity).
• Access to reliable engineered telecommunications devices and geospatial services allows us to conduct
business internationally, maintain relationships with loved ones interstate and overseas, and to call for
emergency services when things go wrong. We can also find out where we are in any city and where the
nearest restaurant is.
This list of how engineering touches our everyday lives could go on and on, and in the coming chapters
the numerous spotlight sections will provide many further insights into the pervasive nature and importance
of engineering work. You may like to think through the wide range of engineering technologies and
engineered services that lead you safely and comfortably through each day. Figure 1.2 shows some of
the engineering disciplines that may contribute to the lives and experiences of two typical undergraduate
students, in terms of the design, manufacture and delivery or distribution of each of the products or services
they are using.
About three years after graduation it becomes important to understand the wide range of engineering
disciplines and specialisations. At that point, an engineer can seek to register as a Professional Engineer
on the National Engineering Register (NER). Administered by Engineers Australia, it includes the nine
general areas of practice under which a new engineer can nominate to practise; these are listed in the
introduction to this chapter.
In New Zealand, the registration authority for engineers is called Engineering New Zealand and
graduates can apply to become Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng). Nominees to CPEng in New
Zealand undertake an assessment task to demonstrate their capacity to apply specialist knowledge to
complex engineering problems. The assessment is evaluated by a panel of experts and those nominees
who pass attain CPEng status. To retain registration within New Zealand, CPEngs are required to demon-
strate New Zealand-specific technical experience and be reassessed every six years (Engineering New
Zealand 2018a).
In the following sections, we will consider in a bit more detail some of the recognised and emerging
fields of engineering including electrical, electronics and telecommunications engineering; mechanical
engineering; aerospace and aviation engineering; chemical engineering; civil engineering; environmen-
tal engineering; materials engineering; and mining engineering. The discussion in the following discipline-
specific paragraphs draws on information from Engineers Australia (2018b) and Engineering New
Zealand (2018b).
KEY POINT
Having a clear idea about what each of the engineering disciplines does will help you settle on the right
specialisation for you.
Pdf_Folio:8

FIGURE 1.2 The engineering behind everyday life
Electric light (electrical, power,

petroleum/mechanical)
Potable water (civil, chemical,

environmental)
Laminated vanity unit

(materials, manufacturing)
Toothpaste (chemical,
mechanical, mechatronic)
Stainless steel spoon (mining, mechanical,

manufacturing)
Laptop computer (electronics,
electrical, industrial design)
Wireless internet (computer

systems, software,
telecommunications)
Breakfast oats (agricultural,

mechanical)
Breakfast yoghurt (chemical, manufacturing,
biochemical, supply chain)
Electrical, electronics and telecommunications engineering

These three related fields of engineering account for those engineers responsible for the creation,
transmission and use of electrical energy. Electrical engineering is concerned with the way electrical
energy is produced and used in homes, the community and industry. Electrical engineers design and build
the systems and machines that generate, transmit, measure, control and use the electrical energy essential
to modern life. One specialisation within electrical engineering is power generation and distribution
engineering, which is concerned with planning, developing, testing, installing, using and maintaining
power plants or stations, and dealing with the transmission of that power to where it is needed — cities,
towns, railway lines, large businesses and industry. Some power engineers also conduct research on
developing alternative power sources that utilise solar and wind energy.
Electronics and telecommunications engineering are viewed as clearly defined fields that sit alongside
electrical engineering. Electronics and telecommunications engineers design devices and systems that
use small amounts of electrical energy to analyse, transmit and store information for communications,
broadcasting, aviation, defence, robotics, in computers, for medical applications or in meteorology.
Transmission of electronic signals forms the basis of communications in the information technology
industry, and includes the field of microelectronics and the use of silicon chip technology. These
engineers are responsible for technologies like mobile and satellite communications systems, optical fibre
technologies and computer systems that allow for real-time communication between people who may be
located on opposite sides of the globe. They also contribute to the development of electronics, sensors and
Pdf_Folio:9

telemetry (data collection and transmission) systems to support health applications such as the bionic ear,
heart pacemakers and life support systems.
Electrical engineering has spawned an array of engineering specialisations and fields, such as software
engineering (designing, modifying and supporting the use of computer programs and packages) and
mechatronics (combining aspects of mechanical and electrical engineering to design processes and systems
that, for example, control machines or simulate human thought and responses).
Computer systems engineering is another field related to electronics engineering that, in combination
with computer science, is responsible for the analysis, design, development and operation of interlinked
computer hardware and software systems (Engineers Australia 2014).
Mechanical engineering
Engineers who work in mechanical engineering mostly specialise in the design, optimisation, trial,
creation and maintenance of mechanical systems and processes, and systems and processes that deal with
heat. A mechanical system is one with moving parts or ‘mechanisms’ and much of the work mechanical
engineers do with heat involves the generation and use of various forms of energy to power mechanisms
(e.g. combustion of fuels, capture of wind or wave energy). These mechanical, energy-using systems
pervade our everyday existence, from aircraft, car and ship engines, to the mechanical devices used for
the mass manufacture of industrial and consumer goods, such as extruded metal pipes, toothpaste (via
automated toothpaste tube filling machines) and bottled beverage assembly lines. Next time you enter a
cool room on a summer’s day, or choose to take the lift, consider the mechanical engineer who designed
the air-conditioning system or the elevator that has helped to spare you from perspiring.
Mechanical engineering assists the mass manufacture of consumer goods, such as the assembly line production of
bottled beverages.
A lot of the work of mechanical engineers relies on the concepts that fall under the headings of
‘dynamics’, ‘thermodynamics’ and ‘fluid dynamics’. All these concepts are about how force, energy and
motion apply in different settings. Dynamics is broadly the study of the force and energy required to set
solid members in motion, to stop them or to change their trajectory. Take a look at the pedal and braking
system of a child’s bike for a simple version of the application of dynamics in mechanical engineering.
Thermodynamics allows mechanical engineers to understand and control how heat moves within materials
and the conversion of heat from one energy form to another (e.g. from potential energy to momentum).
Mechanical engineers can, for example, use the principles of thermodynamics to design and size car engine
Pdf_Folio:10

cooling systems to optimise engine performance and minimise fuel consumption. Fluid dynamics concerns
the way that liquids, gases and mass particulates move under different conditions (e.g. under pressure, on
a surface or gradient). Mechanical engineers use their knowledge of fluid dynamics to understand how, for
example, changes in hydraulic pressure can affect the performance of shock absorbers.
A specialisation closely aligned with the work of civil engineers is building services engineering.
Specialists in this field often have an undergraduate degree in mechanical or electrical engineering. They
design heating, air-conditioning, electric lighting and power, and communications systems for commercial
and industrial premises. They also design water and gas supply, plumbing and drainage systems, and fire
safety and security systems to service the needs of businesses and individuals who live and work in large
commercial buildings.
Some mechanical engineers are leading the way in the capture of renewable sources of energy, and
hence in fighting global climate change. For example, mechanical engineers are involved in the design of
wave power generators, optimising the transfer of energy from source (wave) to the paddles, which in turn
power energy-generating turbines. The effectiveness of wave power generators depends upon mechanical
engineers calculating the fluid dynamics (such as drag and flow) of the sea water, the interaction of
these dynamics with the paddle’s shape and its surface qualities (aerodynamics, material properties). By
optimising these (and other) variables, mechanical engineers contribute to the harnessing of a lucrative
and environmentally sound source of energy.
Aerospace and aviation engineering

Engineers who work in design, construct and monitor the operation of aircraft, aerospace vehicles and
propulsion systems for planes, jets, helicopters, gliders, missiles and spacecraft. They are also involved
in researching, developing and testing new materials for the aerospace and aviation industry as well as
researching engines, body shapes and structures in the quest to increase the efficiency, speed and strength
of air and spacecraft. They are also responsible for planning aircraft safety and maintenance programs and
might develop space and aircraft automatic control and communication systems.
The Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority employs aeronautical engineers whose main task is to
ensure that aircraft are airworthy. This covers the certification of aircraft and involves the assessment of
manufacturers’ data from within Australia and overseas. In this role, they may have to assess mechanical
systems, flight characteristics and aircraft performance. This is usually done through test flights, measuring
take-off distances, rate of climb, stall speeds, manoeuvrability and landing capacities, and then comparing
results with safety standards.
Another specialist role that some aerospace engineers carry out is investigating irregularities in the
performance of air system components, faulty engines or failures in safety or communications procedures
that affect, or have the potential to affect, the safety of air travel, air travellers or aircraft operators
(Engineers Australia 2014).
SPOTLIGHT
Aerospace engineering and the

drone wars
Stephen Bornstein, Engineers Australia 2017 Young
Professional Engineer of the Year for Queensland,
was a capability projects engineer at Airbus Group
and founder of Cyborg Dynamics Engineering. His
blend of engineering expertise and two years as an
Army Reserve Platoon Commander meant Stephen
was primed for a role in a project to design the next
generation of army drones. Stephen’s contribution to
Australia’s defence capability comes from a sustained
commitment to tinkering, innovating and challenging
himself; all hallmarks of an engineering mindset. Hav-
ing developed a passion for engineering as a Lego-
mad three-year-old, Stephen graduated with a degree
in Aerospace Engineering from Monash University
before joining the multinational defence company, BAE
Systems where he worked on the Nulka Active Missile
Pdf_Folio:11

Decoy and the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile. Stephen then moved to American aerospace manufacturers,
RocketLab where he was a senior vehicle engineer developing the electron space launch vehicle
(Cranenburgh 2018). He found that work highly challenging because ‘it was a relatively inexperienced
team building a clean sheet space rocket with a lot of new technologies and we learned a lot of lessons
the hard way, through design and testing’ (Engineers Australia 2018c).
On the basis of Stephen’s academic record, engineering experience and army reserve work, he has
been selected as technical lead for engineering start-up JAR Aerospace. JAR Aerospace is one of three
Australian industry partners contracted by the Australian Army and Defence Innovation Hub to work on
its next generation small unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Each of the industry partners will propose a
UAS to replace the Australian Army’s current WASP AE. The WASP AE is an American remote-controlled
surveillance and reconnaissance drone with a five-kilometre communications range and 50 minutes flight
endurance. Effective UAS not only help to protect Australian and New Zealand service personnel from
unexpected attack in the field of war, they also allow our service people to collect accurate information to
potentially protect civilians from misdirected strikes (Cranenburgh 2018).
............................................................................................................................................................................
CRITICAL THINKING
Having a passion for Lego and being a member of the Army Reserve aren’t likely to be listed as ‘essential
selection criteria’ in many of the engineering jobs you’ll see advertised when you graduate. These elements
of Stephen’s background allowed him to provide evidence of his personal qualities, experience and
professional characteristics beyond engineering technical skill. What sporting, work, volunteering or other
activities do you undertake that might show a future employer that you stand out from others in the
employment game?
Chemical engineering
Engineers who work in chemical engineering design and manage technology and processes for the large-
scale conversion of raw materials into useful and commercial products. This is chemistry on a grand
scale. These engineers might choose to spend their professional lives researching raw materials and their
properties. They might work in design and develop equipment and operating processes to extract and refine
raw materials, or in manufacturing to produce food, petrol, plastics, paints, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,
paper, ceramics, minerals and more. Extracting and processing raw materials safely and without harming
the environment is a major specialisation of chemical engineers. This means that clean production, hazard
analysis, work health and safety, industrial ecology, environmental protection and the reclamation or clean-
up of contaminated sites account for a substantial part of the employment market for chemical engineers.
Engineering fields that are closely related to chemical engineering include: combustion and petroleum
engineering (design and operation of large-scale combustion chemistry for fuel refining and energy
generation), smelting engineering (heat extraction of metals from bulk metal-rich ores), and water and
wastewater treatment engineering (physical, chemical and biological treatment of water, wastewater and
sewage sludge) (Engineers Australia 2014).
Civil engineering
Engineers working in the field of civil engineering undertake civil works that contribute to how people
live their everyday lives. Their work focuses on the physical infrastructure of both urban and rural
environments. In other words, when you walk around outside you will see civil engineering everywhere:
buildings, roads and traffic control systems, water supply, stormwater and wastewater treatment, bridges,
ports, dams and so on.
Much of the work of civil engineers relies on the concepts that fall under the headings of ‘structural
mechanics’, ‘fluid mechanics’ and ‘geomechanics’. Structural mechanics is the study of the behaviour and
distortion of solid elements placed under various forms of load; for example, a fully laden Mack truck
parked on a wooden bridge. Many civil engineering graduates work as structural engineers, designing
the frameworks to support buildings and bridges. Fluid mechanics allows civil engineers to understand
the forces that operate within, and are caused by, the movement of water and wind; for example, in the
design of a wastewater treatment plant or in a desalination plant or a bridge pier in a fast-flowing river.
Geomechanics is a specialised application of structural and fluid mechanics. It explains how soil and rock
behave under pressure and in relation to water; for example, in the design of a retaining wall and drainage
system to prevent land slip under conditions of extreme rainfall or saturation.
Pdf_Folio:12

