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Overview
Facts Discussion
Provenance Draft

PASS 1: Contextual Framework Facts Section

Case 87: Public Health and Safety—Building Codes to Address Environmental Risk

R Roles
2
Classes
1
Individuals
S States
4
Classes
4
Individuals
Rs Resources
1
Classes
0
Individuals

Extracted Ontology Entities

12 RDF entities extracted organized by concept type

R Roles

Roles Classes
2
changed
ConsultantEngineerRole
rdfs:subClassOf Roles
Linked
Consultant Engineer Role
C87
Definition
Extracted from facts primary
A professional engineer in private practice retained by a client to perform specialized technical analysis and advisory services, here hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment for a development project.
Inherited from ConsultantEngineerRole · note
An engineer engaged in a consulting or advisory capacity to a client. An engagement-capacity idiom under EngineerRole, not a discipline or function specialization.
Properties
Text References:
"Engineer A is an engineer in private practice."
"Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential developme..."
Confidence: 0.9
Role Category: provider_client
Role Kind: professional
Distinguishing Features:
  • Retained by a client to provide expert technical analysis and recommendations rather than to produce construction designs
  • Renders professional judgment on risk levels that bear on public safety
Professional Scope: Specialized technical analysis, modeling, and risk assessment performed in an advisory capacity for a client
Typical Qualifications:
  • Professional engineering practice standing
  • Expertise in the specialty area of the engagement
Associated Virtues:
  • Competence
  • Integrity
  • Candor toward the client
[facts] "Engineer A is an engineer in private practice. Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change..."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Engineer A is an engineer in private practice.; Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential development project near a coastal area.
  • roleCategory content: provider_client
  • roleKind content: professional
  • distinguishingFeatures content: Retained by a client to provide expert technical analysis and recommendations rather than to produce construction designs; Renders professional judgment on risk levels that bear on public safety
  • professionalScope content: Specialized technical analysis, modeling, and risk assessment performed in an advisory capacity for a client
  • typicalQualifications content: Professional engineering practice standing; Expertise in the specialty area of the engagement
  • associatedVirtues content: Competence; Integrity; Candor toward the client
  • confidence assessment: 0.9
changed
ClientRole
rdfs:subClassOf Roles
Linked
Client Role
C87
Definition
Extracted from facts primary
The party that commissions professional engineering services for a project, here a developer retaining an engineer for hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment.
Inherited from ClientRole · note
The role borne by the party that commissions the project work. This is the occupational archetype; the duty relationship is carried separately by :ProviderClientRole.
Properties
Text References:
"Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential developme..."
Confidence: 0.92
Role Kind: participant
Distinguishing Features: Commissions the professional work and defines the engagement
[facts] "Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential developme..."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential development project near a coastal area.
  • roleKind content: participant
  • distinguishingFeatures content: Commissions the professional work and defines the engagement
  • confidence assessment: 0.92
Roles Individuals
1
Engineer A Consultant Engineer
Consultant Engineer Role
Linked
Consultant Engineer Role
C87
Text References:
"Engineer A is an engineer in private practice."
"Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential developme..."
"Engineer A believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise."
Confidence: 0.92
Actor: Engineer A
Role Class: Consultant Engineer
Role Category: provider_client
Role Kind: professional
Specialty: Hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment
Employer: Private practice
Technical Background: Uses newly released information and a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data
Additional Relationships: {'type': 'recommendation refused by', 'target': 'Owner', 'quote': 'Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation.'}
Case Involvement: Retained to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment for a coastal residential development, and based on new information and a recently developed algorithm believes the project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation due to public safety risks.
Practice setting: engineer in private practice
Recommendation: believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation
Hasclient: Client A
"Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and se..."
[facts] "Engineer A is an engineer in private practice. Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change..."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Relations (structural triples)
  • actor: Engineer A
  • attributes: {'practice_setting': 'engineer in private practice', 'recommendation': 'believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation'}
  • relationships: {'type': 'hasClient', 'target': 'Client A', 'quote': 'Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential development project near a coastal area.'}
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Engineer A is an engineer in private practice.; Engineer A is retained by Client A, a developer, to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment in connection with potential climate change and sea level rise for a residential development project near a coastal area.; Engineer A believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise.
  • roleClass content: Consultant Engineer
  • roleCategory content: provider_client
  • roleKind content: professional
  • specialty content: Hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment
  • employer content: Private practice
  • technicalBackground content: Uses newly released information and a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data
  • additionalRelationships content: {'type': 'recommendation refused by', 'target': 'Owner', 'quote': 'Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation.'}
  • caseInvolvement content: Retained to perform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment for a coastal residential development, and based on new information and a recently developed algorithm believes the project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation due to public safety risks.
  • confidence assessment: 0.92

