ethical question?

This is a situation that has, in various form, occurred repeatedly. 

We did a geotechnical report for a building company back in 2001 or 2002. They called last week looking for the Schedules and were told them to go away as we did nothing other than the report. The competition showed up here yesterday asking about the project and were explained what transpired. He then told us that he was going to go and look at the building and, if everything appeared ok, he was going to sign off on the Schedules. We think that he is committing fraud as there was no design or field review conducted and he will sign off.

The Alberta building code schedules are a requirement of building code to prevent under-sizing by the contractor, engineer, owner - whoever, by requiring the circuit to be closed, aka, geotechnical investigation, design to match, construction to design, and a commitment to say it is all correct. Anyone signing a C-2 after the fact is committing a breach of Alberta engineering ethics. 

Is it fraud? Likely, certainly un-ethically, but if all the parties know what is going on, I am not sure that it is fraud. The City building inspection department does not likely care, as long as they have the paper they need. The builder and piling contractor are long gone on to other things.  That leaves the owner, engineer, and geotechnical engineer, and likely future owner. Our competition is taking on tremendous liability by accepting responsibility for the foundation, likely at the change of ownership. He could be sued by the new owned if he find anything, even with change of use, if what the contractor did was not as per plan.

It is definably prostitution of the stamp. That says enough about the man's ethics. Be aware also, you cannot hang about the animals without picking up the smell. But, will you have the proof required to take it to APEGA? Not likely. Without the proof, APEGA will do nothing. What it says is our completion is unethical, possible fraudulent, but nobody has the willingness to spend the money necessary to prove it. You could report it to APEGA, and that might make you feel better, but do not expect results. There could also be blow-back, which we do not need.

This whole industry is corrupt, bits and pieces, from time to time. I am glad I am retired soon. Perhaps I can wash the smell off yet.    

Retirement

I think it is time for me to retire completely, at least, not take on new work from old clients. I quit taking on new clients, then relented for a few referrals, and one more did not pay. He did not like what I had to say. He dug a hole below the water level, and expected it to stay dry without waterproofing. Oh well, shit happens.

So to that ends, when my company engineering permit comes up for renewal, I think, I will decline renewing it, and will renew my personal engineering permit one more time. At least that is the current plan.

Now what am I going to do with all the spare time created?

Stoic

As I go about my daily activities, I will meet jerks, idiots, aggressive, passives, and a few nice well adjusted people. Patience, tolerance, and understanding is required, and ignoring that which is none of my concern is required. Heavy use of the delete button also. 

Mind Crap

from http://relievemypain.blogspot.ca/2013/01/chocolate-for-stoics.html, but could be AA

Soldier on!
Hug someone--it could be the last time
Steel yourself
Have you insulted yourself today?
Quit buying useless crap
Tolerate someone detestable
Chin up!
Accept the inevitable
Make do and mend
Throw yourself into your work
Enjoy what you already have

and then some more common but wrong from the testing years

Ignore reality, and just do it.

Ignore it, it will not bite.

If it bothers you, just don't look at it.

Just cover it, know-body will know.

It is only a test result. fail it and we will get to test it again.

Fudge some of the tests, nobody cares.

Nobody cares, they are just meaningless tests.

I do not believe in failures, you must have done the test wrong.

Philosophy

Some where up in the brain, far below the ego, we store our beliefs and values. Some of these are just wrong, many are good, right, and true. Many of our beliefs were entrenched as children, and have not been looked at them since. Occasionally, we were likely forced into situations where we had to cross our beliefs to satisfy a need, an expectation, or a want for us or someone else who we gave power over us to. (Government, employer). At changes in our career, perhaps we need to open our minds and look at our beliefs honestly and with intention. Some will be just left, as we judge them to be good, and right and true. Other we will want to rip out like a thistle, roots and all.

This is basically the intent of Albert Ellis and Alfred Adler CBT, the Stoics, and philosophy in general, to shape out beliefs. Religions do some on this, but there primary intent is to transmit the religion to the next generation. Buddhism is the exception.

So what am I on about? Positive thinking, aka you can do or be anything you want to be, you just need to go after it, is a suitable philosophy for selling hope. Some will make it. It is good for modifying the lazy, and the unmotivated. It also increases expectation, anxiety, greed, guilt, and lower authenticity, integrity  and happiness.  Like any philosophy, it has a good side, and a less good side.

It is a short term philosophy, which is difficult for those around us. It can generate aggression, action, and similar violation of ethics to achieve an end. If this is what you desire, go for it.

Expert

In order to write a report that provides required geotechnical information to design a foundation, we need to know how to design the foundation, and what the soils are. Either part by it's self is not enough. We need to know what is to be built and how, in order to provide the proper values, without a bunch of excess. Time is money, in the engineering world. Waste of time cost somebody. When we are working on fixed price, then it costs the engineering company. Hourly rate work is rare in this industry.

I do not like to teach anyone, but those who do not know basic stuff, I find extremely frustrating. The training is all fine, but they seem to be missing the basics. 

Grinders

Grinders, people who grind on designs to reduce cost. You can either take responsibility for the design as you changed it, or build it as per design. Either one, and do not expect that I will be responsible for your modification to reduce cost. That is on you.

So if you do not like my design, find another nigger.