While some civil engineers specialise in designing big structures, there are also numerous roles in this
field devoted to organising construction works, making policy and planning decisions related to transport
and water, and consulting with the community and other users of urban and rural environments on their
needs and aspirations. Many civil engineering graduates actually work as environmental engineers.
Civil engineers have played a lead role in the design, construction and maintenance of some of
Australia’s and New Zealand’s most beautiful and iconic bridges, shown in figure 1.3.
FIGURE 1.3 Bridging form and function
Te Rewa Rewa Bridge,

Taranaki, New Zealand
Modelled on the ribcage
of a whale, this carefully
planned and constructed
bridge acts as the perfect
frame for Mount Taranaki,
seen here in the distance.
The steel arch bridge has
a 70-metre-long pedestrian
and cycle path.
Gladesville Bridge, NSW

This bridge, with a 300-
metre arch span, spans
the Parramatta River. Con-
struction took five years to
complete and at the time
of its opening, in 1964, it
was the largest, longest
single-span concrete arch
ever constructed.
Webb Bridge, Melbourne

Victoria
A collaboration between
the artist Robert Owen
and architects Denton
Corker Marshall, this cycle
and pedestrian link sits
in the heart of the city. It
crosses the Yarra River in a
200-metre tunnel of metal
webbing.
Pdf_Folio:13

Story Bridge, Brisbane,
Queensland
Connecting the two halves
of the city, the landmark
bridge opened in 1940. It
is the longest cantilever
bridge in Australia, con-
structed of 12 000 tonnes
of steelwork and 22 storeys
high. It was designed by
John Bradfield, who was
also responsible for the
Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Hokitika Gorge Swing

Bridge, Hokitika, New
Zealand
This single-span swing
footbridge crosses the
Hokitika Gorge. It provides
breathtaking views across
the azure waters of the
gorge. The main supporting
cables are steel wire and
it is a popular tourist
destination.
Environmental engineering
Engineers who work in environmental engineering are responsible for protecting the environment by
assessing the impact a technology, project or process will have on ecosystems, the air, water, soil and
noise levels in its vicinity. This is done by investigating and analysing engineering works and designing
operating procedures and processes to minimise adverse effects on the environment.
Environmental engineers predict what problems may be caused by accidents, such as oil or chemical
spills, and work to assess likely long-term environmental effects. Environmental engineers are also
involved in removing or remediating problems caused by past human and industrial activity. This might
include deciding how to clean up contaminated industrial land so it can be used for housing, deciding on
a plan to manage heavy metal contamination of sediments in harbours and fishing ports, or working out
whether an old landfill site is safe to be used as a sporting field. They also plan and design equipment and
processes for the treatment and safe disposal of waste material from municipalities (e.g. domestic solid
waste and sewage sludge) and industry (e.g. biological hazards, construction and demolition waste), and
they direct the conservation and wise use of natural resources. Some environmental engineers are involved
in research and development of alternative energy sources, processes and procedures for water reclamation,
and development of innovative waste treatment and recycling technologies and procedures.
Environmental engineers need to maintain their knowledge of the legislative and regulatory frameworks
that govern the environmental performance of engineering work. They also keep up-to-date with environ-
mental standards such as those governing emissions of gaseous and liquid-borne wastes to the atmosphere
or waterways (Engineers Australia 2014).
Pdf_Folio:14

SPOTLIGHT
Engineering better flood modelling

Recently developed technology can help local authorities track and plan for the impact of natural disasters
such as flooding. According to Ms Monika Balicki, Director of Water Modelling Solutions, ‘Australia is one
of the best places to see the advantages of graphics processing unit (GPU) modelling’ for effective river
and catchment management (Engineers Australia 2016).
Balicki’s work included GPU modelling in Toowoomba as part of the 2015 region’s planning scheme,
a massive undertaking that covered nearly 13 000 square kilometres, including the Condamine River
floodplain in Queensland’s south-east.
The Condamine stretches across four local government jurisdictions and the councils there saw a need
to update modelling of how water moved across this vast area. In particular, they were keen to use new
technologies to improve flood-mapping accuracy.
Newly developed light detection and ranging (LiDAR) survey data, in addition to advances in GPU
technology, made it possible for Balicki to develop a comprehensive map of flood elevation surfaces,
velocities and depths, as well as flood hazard and hydraulic categories for a full set of modelled events.
Using GPU 1D and 2D flexible mesh, Balicki was able to adjust the resolution for greater detail in areas of
interest, such as towns (Engineers Australia 2016).
Balicki relied heavily on her high-quality engineering knowledge acquired through her Masters of
Science (Environmental Engineering) to improve councils’ understanding of how development and
management of the Condamine River floodplain would enable greater environmental sustainability and
improve outcomes for flooding events.
‘Approach and outcomes: The hydraulic modelling of the Upper Condamine River catchment was undertaken
using a coupled 1D/2D MIKE FLOOD Flexible Mesh model. The model covered an area of approximately
2230 km2 with mesh elements ranging from 3 m2 to 3600 m2 in area. Over 30 bridges and culverts were
represented in a 1D MIKE 11 model and coupled to the mesh topography. The model was validated to the
December 2010 flood event. Comprehensive mapping showing modelled surface elevations, velocities,
depths, flood hazard and hydraulic categories for the full set of modelled events was also produced to inform
future Planning Scheme amendments’ (Water Modelling Solutions 2017).
............................................................................................................................................................................
CRITICAL THINKING
Consider how the model and the associated information systems may be used by state government
agencies and local government bodies to prepare for future flood events.
Materials engineering
Engineers who work in the field of materials engineering are employed in industries that turn raw
materials into finished products. Materials engineering can be thought of as fitting in between mining
or chemical engineering (where raw materials are produced) and manufacturing (where final products
are made). Materials engineers design and select materials and materials-processing methods to fit a
particular product or application. Put simply, they define the best material for the job. Some engineers
Pdf_Folio:15

in this field research and develop new, improved materials. If a suitable material does not yet exist,
materials engineers will imagine, design and make a brand new one. Their work impacts every field of
engineering, including construction (e.g. the development of lightweight, insulating concrete panels for
energy efficient buildings), transport (e.g. the production of light, high-strength alloys for vehicles to reduce
fuel consumption and increase safety), minerals processing (e.g. using plasma to produce hard surfaces
on mining equipment so it lasts longer), electronics (e.g. the substitution of rare earth metals in mobile
technology), and biomedical devices (e.g. the fabrication of materials for implants that promote regrowth
of natural bone or tissue). Because they design and specify materials for such a range of different uses,
materials engineers usually work in teams that involve other engineering disciplines, as well as many other
specialists and stakeholders.
Materials engineers understand how the structure and properties of a material can be controlled by its
composition and processing. Their work relies on knowledge of chemistry, physics and mathematics as
well as statics (mechanics) of materials, fluids and heat flow, and mass transfer. As you’ll find later in the
chapter, this knowledge foundation will become very familiar to you over the next few years — regardless
of your discipline of engineering — because these foundational engineering science ideas underpin the
practice of all kinds of engineers.
Materials engineering is increasingly concerned with minimising the environmental impact of our mod-
ern society. Current developments include increasing the use of recycled materials, redesigning processes
to minimise greenhouse gas emissions, designing nanotechnology for environmental remediation, and
developing ‘energy materials’ for improved solar cells and hydrogen-based systems.
Mining engineering
Engineers who work in the field of mining engineering work with geologists to investigate and carry out
the extraction of ore bodies and mineral deposits, as well as the extraction of non-metallic ores and fuels
such as coal and uranium. They are responsible for planning the safest and most cost-effective way of
removing minerals from the ground, rivers or the sea bed. They may be involved with designing, installing
and supervising the use of explosives, ventilation equipment, and mining machinery and equipment, and
for inspecting the progress of mining operations.
Computerised techniques are often used in the development and operation of mines. Mining engi-
neers are responsible for protecting conditions for both people and the environment in the vicinity
of mines. They work both on mining sites and in the head and regional offices of mining compa-
nies. Experienced mining engineers have a wide range of career options including mine planning and
design, operations management, technical specialism, contracting, consulting, the mines inspectorate,
investment analysis and advice, research, tertiary education and general management. Mining engineers
use knowledge from other disciplines in their work (e.g. civil, electrical, mechanical engineering)
(Engineers Australia 2014).
Other engineering disciplines

As will be apparent from the coming chapters and from Engineers Australia’s long list of specialisations,
there are many, many different branches or fields of engineering beyond those profiled here. Some
are subsets of more established disciplines that have grown in size or complexity. For example, some
suggest the field of environmental engineering grew out of civil engineering’s focus on water provision,
and water and wastewater treatment. Others see environmental engineering as having emerged from the
manufacturing and chemical industry’s need to meet the emissions standards that were introduced under
various Clean Air Acts legislated in the United States, UK and elsewhere from the early 1900s.
Some fields of engineering have resulted from an intersection between established engineering fields
(e.g. mechanical + electrical = mechatronic), or between established engineering fields and other disci-
plines (e.g. mechanical + electrical + human movement studies = biomechanical prosthetics engineering).
Other engineering disciplines have emerged as a result of technological innovation (power engineering,
software engineering) or shifts in social order. For example, agricultural engineering boomed as a
result of the so called ‘Green Revolution’ of the 1960s that shifted production of food staples like
rice and wheat to an industrial scale. Plant breeding, intensive use of synthetic fertilisers and wide-
scale irrigation underpinned the need for industrial-scale engineering of irrigation networks, fertiliser
distribution mechanisms and mass automated harvesting equipment (International Food Policy Research
Institute 2002); hence, a heyday for the field of agricultural engineering.
Pdf_Folio:16