S States

States Classes
4
changed
RegulatoryGapState
rdfs:subClassOf States
Linked
Regulatory Gap State
C87
Definition
Extracted from facts primary
A regulatory condition in which no provision, rule, or code requirement is in force to govern an ethically significant practice question, here the absence of any building code in the geographic area where the residential development project is planned, so no legal minimum standard governs the storm surge design elevation.
Inherited from RegulatoryGapState · note
A regulatory condition in which no provision, rule, or contractual requirement is in force to govern an ethically significant practice question, here the absence of revolving door provisions in the City's employment contracts for senior-level employees, so the movement of a senior public engineer to a private firm doing business with the City is not contractually restricted.
Properties
Text References:
"The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the project currently has no building code in place."
Confidence: 0.92
State Category: regulatory
Persistence Type: inertial
Activation Conditions: The jurisdiction where the project is planned has not adopted a building code
Termination Conditions: The jurisdiction adopts a building code governing the project area
Obligation Activation: Obligation to exercise independent professional judgment on design standards in the absence of code minimums
Principle Transformation: With no code minimum in force, the public safety principle must be given concrete content through the engineer's own professional judgment about the appropriate design standard.
[facts] "The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the project currently has no building code in place."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the project currently has no building code in place.
  • stateCategory content: regulatory
  • persistenceType content: inertial
  • principleTransformation content: With no code minimum in force, the public safety principle must be given concrete content through the engineer's own professional judgment about the appropriate design standard.
  • confidence assessment: 0.92
Derived (reconstructable from the graph)
  • activationConditions: The jurisdiction where the project is planned has not adopted a building code
  • terminationConditions: The jurisdiction adopts a building code governing the project area
  • obligationActivation: Obligation to exercise independent professional judgment on design standards in the absence of code minimums
changed
RiskFindingState
rdfs:subClassOf States
Review
Risk Finding State
C87
Definition
Extracted from facts primary
An epistemic condition in which a professional's identification of a risk has risen from preliminary concern to a concluded technical judgment, here Engineer A's belief, based on newly released information and a recently developed algorithm incorporating newly identified historic weather data, that the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation because public safety risks exist even at lower projections of future surge level rise.
Inherited from RiskFindingState · note
An epistemic condition in which a professional's identification of a risk has risen from preliminary concern to the level of a concluded technical finding. Here Engineer Doe, after completing his studies, concludes that the plant discharge will lower the quality of the receiving body of water below established standards.
Properties
Text References:
"Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be bu..."
Confidence: 0.88
State Category: epistemic
Persistence Type: inertial
Activation Conditions: The professional completes analysis of newly released information and applies the recently developed algorithm with newly identified historic weather data
Termination Conditions: New data or analysis supersedes the finding
Obligation Activation: Obligation to advise the client of the public safety risks and the recommended design elevation
Principle Transformation: Engineer A's technical finding transforms the abstract paramountcy of public safety into a concrete recommendation that the project be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation.
[facts] "Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be bu..."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise.
  • stateCategory content: epistemic
  • persistenceType content: inertial
  • principleTransformation content: Engineer A's technical finding transforms the abstract paramountcy of public safety into a concrete recommendation that the project be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation.
  • confidence assessment: 0.88
Derived (reconstructable from the graph)
  • activationConditions: The professional completes analysis of newly released information and applies the recently developed algorithm with newly identified historic weather data
  • terminationConditions: New data or analysis supersedes the finding
  • obligationActivation: Obligation to advise the client of the public safety risks and the recommended design elevation
