Evolution, Development, Successes and Failures of Engineering

Workshop Activity
The Line

Name: Perth ID:

Name: Perth ID:
Name: Perth ID:
Name: Perth ID:
Name: Perth ID:

Instructions:
During the lecture, you will watch a documentary on a major engineering project. You
are expected to take notes while watching the documentary.
In the workshop, you will discuss in groups the answers to the questions below on
different aspects of the project. Submit a group report of the summary to the answers
by midnight of the day of the workshop. E-mail a word document of your report to
your respective tutor.

OR
In the workshop, work on a 300-word individual reflection on one aspect of the project
(e.g. the biggest challenge, the biggest mistake, the best decision, historical context,
etc.) and what lessons were learned from it. Write up of your personal reflection on the
project is due within 24 hours after the workshop. E-mail a word document of your
personal reflection to your respective tutor.
Study the rubric shown below to get an idea of what is expected.

Questions to guide your note taking

1. Historical Context
1.1. When and where did this project take place?
- The Central Pacific began laying track eastward from Sacramento,California, in 1863,
and the Union Pacific started westward fromOmaha, Nebraska, two years later
1.2. Who was/were the main engineer(s) in this project and what was his/her role?
1.3. What was the impetus for the development of this project?
1.4. What were the impacts of the project that made it a significant landmark in history?

2. Engineering Aspects
2.1. What were the main challenges that had to be overcome in this project by Central
Pacific and Union Pacific, the two companies that built the railroad?
- The majority of the workers on the Union Pacific Railroad were Irish laborers, many who
had served in both the Union and the Confederate armies. In Utah, a lot of the track was
 built by Mormon workers. Most of the Central Pacific Railroad was built by Chinese
immigrants.
2.2. Who were the stakeholders of this project?
2.3. How was risk considered and managed in the project?
- Dodge had no time to waste and laid track on ice and snow anyway. Needless to say, the
line had to be rebuilt in the spring. On top of that, unanticipated spring flooding along the
Loup fork of the Platte River washed out rails, bridges, and telephone poles, causing
damage worth at least $50,000 the first year. Not surprisingly some observers estimated the
actual building cost at almost three times what it should have been
- Building the railroad was tough, hard work. Weather conditions were especially tough in
the mountains during the winter. A lot of times the only way to travel over the mountains
was to go through the mountains by blasting a tunnel. The Central Pacific Railroad had to
blast a number of tunnels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The longest tunnel built
was 1659 feet long. It took a long time to build the tunnels. They were able to blast around
1 foot per day on average.
2.4. Can you identify any remaining risks in the final design?

3. Ethical Aspects
3.1. What ethical issues can you identify from the documentary?
3.2. Were health and safety issues identified and managed during the execution of the
project?
3.3. What can you say about the treatment of workers during the execution of the project?

4. Human Aspects
4.1. What were the distinctive personal attributes of the main protagonists of the project
(Grenville Dodge and Thomas Durant of Union Pacific and Charles Crocker and
Strobridge of Central Pacific?)
- In 1854 Durant founded the Missouri & Mississippi Railroad. Little got built, but
ownership poised him to seize the burgeoning Pacific Railroad initiative. In 1854 Durant
founded the Missouri & Mississippi Railroad. Little got built, but ownership poised him to
seize the burgeoning Pacific Railroad initiative.
- Dodge created a highly effective intelligence gathering network which later proved vital
to Grant's operations and was a precursor to the modernIntelligence Corps of the United
States Army
4.2. What were the attributes of the workers of the Central Pacific Railroad and the
workers of the Union Pacific Railroad?
- The Chinese workers were punctual, willing, and well-behaved -- sometimes referred to as
"Celestials" in reflection of their spiritual beliefs.
-

5. Environmental Impacts
5.1. List aspects of the project that had a positive or negative impact on the environment.
5.2. What measures were taken to make sure that the project had a minimum impact on
the environment?

6. The Project Today

6.1. If the same project had to be carried out in our time, what would be different?
6.2. What valuable lessons could an engineer learn from the program?
 Evolution, Development, Successes and Failures of Engineering

Rubric to Assess Summary of Project Aspects

Assessment Criteria Associated Engineers
Task Australia Stage One
Needs improvement Reasonably competent Competent Competencies

Intellectual effort No answers submitted, or most Most questions were answered. All answers were confident and
reflected in answers answers were very superficial with Answers demonstrate that an well structured. It is clear 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
no evidence of any intellectual attempt was made at providing students spent time preparing 3.2
_________ /30 marks effort to provide an answer. some intellectual contribution. the answers.

Number of answers to
questions Students seriously attempted less Students seriously attempted up to
Students attempted all questions. 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6
than 50% of questions. 75% of questions.
_________ /20 marks
 Evolution, Development, Successes and Failures of Engineering
Reflective Essay
For the documentary watched during the lecture, you will have to submit a 300-word original
reflective essay with the following content:

Clear description of the ONE aspect of the project that impressed you the most.
Explicit mention of the learning you got from the documentary and how you will apply
it in your professional life.

Essays are meant to be original pieces of work that communicate your reflections and
conclusions about a particular topic. Here are some links that may help you understand what
is expected:
http://members.tripod.com/~lklivingston/essay/
http://kimberlychapman.com/essay/essay.html
http://esl.about.com/library/howto/htessay.htm

If you feel you need to improve your written English, then you may want to use the following
online resources: http://studyskills.curtin.edu.au/

Due date
Essays have to be e-mailed to your tutor as a Word document within 24 hours of the conclusion
of the workshop

General recommendations

Give your essay a title and write your name under it. You always need to claim
ownership of your work.
Stick to one, maximum two, ideas in your essay. 300 words are too few to be
meaningful about more than two ideas.
Be explicit about the one aspect of the project that impressed you the most; and the
lessons you obtained from it.
Use other sources of information to complement your understanding of the topic you
want to cover. Do not limit yourself to the content of the documentary.

One of Curtins graduate attributes is effective communication; hence the essay will be
marked both on its structure as well as content. The following rubric will be used to mark the
essays. Make sure you cover all criteria in yours.
 Evolution, Development, Successes and Failures of Engineering

Rubric to Assess Reflective Essay

Associated Engineers
Assessment Criteria
Task Australia Stage One
Needs improvement Reasonably competent Competent Competencies
The personal reflection has a clear
The personal reflection does not Structure is very solid.
Structure structure, although the intent of the
have a clear structure. Ideas are Arguments are presented in a
personal reflection is not clear. The 3.2
_________ /20 marks disarticulated and they do not tell a way that naturally leads to the
arguments presented do not lead
coherent story. conclusion(s).
nicely into a conclusion.

Intellectual The intent of the personal The personal reflection makes a The arguments presented in the
contribution reflection is not clear. No evidence clear case about one particular personal reflection draw ideas 1.5, 1.6
that the topic was seriously subject, although the arguments are from several seemingly unrelated 3.1, 3.3, 3.4
_________ /20 marks approached. rather trivial. sources.

Length Personal reflection had between

Personal reflection had less than Personal reflection had less than
250 and 300 words. The closer to 3.1, 3.2, 3.4
_________ /10 marks 200, or more than 320 words. 250, or more than 300 words.
300, the better.

Link to Engineers Australia Stage One Competencies: Link