SPOTLIGHT
Software engineer wins top

student award
Victoria University of Wellington graduand Jack
Robinson has won the [Engineering New Zealand
(ENZ)] Ray Meyer Medal for Excellence in
Student Design.
The 22-year-old was awarded the prize at a cere-
mony last week for his final year project. His project
simplifies the creation of traffic management plans for
roadwork sites.
‘Whenever a contractor or event organiser would like to conduct work or hold an event on, or near a
road they have to complete a Temporary Traffic Management Plan (TTMP). These are ten-page documents
often with hand drawn diagrams of the site,’ says Jack.
‘My project moves the whole process online and makes it much easier. Users can specify work sites on
a Google Maps-like page and generate a fully contextual work site.’
The Ray Meyer Medal is [ENZ’s] top award for students, and aims to encourage a new generation of
innovative engineering designers. Jack is the first software engineering student to win the award.
The judges said Jack stood out as a clear winner of this award, with a well-presented project that had
excellent commercial potential. They also commented on the good level of user-testing that Jack had
engaged in.
Jack’s project was supervised by Professor Dale Carnegie, Dean of Victoria’s School of Engineering
and Computer Science and senior lecturer Dr David Pearce.
‘Jack was very motivated from the beginning and worked hard throughout the project,’ says Professor
Carnegie. ‘The award is great recognition of the work he has done — one that solves a real-world problem.
Jack displays all of the qualities we hope to instil in our Engineering graduates.’
Jack, who is now working as a graduate developer at Xero, graduate[d] with his Bachelor of Engineering
with Honours in Software Engineering in May [2017].
Source: Victoria University of Wellington (2017).
............................................................................................................................................................................
CRITICAL THINKING
All engineering students complete a final year research project as part of their degree program. Consider
five engineering innovations you would like to research.
While students have many different motivations for commencing an undergraduate degree in engineer-
ing, the prospect of a good salary is a strong motivator. On average, Australian engineering graduates can
initially expect to earn between $55 000 and $85 000 per annum (Engineers Australia 2017b; Professionals
Australia 2014) and in the most senior roles of Managing Director or CEO of an engineering firm, salaries
can range from $220 000 to $270 000 (Engineers Australia 2017b).
As the next section demonstrates, engineers can work in many different ways and can benefit from a
wide range of skills.
1.3 The core skills and attributes of an engineer

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1.3 List the core skills and attributes of an engineer.
Earlier in this chapter, it was highlighted that approximately 40 per cent of engineering graduates work
in non-engineering occupations (Engineers Australia 2017b). Engineering graduates are highly prized as
employees in many fields of work outside engineering. Why is this? Engineering know-how and technical
competence are important, but the skills and attributes of engineers have developed and changed in
response to the changing role of engineers. Some consider that today’s engineers are required to be more
versatile than the engineers of yesteryear. Engineers need to look at their careers as an opportunity for life-
long learning through the ongoing pursuit of professional learning (continuing professional development
[CPD]). Engineers are expected to have, maintain and develop a range of what are sometimes termed
non-technical skills, including (Clift 1998; Henley 2006; King 2008; Mitchell et al. 2004):
• being able to work with others
• being able to communicate technical ideas in non-technical language
Pdf_Folio:17

• possessing business acumen
• having common sense
• desiring to contribute to sustainable development
• being able to think creatively and having intellectual independence
• possessing the ability to organise and manage budgets and logistics.
Demand for these skills has raised the benchmark for engineering students, who are expected to develop
proficiency in a range of areas during their course. Undergraduate students should apply themselves to
mastering technical knowledge and skills, and also to developing their generic or non-technical skills.
• Basic skills. These include written and oral communication skills, numeracy, computer and information
literacy (ability to find, evaluate, use and create information) skills. Communication and information
literacy skills are discussed in more detail in the chapters on understanding communication, communi-
cation skills and communicating information.
• Practical skills. These include interpersonal skills, basic budgeting skills, project management skills,
and having an awareness of ethical frameworks and workplace health and safety laws (covered in
the chapters on professional responsibility and ethics, understanding the problem and managing
engineering projects).
• Higher order thinking skills. These include having a capacity for critical analysis, creativity and systems
thinking, and the ability to reflect on individual work (known as reflective practice). These concepts are
discussed in the chapters on self-management, communication skills, engineering design, evaluating
options and engineering decision making.
In this section we will explore the need for, and nature of, some of these skills. Engineers Australia
and Engineering New Zealand have both outlined key characteristics and attributes for professional
engineers. These requirements form the basis for accreditation of engineering courses and membership
of the professional body.
KEY POINT
Engineering graduates with a capacity for technical analysis and design, combined with well-developed
non-technical skills, will be valuable to a wide range of employers.
The Engineers Australia competency framework

In the mid-1990s, Engineers Australia commissioned a review of engineering education in Australia.
The report from the review was called Changing the culture: engineering education into the future
(Engineers Australia 1996). This report called for a bold shift in the direction of Australian under-
graduate engineering education. The authors recommended that — as well as being competent in their
discipline — undergraduate students needed to be introduced to innovation and creativity, and to have
an ‘awareness of when analysis should be supplanted by synthesis’, at the ‘earliest possible stages’ of
engineering courses (p. 7). Engineers Australia (1996) also stated this new breed of engineer needed
to be a sophisticated ethical agent — someone able to ‘inform themselves, their clients and employers,
of the social, environmental, economic and other possible consequences which may arise from their
actions’ (p. 2).
The report made it clear that future engineers would operate in highly complex, dynamic and uncertain
settings and that this would require engineers to be educated in particular key skills, known as graduate
attributes. These skills were listed in the 1996 report and have become the foundation of the accreditation
system for engineering programs in Australia. Engineers Australia requires accredited undergraduate
engineering programs to build students’ graduate capabilities and professional attributes, as laid out
in the Stage 1 Competency Standard (Engineers Australia 2017a). Stage 1 Competency corresponds
to the completion of a four- or five-year Engineers Australia-accredited bachelor of engineering. The
competencies represent the level of preparation necessary for a person to begin practising as a graduate
engineer. A person with a non-standard educational qualification and appropriate engineering experience
is also eligible to apply directly to Engineers Australia for assessment at the level of Stage 1 Competency.
Engineers Australia’s Stage 1 Competency specifies a range of competencies or attributes that are listed
in one of three categories: knowledge and skill base; engineering application ability; and professional and
personal attributes.
Pdf_Folio:18

Each category has several elements of competency.
1. KNOWLEDGE AND SKILL BASE

1.1 Comprehensive, theory based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and
the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline
1.2 Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and
information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline
1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline
1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline
1.5 Knowledge of contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline
1.6 Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of contemporary
engineering practice in the specific discipline
2. ENGINEERING APPLICATION ABILITY
2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving
2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources
2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes
2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects
3. PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains
3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour
3.4 Professional use and management of information
3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct
3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership (Engineers Australia 2017a)
In order for undergraduate students and their teachers to understand what learning needs to take place
at Stage 1 Competency, Engineers Australia lists ‘indicators of attainment’ under each element. The
indicators are not mandated competencies, but provide examples of the quality of thinking that would prove
a graduate was competent in the specified element. The indicators of attainment for the communications
competency (element 3.2) are listed as 3.2 (a) and (b).
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
(a) Is proficient in listening, speaking, reading and writing English, including:
• comprehending critically and fairly the viewpoints of others
• expressing information effectively and succinctly, issuing instruction, engaging in discussion,
presenting arguments and justification, debating and negotiating — to technical and non-
technical audiences and using textual, diagrammatic, pictorial and graphical media best suited
to the context
• representing an engineering position, or the engineering profession at large to the
broader community
• appreciating the impact of body language, personal behaviour and other non-verbal commu-
nication processes, as well as the fundamentals of human social behaviour and their cross-
cultural differences.
(b) Prepares high-quality engineering documents such as progress and project reports, reports of
investigations and feasibility studies, proposals, specifications, design records, drawings, technical
descriptions, and presentations pertinent to the engineering discipline (Engineers Australia 2017a).
These communication indicators have been outlined here because communication skills are a key
attribute according to engineering employers and professionals (Male et al. 2010). The need for engineers
to develop good communication skills will be looked at in more depth in the chapters on understanding
communication, communication skills and communicating information.
The assessment of graduating engineers’ mastery of the Stage 1 Competencies is embedded in the routine
assessment regime of the undergraduate degrees accredited by Engineers Australia. If you are studying an
Engineers Australia-accredited program, an important part of your faculty’s role is reporting to Engineers
Australia on how undergraduate students are taught and assessed to assure attainment of graduate
attributes. This means that you will be unlikely to have to sit an exam or test at the end of your degree to
prove your knowledge of the competencies for graduation. What is likely, however, is that some part of your
formal assessment in many of your engineering subjects will be devoted to assessing your attainment of the
Engineers Australia competencies. Engineers Australia does not expect that graduates will demonstrate a
Pdf_Folio:19

high level of attainment in every single detail of the knowledge, and competency described in the Standard,
but they must demonstrate ‘at least the substance of each element’ (Engineers Australia 2013).
One of the reasons accreditation is so important is that holding a degree from an accredited course
strengthens a graduate engineer’s ability to work internationally. Engineers trained in Australia and
New Zealand have their qualifications recognised internationally through multilateral agreements like the
Washington Accord.
The Washington Accord is an agreement between professional engineering accreditation bodies
(such as Engineers Australia and Engineering New Zealand) that they will offer mutual recognition
of graduates’ qualifications. This means that graduates of courses accredited by Engineers Australia or
Engineering New Zealand may apply for graduate-level membership of other signatory bodies without
having to undertake further study. Thus, graduates can attain work internationally and are very likely work
with engineers who have trained in the countries listed in the accord (see figure 1.4).
FIGURE 1.4 Signatory and provisional signatory countries to the Washington Accord, which allows mutual
recognition of engineering qualifications
Washington Accord
Signatories
• Australia — Represented by Engineers Australia (EA) (1989)
• Canada — Represented by Engineers Canada (EC) (1989)
• China — Represented by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) (2016)
• Chinese Taipei — Represented by Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan (IEET) (2007)
• Hong Kong China — Represented by Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) (1995)
• India — Represented by National Board of Accreditation (NBA) (2014)
• Ireland — Represented by Engineers Ireland (EI) (1989)
• Japan — Represented by Japan Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (JABEE) (2005)
• Korea — Represented by Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea (ABEEK) (2007)
• Malaysia — Represented by Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) (2009)
• New Zealand — Represented by Engineering New Zealand (EngNZ) (1989)
• Russia — Represented by Association for Engineering Education Russia (AEER) (2012)
• Singapore — Represented by Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) (2006)
• South Africa — Represented by Engineering Council South Africa (ECSA) (1999)
• Sri Lanka — Represented by Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) (2014)
• Turkey — Represented by Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programs
(MÜDEK) (2011)
• United States — Represented by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) (1989)
• United Kingdom — Represented by Engineering Council United Kingdom (ECUK) (1989)
• Pakistan — Represented by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) (2017)
• Peru — Represented by Instituto de Calidad Y Acreditacion de Programas de Computacion, Ingeneria
Y Technologia (ICACIT) (2018)
Provisional signatories
• Bangladesh — Represented by The Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB)
• Costa Rica — Represented by Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y de Arquitectos de Costa Rica (CFIA)
• Mexico — Represented by Consejo de Acreditación de la Enseñanza de la Ingeniería (CACEI)
• Philippines — Represented by Philippine Technological Council (PTC)
• Chile — Represented by Agencia Acreditadora Colegio De Ingenieros De Chile S A (ACREDITA CI)
Source: International Engineering Alliance (2019).
The Engineering New Zealand framework

Engineering New Zealand is a signatory to the Washington Accord and mandates that engineering
programs develop undergraduate engineers’ skills in ten areas that align with the Washington Accord
Graduate Competency Profiles. The ten Engineering New Zealand areas are summarised as follows.
1.3.1 Apply knowledge of mathematics, natural science, engineering fundamentals and an engineering
specialization . . . to the solution of complex engineering problems.
Pdf_Folio:20

1.3.2 Identify, formulate, research literature and analyse complex engineering problems reaching substan-
tiated conclusions using first principles of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering sciences.
1.3.3 Design solutions for complex engineering problems and design systems, components or processes
that meet specified needs with appropriate consideration for public health and safety, cultural,
societal, and environmental considerations.
1.3.4 Conduct investigations of complex problems using research-based knowledge and research methods
including design of experiments, analysis and interpretation of data, and synthesis of information
to provide valid conclusions.
1.3.5 Create, select and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and modern engineering and IT tools,
including prediction and modelling, to complex engineering problems, with an understanding of
the limitations.
1.3.6 Apply reasoning informed by contextual knowledge to assess societal, health, safety, legal and
cultural issues and the consequent responsibilities relevant to professional engineering practice and
solutions to complex engineering problems.
1.3.7 Understand and evaluate the sustainability and impact of professional engineering work in the
solution of complex engineering problems in societal and environmental contexts.
1.3.8 Apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics and responsibilities and norms of
engineering practice.
1.3.9 Function effectively as an individual, and as a member or leader in diverse teams and in multi-
disciplinary settings.
1.3.10 Communicate effectively on complex engineering activities with the engineering community and
with society at large, such as being able to comprehend and write effective reports and design
documentation, make effective presentations, and give and receive clear instructions (Engineering
New Zealand 2018c).
The Engineering New Zealand and Engineers Australia graduate competency statements look very
similar, but each country has highlighted certain skills that feature more or less strongly in these
statements. For example, the Engineering New Zealand statement makes it clear that engineering graduates
from Engineering New Zealand programs will be skilled in ‘carrying out experiments’, whereas the
Engineers Australia standard does not mention experimentation. The two frameworks also describe the
‘communication’ competency in different ways, with the Engineers Australia description being longer,
and more detailed.
In addition to generic attributes, it is important engineering students build a strong knowledge of
the basics of engineering science. These are discussed in the next section, and provide the foundation
for the role engineers play in cooperating with other professionals to create technologies and processes
intended to improve society. Many of these are aligned with the Engineers Australia and Engineering
New Zealand competencies.
The following spotlight shows how interesting and varied engineering work can be, and the multicultural
and multidisciplinary teams involved.
SPOTLIGHT
Getting the gas on flatulence

Flatulence: (noun) the passing of gas from the intestines, through the anus. Synonyms include,
‘breaking wind’, ‘farting’ and ‘cutting the cheese’.
It may not be the most glamorous topic for engineering innovation but a group of Australian engineering
researchers have helped develop an ingestible electronic pill that tracks the development of flatulence
through the human digestive tract.
The research team included specialists from the fields of biology, medicine, agriculture and electronics
engineering. Together, they developed a capsule that uses real-time tracking to monitor the presence of
oxygen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide gases, while travelling from the patient’s stomach to the colon. The
engineering contribution was essential to the device’s ability to measure and transmit gas development in
real time. The ingestible pill uses a combination of thermal conductivity and semiconducting sensors to
measure gut gases. The engineering team developed a method of adjusting the sensors’ heating elements
to provide accurate selectivity and sensitivity to different gases.
Pdf_Folio:21

(a) (b)
Reed switch
Wireless transmitter
Gas-impermeable
shell
Gas
sensor Batteries
Antennas
Temperature sensor
and microcontroller
Gas-permeable membrane
(c) (d)
9.8 mm
(0.39 in)
(1.03 in)
26 mm
(e)
Heating Gas
element sensor Coil
Microcontroller and antennas
signal processor
Coder Transmitter
Modulating
signal
Sampling at different heating element temperatures
(a) Three-dimensional rendering of the human gas sensing capsule sliced to demonstrate the internal
components. (b) Photo of the packaged gas capsule and receiver device. (c) Dimensions of the capsule.
(d) Schematic representation of intestinal gas penetration through the gas permeative membrane, reaching the
sensing elements. (e) Basic circuit diagram and operation of gas sensors in the capsule.
Source: Kalantar-Zaden et al. (2018).
Diseases of excessive or noxious flatulence can be distressing for suffers. Gases originate from the
complex interaction of ingested foods, digestive chemistry and the activity of gut microbes, which can
Pdf_Folio:22

make it difficult to understand, diagnose and treat these disorders. Medical scientists found that measuring
key intestinal gases like nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon dioxide can help with diagnosing gut disorders.
For example, hydrogen measurements can determine carbohydrate malabsorption or small intestine
bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in a patient’s gut.
Current tests for analysing gut gas include tube insertion, whole-body calorimetry, flatulence gas
analysis, incubation of faecal samples to assess which gases evolve and breath tests. These tests are
often unreliable, invasive and inconvenient. The research team hopes their capsules may be the new way
forward for analysing gut gas and will remove the need for current test methods.
‘Our gas capsule offers an accurate and safe tool for monitoring the effects of diet of individuals, and
has the potential to be used as a diagnostic tool for the gut’, the research team explained (Fuller 2018).
............................................................................................................................................................................
CRITICAL THINKING
Excellent design and research sills are only one part of devising new medical technologies. Brainstorm
some of the other skills and attributes, beyond technical skills in electronic engineering, that the
engineering team in the spotlight might have needed to co-develop the electronic pill.
1.4 Engineering science

LEARNING OBJECTIVE 1.4 Identify some of the fundamentals of engineering science.
How does an engineering masterpiece come about? How does an established engineering discipline devise
a new way to solve a problem? Thomas Edison is credited with the view that ‘genius is 1 per cent inspiration
and 99 per cent perspiration’. In engineering, ingenious innovation results in part from understanding the
context of the problem, in part from the application of creativity, imagination and perseverance, and in
part from good ‘engineering know-how’. Engineering know-how involves a deep understanding of the
interactions between the mass of facts, laws, ideas and traditions you will learn as an undergraduate student.
Some of your early studies in maths, physics and chemistry might seem unrelated to solving practical
problems. The basic concepts and laws of engineering science may seem abstract or overly theoretical.
However, as you will discover, all of this fundamental knowledge provides useful building blocks for
creating your own innovations as an engineer. Increasingly, it is as important to have engineering know-
why as it is to know what and how.
Some of the facts, laws and ideas that are fundamental to engineering have been around for hundreds
of years. These facts serve as the fundamental pieces of knowledge for the profession, and are used by
engineers of every discipline. They include:
• modelling — how complex systems can be represented and mathematically optimised
• statics and structural mechanics — how force affects solid objects
• dynamics — what happens when objects move
• fluid dynamics — the behaviour of liquids and gases
• thermodynamics — how heat moves
• electromagnetics — the interaction and utilisation of electrical and magnetic fields
• quantum theory — the operating principle of electronic devices
• control — ensuring engineered systems have predictable, controllable behaviour.
You will learn these facts, laws and ideas, and how to apply them, during your first few years of studying
engineering science in subjects such as physics, statics or mechanics, dynamics, chemistry, circuit theory
and thermodynamics. The following sections explain how some of these fundamental ideas in engineering
science from your first and second year of study will form the basis for later learning and problem solving
that is much more discipline-specific, concrete and applied.
KEY POINT
Basic concepts and laws of maths, physics and chemistry provide the building blocks for engineering
work.
Pdf_Folio:23

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vihdoin rauhaa ja lepoa, mutta tätä varten olisi välttämätöntä
ehdottomasti kiduttaa kaiken kaikkiaan vain yhtä ainoata pienen
pientä olentoa, sanokaamme tuota lapsukaista, joka löi nyrkillään
rintaansa, ja tämä rakennus rakentuisi hänen sovittamattomille
kyynelilleen, suostuisitko sinä olemaan arkkitehtina näillä ehdoilla,
sano äläkä valehtele!
— En, en suostuisi, — lausui Aljoša hiljaa.
— Ja voitko sinä myöntää mahdolliseksi sellaisen aatteen, että

ihmiset, joita varten sinä rakennat, suostuisivat itse ottamaan
vastaan onnen, joka rakentuu pienen kidutetun olennon verelle,
ilman että siihen on oikeutta, ja voisivat olla ikuisesti onnellisia?
— En, en voi myöntää. Veljeni, — lausui Aljoša äkkiä säkenöivin

silmin, — sinä sanoit äsken: onko koko maailmassa Olentoa, joka
voisi ja jolla olisi oikeus antaa anteeksi? Mutta tämä Olento on
olemassa, ja Hän voi antaa anteeksi kaiken. Kaikille ja kaiken, siksi
että on itse antanut viattoman verensä kaikkien ja kaiken tähden.
Sinä olet unohtanut Hänet, mutta Häneen juuri perustuukin koko
rakennus, ja Hän voi huudahtaa: »Sinä olet oikeassa, Herra, sillä nyt
Sinun tiesi tunnetaan.»
— Ahaa, se on tuo »ainoa synnitön» ja Hänen verensä! Ei, en

minä häntä unhottanut, vaan päinvastoin ihmettelin kaiken aikaa,
kuinka sinä et vielä tuo Häntä esille, sillä väittelyissä kaikki
teikäläiset tavallisesti esittävät Hänet ennen kaikkea. Tiedätkö,
Aljoša, älä naura, minä olen kerran sepittänyt runoelman, noin vuosi
sitten. Jos voit tuhlata kanssani vielä kymmenisen minuuttia, niin
kertoisin sinulle sen sisällyksen.
— Sinä olet kirjoittanut runoelman?

— Eihän, en ole kirjoittanut, — alkoi Ivan nauraa, — enkä koskaan
elämässäni ole sepittänyt edes säeparia. Mutta tämän runoelman
minä olen suunnitellut ja pannut mieleeni. Olen suunnitellut sen
hehkuvin mielin. Sinä olet minun ensimmäinen lukijani, toisin sanoen
kuulijani. Miksipä tosiaankaan tekijä menettäisi edes ainoatakaan
kuulijaansa, — naurahti Ivan. — Kerronko vai enkö?
— Minä kuuntelen hyvin mielelläni, — lausui Aljoša.
— Runoelmani nimi on »Suur-inkvisiittori», järjetön tekele, mutta

mieleni tekee selostaa se sinulle.
5.
Suur-inkvisiittori
— Eihän tässäkään pääse ilman esipuhetta, — nimittäin ilman

kirjallishistoriallista esipuhetta, hyi, — alkoi Ivan nauraa, — mutta
mikä kirjailija minä olen! Näetkö, toiminnan olen sijoittanut
kuudennelletoista vuosisadalle, ja silloin — sinun muuten täytyy se
tietää jo koulusta — silloin oli tapana tuoda runotuotteissa maan
päälle ylempiä voimia. Minä en puhukaan Dantesta. Ranskassa
käräjäkirjurit ja myöskin munkit luostareissa panivat toimeen
näytäntöjä, joissa toivat näyttämölle madonnan, enkelit, pyhimykset,
Kristuksen ja itse Jumalan. Silloin se kaikki oli hyvin vilpitöntä. Victor
Hugon »Notre Dame de Paris»-romaanissa annetaan Ranskan
dauphinin syntymän kunniaksi Pariisissa Ludvig XI:n aikana
raatihuoneen salissa opettavainen ja maksuton näytäntö kansalle
nimeltä: »Le bon jugement de la très sainte et gracieuse Vierge
Marie», jossa Hän itse persoonallisesti esiintyy ja esittää tuon bon
jugement'in. Meillä Moskovassa pantiin vanhana, Pietari Suuren
aikakauden edellisenä aikana silloin tällöin toimeen melkein
samanlaisia näytelmäesityksiä, varsinkin vanhasta testamentista;
mutta paitsi draamallisia esityksiä kulki ympäri maailmaa silloin
paljon kertomuksia ja »runoja», joissa tarpeen mukaan toimivat
pyhät enkelit ja koko taivaan sotajoukko. Meillä luostareissa
niinikään käännettiin, kopioitiin, vieläpä sepiteltiinkin tämmöisiä
runoelmia, ja milloin? — Jopa tataarilaisaikana. On olemassa
esimerkiksi muudan luostarirunoelma (tietysti kreikasta käännetty):
Jumalanäidin vaellus kärsimysten kautta, jonka kuvat rohkeudessa
vetävät vertoja Danten kuvauksille. Jumalanäiti käy helvetissä, ja
häntä opastaa läpi »kärsimysten» ylienkeli Mikael. Hän näkee
syntiset ja heidän kärsimyksensä. Siellä on muun muassa eräs perin
mielenkiintoinen laji syntisiä palavassa järvessä: ne näistä, jotka
menevät tähän järveen niin syvälle, että eivät kykene enää
pääsemään sieltä pois, »ne unhottaa Jumalakin» — tavattoman syvä
ja voimakas lausuma. Hämmästynyt ja itkevä jumalanäiti lankeaa
Jumalan valtaistuimen eteen ja pyytää armahtamaan kaikkia
helvetissä olevia, kaikkia, jotka hän siellä näki, ilman erotusta.
Hänen keskustelunsa Jumalan kanssa on äärettömän
mielenkiintoinen. Hän rukoilee, hän ei poistu, ja kun Jumala näyttää
hänelle hänen Poikansa nauloin lävistettyjä käsiä ja jalkoja ja kysyy:
kuinka Minä voin antaa anteeksi Hänen kiduttajilleen, — niin
jumalanäiti käskee kaikkia pyhiä, kaikkia marttyyreita, kaikkia
enkeleitä ja ylienkeleitä lankeamaan maahan yhdessä hänen
kanssaan ja rukoilemaan armahdusta kaikille ilman erotusta. Asia
päättyy siten, että hän saa Jumalan lakkauttamaan kärsimykset joka
vuosi pitkästäperjantaista helluntaipäivään, ja helvetissä olevat
syntiset kiittävät silloin Herraa ja huutavat Hänelle: »Oikeamielinen
olet Sinä, Herra, että olet niin tuominnut.» No, minunkin runoelmani
olisi tämäntapainen, jos se olisi ilmestynyt tuohon aikaan.
Runoelmassani esiintyy näyttämöllä Hän; tosin Hän ei puhu mitään
runoelmassa, vaan ainoastaan ilmestyy ja kulkee ohi. Viisitoista
vuosisataa on jo kulunut siitä, kun Hän on luvannut tulla
kunniassansa, viisitoista vuosisataa siitä, kun Hänen profeettansa
kirjoitti: »Olen näkevä sen kohta.» — »Mutta tästä päivästä ja
hetkestä ei tiedä Poikakaan, vaan ainoastaan minun taivaallinen
Isäni», kuten Hän itse lausui vielä maan päällä ollessaan. Mutta
ihmiskunta odottaa Häntä entisen uskon ja entisen liikutuksen
vallassa. Oi, suuremmallakin uskolla, sillä viisitoista vuosisataa on jo
kulunut siitä kuin taivaasta ihmisille annetut merkit ovat lakanneet:
Sille, mitä sydän sanoo, taivas merkkiä ei suo.
On olemassa vain usko siihen, mitä sydän on sanonut! Totta on,

että silloin tapahtui myös paljon ihmeitä. Oli pyhiä miehiä, jotka
paransivat ihmeellisellä tavalla sairaita; alas joidenkuiden
pyhimysten luo astui, niinkuin heidän elämäkerroissaan kuvataan,
itse Taivaan Kuningatar. Mutta perkele on valpas, ja ihmiskunta alkoi
jo epäillä näitten ihmeitten todenperäisyyttä. Silloin juuri ilmestyi
pohjoiseen, Saksanmaalle, uusi kauhea harhaoppi. Suuri tähti, »joka
oli niinkuin valon lähde» (s.o. kirkko), »lankesi vetten lähteisiin ja ne
tulivat karvaiksi». Nämä kerettiläiset alkoivat pilkata Jumalaa
kieltämällä ihmeet. Mutta sitä palavammin uskovat ne, jotka ovat
pysyneet uskollisina. Ihmiskunnan kyynelet kohoavat Hänen
luokseen niinkuin ennenkin, ihmiset odottavat häntä, rakastavat
Häntä, toivovat Häneen, haluavat hartaasti kärsiä ja kuolla Hänen
tähtensä niinkuin ennenkin… Ja niin monta vuosisataa on
ihmiskunta uskovaisin ja hehkuvin sydämin rukoillut: »Herra, ilmesty
meille», niin monta vuosisataa se on huutanut Hänen puoleensa,
että Hän rajattomassa sääliväisyydessään päätti astua alas
rukoilevien luo. Hän oli ennenkin astunut alas, käynyt joidenkuiden
pyhimysten, marttyyrien ja pyhien erakkojen luona näiden ollessa
vielä maan päällä, niinkuin on kerrottu heidän elämäkerroissaan.
Meillä on Tjutšev, joka syvästi uskoi omien sanojensa totuuteen,
ilmoittanut, että
kautta synnyinmaamme täällä orjana ja ristin kantain kulki

Jumala maan päällä siunauksen meille antain.
Niinkuin ehdottomasti olikin asian laita, sanon sen sinulle. Niinpä

Hän tahtoi ilmestyä edes hetkeksi kansan luo, — kidutetun, kärsivän,
synnin loassa rypevän, mutta Häntä lapsen tavoin rakastavan
kansan luo. Runoelmani toiminta on sijoitettu Espanjaan, Sevillaan,
kaikkein kauheimpaan inkvisitsionin aikaan, jolloin Jumalan
kunniaksi maassa joka päivä roihusivat roviot ja
sai autodafeen roihutessa nyt surman vääräuskoiset.
Oi, tämä ei tietenkään ollut se saapuminen, joka Hänen

lupauksensa mukaan tapahtuu aikojen lopussa, jolloin Hän ilmestyy
koko taivaallisessa voimassansa yhtäkkiä »niinkuin salama, joka
välähtää idästä hamaan länteen». Ei, Hän tahtoi edes hetkisen olla
katsomassa lapsiaan ja juuri siellä, missä kerettiläisten roviot
ritisivät. Rajattomassa laupeudessaan Hän kulkee vielä kerran
ihmisten keskuudessa samassa ihmismuodossa, jossa oli kulkenut
kolme vuotta ihmisten joukossa viisitoista vuosisataa sitten. Hän
astuu alas etelämaisen kaupungin »paahtaville toreille», kaupungin,
jossa juuri edellisenä päivänä »suurenmoisen autodafeen
roihutessa» kuninkaan, hovin, ritarien, kardinaalien ja ihanien
hovinaisten läsnäollessa, koko Sevillan väestön keräydyttyä
runsaslukuisena paikalle, kardinaali, suur-inkvisiittori, oli samalla
kertaa polttanut melkeinpä kokonaista sata kerettiläistä ad majorem
Dei gloriam. Hän tuli hiljaa ja huomaamatta, mutta kaikki — se on
omituista — tuntevat Hänet. Tämä voisi olla runoelman parhaita
paikkoja, — nimittäin miksi he tuntevat Hänet. Vastustamattomalla
voimalla kansa rientää Hänen luokseen, ympäröi Hänet, kasvaa
suureksi joukoksi Hänen ympärillään, seuraa Häntä. Hän kulkee
äänettömänä heidän keskellään hymyillen rajattoman osanottavaa
hymyä. Rakkauden aurinko palaa Hänen sydämessään, valon,
valistuksen ja voiman säteet virtaavat Hänen silmistään ja
vuotaessaan ihmisjoukkoon värähdyttävät näiden sydämiä
vastarakkauteen. Hän ojentaa kätensä heitä kohti, siunaa heitä, ja
kun ne koskettavat Häntä tai ainoastaan Hänen vaatteitaan, niin siitä
lähtee parantava voima. Nyt huutaa väkijoukosta vanhus, joka on
ollut sokea lapsuudestaan asti: »Herra, paranna minut, niin että
minäkin saan nähdä Sinut», ja silloin ikäänkuin suomukset putoavat
hänen silmistään ja sokea näkee Hänet. Kansa itkee ja suutelee
maata, jolla Hän kulkee. Lapset heittävät Hänen eteensä kukkia,
laulavat ja huutavat Hänelle: »Hosianna!» »Se on Hän, se on Hän
itse, toistavat kaikki, sen täytyy olla Hän, se ei ole kukaan muu kuin
Hän.» Hän pysähtyy Sevillan kirkon portaille samalla hetkellä kuin
kirkkoon itkien kannetaan avoin, valkea ruumisarkku, jossa on lapsi:
siinä on seitsemänvuotias tyttö, erään tunnetun kansalaisen ainoa
tytär. Kuollut lapsi on kukkasten keskellä. »Hän herättää kuolleista
sinun lapsesi», huudetaan väkijoukosta itkevälle äidille.
Ruumisarkkua vastaan kirkosta ulos tullut pappi katselee ihmeissään
ja rypistää kulmiaan. Mutta kuuluu kuolleen lapsen äidin valitus. Hän
lankeaa Hänen jalkoihinsa: »Jos se olet Sinä, niin herätä kuolleista
lapseni!» huudahtaa hän ojentaen kätensä Häntä kohti. Kulkue
pysähtyy, pikku arkku lasketaan portaille Hänen jalkojensa eteen.
Hän katsoo säälien, ja Hänen huulensa lausuvat hiljaa: »Talita,
kuumi» — »tyttö, nouse ylös». Tyttönen nousee arkussaan istumaan
ja katselee hymyillen auenneilla, ihmettelevillä silmillään ympärilleen.
Hänen käsissään on kimppu valkeita ruusuja, jotka on pantu hänelle
arkkuun. Kansan keskuudessa on hämmästystä, huutoja, itkua,
mutta samalla hetkellä äkkiä kulkee kirkon ohi torilla itse kardinaali,
suur-inkvisiittori. Hän on melkein yhdeksänkymmenen vuoden
ikäinen ukko, pitkä ja suora, kasvot kuihtuneet, silmät kuopalla,
mutta niistä loistaa vielä tulikipinän kaltainen valo. Oi, hän ei ole
komeassa kardinaalinpuvussa, jossa hän eilen esiintyi kansan
edessä, kun poltettiin Rooman uskon vihollisia, — ei, tällä hetkellä
on hänen yllään vain vanha, karkea munkin kaapu. Hänen jäljessään
jonkin välimatkan päässä seuraavat hänen synkät apulaisensa ja
orjansa ja »pyhä» vartiosto. Hän pysähtyy väkijoukon kohdalle ja
tekee havaintoja kaukaa. Hän näki kaikki, hän näki, kuinka
ruumisarkku asetettiin Hänen jalkojensa luo, näki, kuinka tyttö heräsi
kuolleista, ja hänen kasvonsa synkistyivät. Hän rypistää tuuheita
harmaita kulmakarvojaan, ja hänen silmissään kiiluu pahaa
ennustava tuli. Hän osoittaa sormellaan ja käskee vartijoita ottamaan
Hänet kiinni. Ja niin suuri on hänen voimansa ja niin totutettu, nöyrä
ja vavisten alistuva on hänelle kansa, että väkijoukko heti väistyy
vartijain tieltä, ja kuolemanhiljaisuuden äkkiä synnyttyä nämä käyvät
Häneen käsiksi ja vievät Hänet pois. Koko väkijoukko kumartaa heti
yhtenä miehenä maahan asti inkvisiittori-vanhuksen edessä, tämä
siunaa ääneti kansaa ja kulkee ohi. Vartijat vievät Vangin Pyhän
Oikeusistuimen vanhassa rakennuksessa olevaan ahtaaseen ja
synkkään holvivankilaan ja sulkevat sinne lukon taakse. Päivä kuluu,
tulee pimeä, kuuma ja »henkeä salpaava» Sevillan yö. Kesken
synkkää pimeyttä avautuu äkkiä vankilan rautainen ovi ja itse vanha
suur-inkvisiittori lamppu kädessä astuu hitaasti sisälle vankilaan.
Hän on yksin, ovi sulkeutuu heti hänen jälkeensä. Hän pysähtyy
oven suuhun ja katselee kauan, minuutin tai pari, Hänen kasvojaan.
Viimein hän astuu hiljaa lähemmäksi, panee lampun pöydälle ja
sanoo Hänelle:
»Sinäkö se olet? Sinäkö?» — Kun hän ei saa vastausta, niin hän

lisää nopeasti: »Älä vastaa, ole vaiti. Ja mitä Sinä voisitkaan sanoa?
Tiedän varsin hyvin, mitä Sinä sanot. Eikä Sinulla ole oikeuttakaan
lisätä enää mitään siihen, mitä jo ennen olet sanonut. Miksi Sinä olet
tullut meitä häiritsemään? Sillä Sinä olet tullut meitä häiritsemään ja
tiedät sen itse. Mutta tiedätkö, mitä huomenna tapahtuu? Minä en
tiedä, kuka Sinä olet, minä en tahdokaan tietää, oletko se Sinä vai
oletko vain Hänen kaltaisensa, mutta huomenna minä tuomitsen
Sinut ja poltan roviolla pahimpana vääräuskoisena, ja sama kansa,
joka tänään suuteli Sinun jalkojasi, kiiruhtaa huomenna heti
viitattuani kohentamaan Sinun roviosi hiiliä, tiedätkö sen? Niin, Sinä
kenties tiedät sen», — lisäsi hän miettiväisenä irroittamatta
hetkeksikään katsettaan Vangistaan.
— Minä en oikein ymmärrä, Ivan, mitä tämä on, — sanoi hymyillen

Aljoša, joka koko ajan oli kuunnellut ääneti, — onko se vain
suorastaan hillitöntä kuvittelua vaiko jokin erehdys ukon puolelta,
jokin mahdoton qui pro quo.
— Osaksi vaikkapa jälkimmäistä, — sanoi Ivan nauraen, — jos

nykyaikainen realismi on sinut niin pilannut, että et voi sietää mitään
mielikuvituksen leikkiä, — jos sinua miellyttää qui pro quo, niin
olkoon niin. Se on totta, — naurahti hän taas, — ukko on
yhdeksänkymmenen vuoden ikäinen ja on aikoja sitten voinut tulla
hulluksi aatteensa johdosta. Vanki saattoi hämmästyttää häntä
ulkomuodollaan. Tämä saattoi vihdoin olla pelkkää houretta,
yhdeksänkymmentävuotiaan ukon näky ennen kuolemaa, varsinkin
kun hän vielä oli kiihdyksissä edellisen päivän autodafeesta, jossa
poltettiin sata harhaoppista. Mutta eikö meille sinun kanssasi ole
samantekevää, mikä tässä on qui pro quo ja mikä rajatonta fantasian
leikkiä? Tässä on kysymys vain siitä, että ukon on tuotava ilmi
ajatustapansa, että hän vihdoin kokonaisen yhdeksänkymmenen
vuoden kuluttua tuo ilmi ajatuksensa ja lausuu ääneen sen, mitä hän
noiden yhdeksänkymmenen vuoden aikana ei koskaan ole sanonut.
— Ja onko Vanki myös vaiti? Katsoo häneen eikä puhu

sanaakaan?
— Niin on olevakin, ihan kaikissa tapauksissa, — nauroi taas Ivan.

— Ukko itse huomauttaa Hänelle, että Hänellä ei ole oikeuttakaan
lisätä mitään siihen, mitä aikaisemmin on sanottu. Tämä on, jos niin
tahdot, roomalaisen katolisuuden oleellisin piirre, sitä mieltä ainakin
minä olen: »Kaiken, näes, olet Sinä ilmoittanut paaville, ja kaikki on
siis nyt paavilla, Sinun ei tarvitse tänne ollenkaan tulla, älä ainakaan
häiritse ennen aikojasi.» He eivät ainoastaan puhu tähän suuntaan,
vaan myös kirjoittavat, ainakin jesuiitat. Olen itse lukenut tämän
heidän jumaluusoppineittensa teoksista. »Onko Sinulla oikeus
ilmaista meille edes ainoatakaan sen maailman salaisuuksista, mistä
Sinä olet tullut?» kysyy Häneltä minun ukkoni ja vastaa itse Hänen
puolestaan Hänelle: — »Ei, sinulla ei ole oikeutta, jotta et lisäisi
mitään siihen, mitä jo aikaisemmin on sanottu, ja jotta et riistäisi
ihmisiltä vapautta, jota Sinä niin puolustit maan päällä ollessasi.
Kaikki uusi, mitä Sinä ilmaiset, loukkaa ihmisten uskon vapautta, sillä
se on ihme, mutta heidän uskonsa vapaus oli Sinulle kalleinta
kaikesta jo silloin, puolitoista tuhatta vuotta sitten. Sinähän juuri
silloin puhuit niin usein: 'Tahdon tehdä teidät vapaiksi'. Nyt olet itse
nähnyt nuo 'vapaat' ihmiset», — lisää ukko yhtäkkiä ja hymyilee
miettivästi. — »Niin, meillä on ollut paljon puuhaa siinä asiassa», —
jatkoi hän katsoen Häneen ankarasti, — »mutta me olemme viimein
saaneet asian hoidetuksi loppuun Sinun nimessäsi. Viisitoista
vuosisataa on tuo vapaus ollut kiusanamme, mutta nyt siitä on tehty
loppu — ja pysyvästi. Etkö usko, että on pysyvästi tehty loppu? Sinä
katsot minuun lempeästi etkä pidä minua edes paheksumisesi
arvoisena? Mutta tiedä, että nyt, ja nimenomaan nyt, nämä ihmiset
ovat lujemmin vakuutettuja kuin koskaan, että he ovat täysin vapaita,
vaikka he itse ovat tuoneet meille vapautensa ja nöyrästi laskeneet
sen jalkojemme juureen. Tämän olemme me saaneet aikaan, mutta
tätäkö Sinä tahdoit, tämmöistä vapautta?»
— En ymmärrä taaskaan, — keskeytti Aljoša, — ivaileeko hän,

tekeekö pilkkaa?
— Ei ollenkaan. Hän nimenomaan pitää omana ja

hengenheimolaistensa ansiona, että he vihdoin ovat tehneet lopun
vapaudesta ja että he ovat sen tehneet tehdäkseen ihmiset
onnellisiksi. »Sillä nyt (ukko puhuu tietysti inkvisitsionista) on käynyt
mahdolliseksi ensimmäisen kerran ajatella ihmisten onnea. Ihminen
on ollut kapinoitsija; voivatko kapinoitsijat olla onnellisia? Sinua
varoitettiin edeltäpäin», sanoo hän Hänelle. »Sinua on riittävästi
varoitettu ja neuvottu, mutta Sinä et välittänyt varoituksista, Sinä
hylkäsit ainoan tien, jota käyttämällä ihmiset voidaan tehdä
onnellisiksi, mutta onneksi Sinä poistuit ja jätit asian meidän
huostaamme. Sinä olet luvannut, Sinä olet vakuuttanut sanallasi,
Sinä olet antanut meille oikeuden sitoa ja päästää etkä tietysti voi
enää ajatellakaan, että nyt ottaisit meiltä pois tämän oikeuden. Miksi
olet tullut tänne meitä häiritsemään?»
— Mitä merkitsee: on riittävästi varoitettu ja neuvottu? — kysyi

Aljoša.
— Sepä juuri onkin pääasia, joka ukon on saatava sanotuksi.
— »Peloittava ja viisas henki, itsensätuhoamisen ja

olemattomuuden henki», jatkoi ukko, »suuri henki puhui Sinun
kanssasi erämaassa, ja meille on kerrottu kirjoissa, että hän muka
'kiusasi' Sinua. Onko se niin? Ja saattoiko sanoa mitään todempaa
kuin sen, minkä hän ilmoitti Sinulle kolmessa kysymyksessä ja minkä
Sinä hylkäsit ja mitä kirjoissa on nimitetty 'kiusaamiseksi'? Mutta
kuitenkin, jos maan päällä koskaan on tapahtunut todellista suurta
ihmettä, niin se tapahtui tuona päivänä, tuona kolmen kiusauksen
päivänä. Juuri noiden kolmen kysymyksen ilmaantuminen oli ihme.
Jos olisi mahdollista ajatella, vain kokeeksi ja esimerkiksi, että nämä
peloittavan hengen kolme kysymystä olisivat jäljettömiin kadonneet
kirjoista ja että ne pitäisi taas saada olemaan, uudelleen keksiä ja
sepittää taas kirjoihin pantaviksi, ja tätä varten kutsuttaisiin koolle
maanpiirin kaikki viisaat — hallitsijat, ylipapit, oppineet, filosofit,
runoilijat, ja heille annettaisiin tämä tehtävä: keksikää ja sepittäkää
kolme kysymystä, semmoisia, jotka eivät ainoastaan ole tapahtuman
suuruuden mukaisia, vaan sen lisäksi kolmella sanalla, kolmella
inhimillisellä lauselmalla ilmaisevat maailman ja ihmiskunnan koko
tulevan historian — niin luuletko Sinä, että kaikki yhteen koottu
maallinen viisaus voisi keksiä mitään, joka voimassa ja syvyydessä
vetäisi vertoja noille kolmelle kysymykselle, jotka Sinulle silloin
todella esitti erämaassa mahtava ja viisas henki? Jo yksistään näistä
kysymyksistä, yksistään siitä ihmeestä, että ne ilmaantuivat, saattaa
ymmärtää, että ei olla tekemisissä juoksevan inhimillisen, vaan
ikuisen ja absoluuttisen järjen kanssa. Sillä näissä kolmessa
kysymyksessä on ikäänkuin yhtynyt yhdeksi kokonaisuudeksi ja
ennustettu ihmiskunnan koko myöhempi historia ja tuotu esille kolme
muotoa, joissa yhtyvät kaikki inhimillisen luonnon ratkaisemattomat
historialliset vastakohdat koko maan päällä. Silloin se ei vielä voinut
olla niin ilmeistä, sillä tulevaisuutta ei tunnettu, mutta nyt, kun
viisitoista vuosisataa on kulunut, me näemme, että näissä kolmessa
kysymyksessä on kaikki siinä määrin edeltäpäin arvattu ja ennustettu
ja kaikki on siinä määrin käynyt toteen, että niihin ei voi enää mitään
lisätä eikä niistä ottaa mitään pois.
»Päätä itse, kuka oli oikeassa: Sinäkö vai hän, joka silloin kyseli
Sinulta? Muista ensimmäistä kysymystä; sen sisällys, joskaan ei
kirjaimelleen, on seuraava: Sinä tahdot mennä maailmaan ja menet
paljain käsin, luvaten jonkinmoista vapautta, jota he
yksinkertaisuudessaan ja synnynnäisessä säädyttömyydessään
eivät kykene tajuamaankaan, jota he pelkäävät ja kauhistuvat, —
sillä ei mikään ole milloinkaan ollut ihmiselle ja inhimilliselle
yhteiskunnalle sietämättömämpää kuin vapaus! Näetkö nämä kivet
tässä alastomassa ja hehkuvan kuumassa erämaassa? Muuta ne
leiviksi, niin ihmiskunta juoksee Sinun jäljessäsi kuin lauma,
kiitollisena ja kuuliaisena, vaikkakin ikuisesti vavisten pelosta, että
Sinä vedät pois kätesi ja heiltä loppuvat Sinun leipäsi. Mutta Sinä et
tahtonut riistää ihmiseltä vapautta ja hylkäsit ehdotuksen, sillä mitä
vapautta se on, ajattelit Sinä, jos kuuliaisuus on ostettu leivillä? Sinä
sanoit, ettei ihminen elä ainoastaan leivästä, mutta tiedätkö Sinä,
että juuri tuon saman maisen leivän nimessä Sinua vastaan nousee
maan henki ja kamppailee kanssasi ja voittaa Sinut, ja kaikki
seuraavat sitä huutaen: 'Ken on tämän pedon kaltainen, hän on
antanut meille tulen taivaasta!' Tiedätkö Sinä, että kuluu vuosisatoja
ja ihmiskunta julistaa korkeimman viisautensa ja tieteensä suulla,
että rikosta ei ole olemassa ja ettei siis ole syntiäkään, vaan on
ainoastaan nälkäisiä. Ruoki ensin ja vaadi sitten vasta heiltä hyveitä!
näin kirjoitetaan lippuun, joka nostetaan Sinua vastaan ja joka saa
Sinun temppelisi sortumaan. Sinun temppelisi sijalle rakennetaan
uusi rakennus, rakennetaan uudelleen kauhea Baabelin torni, ja
vaikka sitäkään ei saada valmiiksi, niinkuin ei saatu valmiiksi
entistäkään, niin Sinä kuitenkin voisit välttää tuon uuden tornin
rakentamisen ja lyhentää ihmisten kärsimyksiä tuhannella vuodella,
— sillä meidän luoksemmehan he tulevat kiusattuaan itseään
tuhannen vuotta tornillaan! He etsivät silloin taas meidät käsiinsä
maan alta, katakombeista, missä me piileksimme (sillä me
joudumme taas vainojen ja kidutusten alaisiksi), he löytävät ja
huutavat meille: Ruokkikaa meitä, sillä ne, jotka lupasivat meille
tulen taivaasta, eivät sitä antaneet. Ja silloin me rakennamme
valmiiksi heidän torninsa, sillä valmiiksi kykenee sen rakentamaan
se, joka ruokkii, mutta ruokkia voimme vain me Sinun nimeesi ja me
valehtelemme, että se tapahtuu Sinun nimeesi. Oi, eivät koskaan,
eivät koskaan he saa ilman meitä ruokituksi itseään! Ei mikään tiede
anna heille leipää, niin kauan kuin he pysyvät vapaina, mutta
loppujen lopuksi he tuovat vapautensa meidän jalkojemme juureen
ja sanovat meille: Tehkää meidät mieluummin orjiksenne, kunhan
vain ruokitte meidät. He ymmärtävät viimein itse, että ei kukaan voi
ajatellakaan saavansa samalla kertaa yltäkyllin vapautta ja maallista
leipää, sillä koskaan, koskaan he eivät osaa jakaa niitä keskenään!
He tulevat niinikään vakuutetuiksi, että he eivät koskaan voi olla
vapaitakaan, sentähden että ovat vähäväkisiä, paheellisia,
mitättömiä ja kapinoitsijoita. Sinä olet luvannut heille taivaallista
leipää; mutta, toistan sen vieläkin, voiko se olla maallisen leivän
veroinen heikon, ikuisesti turmeltuneen ja ikuisesti kiittämättömän
ihmissuvun silmissä? Ja jos Sinua taivaallisen leivän nimessä
seuraavat tuhannet ja kymmenettuhannet, niin miten käy miljoonain
ja kymmenien miljoonain olentojen, jotka eivät jaksa hylätä maallista
leipää taivaallisen tähden? Vai ovatko Sinulle rakkaita ainoastaan
kymmenettuhannet suuret ja voimakkaat, mutta muitten miljoonien,
lukuisien kuin meren hieta, heikkojen, mutta Sinua rakastavien,
täytyy olla vain aineksina suuria ja voimakkaita varten? Ei, meille
ovat kalliita heikotkin. He ovat paheellisia ja kapinoitsijoita, mutta
lopulta heistä tulee myös kuuliaisia. He ihmettelevät meitä ja pitävät
meitä jumalina sen tähden, että me olemme suostuneet asettumaan
heidän johtoonsa ja kestämään vapauden, jota he pelästyivät, sekä
hallitsemaan heitä, — niin kauheata on heistä lopulta olla vapaa!
Mutta me sanomme olevamme kuuliaisia Sinulle ja hallitsevamme
Sinun nimeesi. Me petämme heitä taas, sillä Sinua me emme päästä
luoksemme. Tämä petos juuri onkin meidän kärsimyksemme, sillä
meidän on pakko valehdella. Kas, tätä merkitsee tuo ensimmäinen
erämaassa tehty kysymys, ja tämän Sinä olet hylännyt vapauden
nimessä, jonka olet asettanut yläpuolelle kaiken. Mutta tässäpä
kysymyksessä oli tämän maailman suuri salaisuus. Jos Sinä olisit
hyväksynyt 'leivät', niin Sinä olisit vastannut ihmisten, niin hyvin
yksilön kuin koko ihmiskunnankin, yhteiseen ja ikuiseen kaipuuseen,
— tuohon: 'Kenen eteen on kumartuminen?' Ei ole ihmisellä
ainaisempaa eikä kiduttavampaa huolta kuin vapaana ollen löytää
mahdollisimman pian se, jonka eteen voisi kumartua. Mutta ihminen
pyrkii kumartumaan sen eteen, mikä on kiistämätöntä, niin
kiistämätöntä, että kaikki ihmiset voisivat suostua yhdellä kertaa sitä
kumartamaan. Sillä näiden surkeiden olentojen huolena ei ole
ainoastaan se, että löytäisivät sen, jonka edessä minun tai toisen on
kumartuminen, vaan jotta löytäisivät semmoisen, että kaikki siihen
uskoisivat ja sen edessä kumartuisivat ja että tämän ehdottomasti
tekisivät kaikki yhdessä. Tämä tarve kumartua yhdessä on jokaisen
ihmisen suurimpana piinana ja samoin koko ihmiskunnan aikojen
alusta asti. Yhteisen kumartamisen tähden he ovat tuhonneet
toisiansa miekalla. He ovat pystyttäneet jumalia ja kehoittaneet
toisiansa: Hylätkää omat jumalanne ja tulkaa kumartamaan meidän
jumaliamme, muuten te olette jumalinenne kuoleman omat! Ja näin
tulee olemaan maailman loppuun asti, vieläpä silloinkin, kun jumalat
katoavat maailmasta: samantekevää, he lankeavat epäjumalien
eteen. Sinä olet tuntenut, Sinä et ole voinut olla tuntematta tätä
ihmisluonnon perussalaisuutta, mutta Sinä hylkäsit ainoan
absoluuttisen lipun, joka Sinulle tarjottiin, kaikkien saattamiseksi
kiittämättä kumartumaan Sinun edessäsi — maisen leivän lipun, ja
hylkäsit sen vapauden ja taivaallisen leivän nimessä. Luohan
silmäys siihen, mitä Sinä vielä olet tehnyt. Ja edelleenkin vapauden
nimessä! Sanon Sinulle, että ihmisellä ei ole piinallisempaa huolta,
kuin että löytäisi sen, jolle mitä pikimmin voisi antaa lahjaksi
saamansa vapauden, joka tällä onnettomalla olennolla on
syntyessään. Mutta ihmisten vapauden saa valtaansa ainoastaan se,
joka rauhoittaa heidän omantuntonsa. Leivän kanssa Sinulle
annettiin kiistämätön lippu: jos annat leivän, niin ihminen kumartuu,
sillä ei ole mitään kiistämättömämpää kuin leipä, mutta jos samaan
aikaan joku saa valtaansa hänen omantuntonsa Sinut sivuuttaen, —
oi, silloin ihminen hylkää Sinun leipäsikin ja seuraa sitä, jonka
onnistui miellyttää hänen omaatuntoaan. Siinä Sinä olit oikeassa.
Sillä ihmiselämän salaisuus ei ole siinä, että vain elää, vaan siinä,
mitä varten elää. Ilman lujaa mielikuvaa siitä, mitä varten hänen on
elettävä, ihminen ei tahdo elää ja hän tuhoaa mieluummin itsensä
kuin jää maan päälle, vaikka hänen ympärillään joka puolella olisikin
leipiä. Se on niin, mutta kuinka kävi: sen sijaan, että olisit ottanut
valtaasi ihmisten vapauden, Sinä lisäsit heille vielä sitä! Vai unhotitko
Sinä, että rauha ja kuolemakin ovat ihmiselle rakkaammat kuin
vapaa valinta hyvän ja pahan tietämisessä. Ei ole ihmiselle mitään
imartelevampaa kuin omantunnonvapaus, mutta ei ole myöskään
mitään kiduttavampaa. Lujien perusteitten asemesta ihmisen
omantunnon rauhoittamiseksi kerta kaikkiaan — Sinä otit kaiken sen,
mikä on tavatonta, arveluun perustuvaa ja epämääräistä, otit kaiken
sen, mikä ei ollut ihmisten voimien mukaista, ja näin toimit aivan kuin
et ollenkaan heitä rakastaisi, — ja kuka toimi näin: se, joka tuli
antamaan heidän puolestaan henkensä! Sen sijaan että olisit ottanut
valtaasi ihmisen vapauden, Sinä sen moninkertaistutit ja panit sen
kärsimykset ikuisiksi ajoiksi painamaan ihmisen henkistä
valtakuntaa. Sinä halusit vapaata ihmisen rakkautta, että hän
vapaasti seuraisi Sinua hurmaantuneena ja kiintyneenä Sinuun.
Vanhan vankan lain asemesta — oli ihmisen nyt tästä lähin vapaasta
sydämestään päätettävä, mikä on hyvää ja mikä pahaa, ohjeenaan
ainoastaan Sinun kuvasi silmiensä edessä, — mutta etkö Sinä
todellakaan ajatellut, että hän lopulta hylkää ja riistää myöskin Sinun
kuvasi ja Sinun totuutesi, jos hänet näännytetään niin kauhean
taakan alle kuin on valinnan vapaus! He huudahtavat viimein, että
totuus ei ole Sinussa, sillä mahdotonta oli jättää heidät suurempaan
levottomuuteen ja piinaan kuin mitä Sinä olit tehnyt, kun jätit heille
niin paljon huolia ja selvittämättömiä arvoituksia. Näin olet Sinä itse
pannut alulle oman valtakuntasi kukistuksen, äläkä syytä siitä enää
ketään. Mutta tätäkö Sinulle esitettiin? On kolme voimaa, vain kolme
voimaa maan päällä, jotka voivat ainaiseksi voittaa ja vangita näitten
heikkovoimaisten kapinoitsijain omantunnon heidän onnekseen, —
ne voimat ovat: ihme, salaisuus ja auktoriteetti. Sinä hylkäsit kaikki
kolme ja annoit siihen itse esimerkin. Kun peloittava ja viisas henki
asetti Sinut temppelin harjalle ja sanoi Sinulle: 'Jos tahdot tietää,
oletko Jumalan poika, niin heittäydy alas, sillä Hänestä on sanottu,
että enkelit ottavat ja kantavat hänet eikä hän putoa eikä
loukkaannu, ja silloin Sinä saat tietää, oletko Jumalan poika, ja
osoitat silloin, millainen on uskosi isääsi', niin Sinä kuultuasi
ehdotuksen hylkäsit sen etkä antautunut etkä heittäytynyt alas. Oi,
tietysti Sinä tässä menettelit ylpeästi ja suurenmoisesti Jumalana,
mutta ihmiset, tämä heikko ja kapinoiva suku, — ovatko he jumalia?
Oi, Sinä ymmärsit silloin, että jos olisit ottanut vain askelenkin, vain
liikahtanutkin heittäytyäksesi alas, niin Sinä samalla olisit kiusannut
Jumalaa ja kadottanut kaiken uskosi Häneen sekä murskaantunut
maata vastaan, tuota maata, jota pelastamaan olit tullut, ja Sinua
kiusannut viisas henki olisi riemastunut. Mutta, sanon sen vieläkin,
paljonko on sellaisia kuin Sinä? Ja saatoitko Sinä edes hetkenkään
ajan todellakin otaksua, että ihmisetkin jaksavat kestää tämmöisen
kiusauksen! Semmoiseksiko on ihmisluonto luotu, että se voi hylätä
ihmeen ja noin kauheina elämän hetkinä, kaikista kauheimpien ja
piinallisimpien henkisten peruskysymystensä hetkinä, tyytyä vain
sydämen vapaaseen ratkaisuun? Oi, Sinä tiesit, että Sinun
sankaritekosi säilyy kirjoissa, tunkeutuu aikojen syvyyteen ja maan
kaukaisimpiin ääriin, ja Sinä toivoit, että ihminen seuraten Sinua
pysyy Jumalana eikä tarvitse ihmettä. Mutta sinä et tietänyt, että heti
kun ihminen hylkää ihmeen, hän samalla hylkää myös Jumalan, sillä
ihminen ei etsi niin paljon Jumalaa kuin ihmeitä. Ja koska ihminen ei
jaksa olla ilman ihmettä, niin hän luo itselleen uusia, omia ihmeitä ja
kumartaa poppamiehen ihmeitä, ämmien noitatemppuja, vaikka hän
olisi sata kertaa kapinoitsija, kerettiläinen ja jumalankieltäjä. Sinä et
tullut alas ristiltä, kun Sinulle pilkaten ja ärsytellen huudettiin: 'Tule
alas ristiltä, niin me uskomme, että se olet Sinä.' Sinä et tullut alas
sen tähden, että taaskaan et tahtonut orjuuttaa ihmistä ihmeellä ja
että janosit vapaata uskoa etkä ihmeisiin rakentuvaa. Sinä janosit
vapaaehtoista rakkautta etkä epävapaan orjamaisia ihastuksen
purkauksia voiman edessä, joka kerta kaikkiaan oli hänet
kauhistuttanut. Mutta tässäkin Sinä arvioit ihmiset liian korkealle, sillä
tietysti he ovat vankeja, vaikka heidät onkin luotu kapinoitsijoiksi.
Katso ympärillesi ja päätä, nyt kun on kulunut viisitoista vuosisataa,
mene ja katso heitä: kenet Sinä olet kohottanut itsesi tasalle? Minä
vannon, että ihminen on luotu heikommaksi ja alhaisemmaksi kuin
Sinä olet hänestä luullut! Voiko, voiko hän täyttää sen, minkä
Sinäkin? Pitäessäsi häntä niin suuressa arvossa Sinä olet menetellyt
niinkuin olisit lakannut säälimästä häntä, sillä liian paljon olet häneltä
vaatinutkin — ja kuka vaati: se, joka on rakastanut häntä enemmän
kuin itseään! Jos olisit pitänyt häntä vähemmän arvoisena, niin olisit
häneltä vähemmän vaatinutkin, mutta tämä olisi ollut lähempänä
rakkautta, sillä hänen kuormansa olisi ollut kevyempi. Hän on heikko
ja alhainen. Mitäpä siitä, että hän nyt kaikkialla kapinoi meidän
valtaamme vastaan ja ylpeilee siitä, että hän kapinoi? Se on lapsen
ja koulupojan ylpeyttä. He ovat pieniä lapsia, jotka koulussa ovat
tehneet kapinan ja karkoittaneet opettajan, mutta lapsien riemusta
tulee loppu ja se käy heille kalliiksi. He kukistavat temppelit ja
peittävät maan verivirroilla. Mutta viimein he, tyhmät lapset,
ymmärtävät, että vaikka he ovatkin kapinoitsijoita, niin he ovat
vähäväkisiä kapinoitsijoita eivätkä kykene ylläpitämään omaa
kapinaansa. Vuodattaen typeriä kyyneliään he viimein tunnustavat,
että se, joka on luonut heidät kapinoitsijoiksi, epäilemättä on tahtonut
pitää heitä pilkkanaan. He sanovat tämän epätoivoissaan, ja tuosta
heidän sanastaan tulee Jumalan pilkkaamista, joka tekee heidät
vielä onnettomammiksi, sillä ihmisluonto ei siedä Jumalan
pilkkaamista, vaan kostaa loppujen lopuksi itse itselleen sen. Siis
rauhattomuus, hämminki ja onnettomuus — siinä on ihmisten
nykyinen kohtalo, sen jälkeen kuin Sinä niin paljon kärsit heidät
vapautensa tähden! Sinun suuri profeettasi sanoo näyssä ja
kuvauspuheessa, että hän on nähnyt kaikki ensimmäisessä
ylösnousemuksessa mukana olleet ja että heitä oli jokaisesta
polvesta kaksitoistatuhatta. Mutta jos heitä oli niin paljon, niin he
oikeastaan eivät olleet ihmisiä, vaan jumalia. He ovat kestäneet
Sinun ristisi, he ovat kestäneet kymmeniä vuosia ilman ravintoa
autiossa erämaassa elättäen henkeään heinäsirkoilla ja juurilla, — ja
tietysti Sinä voit ylpeillen osoittaa näitä vapauden lapsia,
vapaaehtoisen rakkauden, vapaan ja suuren, Sinun nimeesi
osoitetun uhrautuvaisuuden lapsia. Mutta muista, että heitä oli
kaikkiaan vain muutamia tuhansia, nekin jumalia. Entä muut? Ja
miten ovat syyllisiä muut heikot ihmiset, kun eivät kyenneet
kärsimään sitä, mitä voimakkaat? Onko heikko sielu syyllinen, kun
siinä eivät voi saada sijaa niin kauheat lahjat? Tulitko Sinä todellakin
ainoastaan valittujen luo ja valittuja varten? Mutta jos niin on, niin
tässä on salaisuus, emmekä me pysty sitä ymmärtämään. Jos taas
se on salaisuus, niin meilläkin oli oikeus saarnata salaisuutta ja
opettaa heille, ettei heidän sydäntensä vapaa ratkaisu ole tärkeä
eikä myöskään rakkaus ole tärkeä, vaan tärkeä on salaisuus, johon
heidän on alistuttava sokeasti, vieläpä vastoin omaatuntoaankin. Niin
olemme tehneetkin. Me olemme parantaneet Sinun sankaritekosi ja
panneet sen pohjaksi ihmeen, salaisuuden ja auktoriteetin. Ja
ihmiset ilostuivat, että heitä oli jälleen alettu kuljettaa kuin laumaa ja
että heidän sydämiltään vihdoinkin oli otettu niin kauhea lahja, joka
oli tuottanut heille niin paljon tuskaa. Olimmeko me oikeassa, kun
opetimme ja teimme niin, sano? Emmekö me rakastaneet
ihmiskuntaa, kun me niin nöyrästi tunnustimme sen
voimattomuuden, rakkaudella kevensimme sen taakkaa ja
annoimme sen heikon luontonsa tähden tehdä vaikkapa syntiäkin,
jos se tapahtui meidän luvallamme? Miksi siis nyt olet tullut
häiritsemään meitä? Ja miksi Sinä ääneti ja läpitunkevasti katsot
minua lempeillä silmilläsi? Vihastu, minä en tahdo Sinun rakkauttasi,
sillä minä itse en rakasta Sinua. Ja mitä minun tarvitsee salata
Sinulta? Enkö minä tiedä, kenen kanssa puhun? Se, mitä minulla on
Sinulle sanottavaa, on kaikki jo tiedossasi, minä luen sen Sinun
silmistäsi. Ja minäkö kätkisin Sinulta salaisuutemme? Kenties Sinä
nimenomaan tahdotkin kuulla sen minun suustani, kuule siis: me
emme ole Sinun puolellasi, vaan hänen, siinä on salaisuutemme! Me
emme pitkään aikaan ole olleet Sinun puolellasi, vaan hänen
puolellaan, jo kahdeksan vuosisataa. Täsmälleen kahdeksan
vuosisataa sitten me otimme häneltä sen, minkä Sinä paheksuen
hylkäsit, sen viimeisen lahjan, jonka hän tarjosi Sinulle, kun hän
näytti Sinulle kaikki maan valtakunnat; me otimme häneltä Rooman
ja keisarin miekan ja julistimme itsemme maan hallitsijoiksi, ainoiksi
hallitsijoiksi, vaikka emme ole ennättäneet vieläkään saattaa
asiaamme täydellisesti loppuun. Mutta kuka on syypää? Oi, tämä
asia on toistaiseksi vasta alulla, mutta se on jo aloitettu. Kauan on
vielä odotettava sen täydellistä toteutumista, ja paljon saa maa vielä
kärsiä, mutta me saavutamme päämäärämme ja tulemme
hallitsijoiksi, ja silloin me ajattelemme koko maailman ihmisten
onnea. Mutta Sinähän olisit voinut jo silloin ottaa keisarin miekan.
Miksi sinä hylkäsit tämän viimeisen lahjan? Jos olisit ottanut
noudattaaksesi tätä mahtavan hengen kolmatta neuvoa, niin Sinä
olisit täyttänyt kaiken, mitä ihminen maan päällä etsii, se on: kenen
edessä kumartuisi, kenen valtaan antaisi omantuntonsa ja millä
tavoin kaikki yhtyisivät lopulta kiistämättömästi yhteiseksi ja
sopuisaksi muurahaispesäksi, sillä tarve saada koko maailma
yhtymään yhdeksi on ihmisten kolmas ja viimeinen piina. Aina on
ihmiskunta kokonaisuudessaan pyrkinyt järjestymään ehdottomasti
yleismaailmalliselle pohjalle. Paljon on ollut suuria kansoja, joilla on
ollut suuri historia, mutta kuta korkeammalla nämä kansat ovat
olleet, sitä onnellisempia ne ovat olleet, sitä voimakkaammin kuin
muut ne ovat tunteneet tarpeen saada ihmiset yhtymään koko
maailman käsittäväksi yhteydeksi. Suuret valloittajat, Timurit ja
Tšingis-Kaanit, ovat kiitäneet kuin myrskytuuli yli maan pyrkien
valloittamaan koko maailman, mutta hekin ovat, vaikka tiedottomasti,
tuoneet ilmi ihmiskunnan saman suuren tarpeen yhdistyä koko

Engineering Your Future An Australian Guide 4Th Edition David Dowli Full Chapter

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Engineering Your Future An Australian

Guide 4th Edition David Dowli

David Roger Anna Tim Doug Caroline Sally

Typeset in 10/12pt Times LT Std

The moral rights of the authors have been asserted.

Reproduction and communication for educational purposes

Reproduction and communication for other purposes

Cover images: © Enis Aksoy / Getty Images Australia

Typeset in India by diacriTech

PART 1 Introduction to engineering 1

PART 2 Engineering in society 84

PART 3 Professional skills 164

PART 4 Communication 246

7. Understanding communication 247

PART 5 Applying the engineering method 330

9. Understanding the problem 331

PART 6 Planning your career 569

15. Your engineering future 570

ABOUT THE AUTHORS ix

x ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS xi

1 Engineering vision through artificial intelligence X

Aerospace engineering and the drone wars X X

Engineering better flood modelling X

Software engineer wins top student award X

Getting the gas on flatulence X X

Early Aboriginal engineering X

Engineering breakthroughs in early X

Consumerism and the growth of e-waste X X

Will your next phone be a watch? X

Design for earthquake-resistant buildings X X

Engineers Australia and Engineering X X X

Driverless vehicles will change our lives X X X

Finding the unasked question X X X

3 Lake Pedder hydro-electric scheme X X

NZ ETS prompts metal manufacturer to upgrade X X

Australasian students shine on the world stage X X X

Energy tips: landfill gas X X

Wine carbon footprinting X X

Life cycle assessment of Greek beer X

Unintended consequences of engineering X

Multi-criteria evaluation: recreation and X

Least cost planning in the ‘sunburnt country’ X

xiv ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE

X X X All other disciplines

X Agricultural; aeronautical; maritime

X X X All other disciplines

X X X All other disciplines

X X X All other disciplines

ENGINEERING SPOTLIGHTS: AT A GLANCE xv

4 Shared paths and the role of engineers X

Creating recycling facilities in a X X

Design for the dump X X

Learning from nature’s design principles X X X

Reporting a leaky pipe

James Hardie and asbestos-related disease X X

Whistleblower slams Japan nuclear regulation X X X

Free prior and informed consent X

Monsanto penalised for bribery X X X

5 The Competencies of Engineering X X X

Putting passion into practice 1 X

Putting passion into practice 2 X

Life-long learning as a career develops X