changed
Public Safety Risk State
rdfs:subClassOf States
Linked
Public Safety Risk State
C87
Definition
Extracted from facts primary
A condition of hazard exposure in which the public or a specific community faces potential harm to safety or welfare, here the exposure of the residential development project and its future occupants near a coastal area to storm surge and sea level rise, with public safety risks present even at lower projections of future surge level rise.
Inherited from PublicSafetyRiskState · note
A condition of hazard exposure in which the public or a specific community faces potential harm to safety or welfare, such as flooding harm to residents.
Properties
Text References:
"due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise"
Confidence: 0.9
State Category: risk
Persistence Type: inertial
Activation Conditions: A residential development is planned near a coastal area exposed to climate change and sea level rise
Termination Conditions:
  • The development is built to a design elevation that mitigates the projected storm surge hazard
  • The project is abandoned
Obligation Activation: Obligation to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public
Principle Transformation: The hazard exposure of future occupants gives the public safety principle concrete force in the choice of storm surge design elevation for the project.
[facts] "Engineer A believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise
  • stateCategory content: risk
  • persistenceType content: inertial
  • principleTransformation content: The hazard exposure of future occupants gives the public safety principle concrete force in the choice of storm surge design elevation for the project.
  • confidence assessment: 0.9
Derived (reconstructable from the graph)
  • activationConditions: A residential development is planned near a coastal area exposed to climate change and sea level rise
  • terminationConditions: The development is built to a design elevation that mitigates the projected storm surge hazard; The project is abandoned
  • obligationActivation: Obligation to hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public
changed
Budget Constraint State
rdfs:subClassOf States
Review
Budget Constraint State
C87
Definition
Extracted from facts primary
A resource condition in which a client's financial means or cost considerations limit or set back the client's willingness to fund contracted work or additional protective measures, here the Owner refusing, because of the increased cost, to agree that the residential development project be built to the 100-year projection storm surge elevation Engineer A recommends.
Inherited from BudgetConstraintState · note
A resource condition in which a client's financial means are limited or set back, constraining the client's willingness or ability to fund contracted work or additional protective measures.
Properties
Text References:
"Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation."
Confidence: 0.87
State Category: resource
Persistence Type: inertial
Activation Conditions: The Owner refuses the recommended 100-year storm surge design elevation because of its increased cost
Termination Conditions: The Owner agrees to fund the recommended design elevation
Obligation Activation: Obligation to advise the client when the professional believes a project will not be successful or safe as directed
Principle Transformation: The Owner's cost-based refusal places the recommended safety measure in tension with the client's economic decision, making the public safety principle bear concretely on how Engineer A must respond to the refusal.
[facts] "Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation.
  • stateCategory content: resource
  • persistenceType content: inertial
  • principleTransformation content: The Owner's cost-based refusal places the recommended safety measure in tension with the client's economic decision, making the public safety principle bear concretely on how Engineer A must respond to the refusal.
  • confidence assessment: 0.87
Derived (reconstructable from the graph)
  • activationConditions: The Owner refuses the recommended 100-year storm surge design elevation because of its increased cost
  • terminationConditions: The Owner agrees to fund the recommended design elevation
  • obligationActivation: Obligation to advise the client when the professional believes a project will not be successful or safe as directed
States Individuals
4
changed
No Building Code In Project Area
Regulatory Gap State
Linked
Regulatory Gap State
C87
Text References:
"The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the project currently has no building code in place."
Confidence: 0.92
State Class: Regulatory Gap State
Subject: The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the residential development project
Active Period: Currently, throughout the planning of the residential development project
Terminated By: Adoption of a building code by the jurisdiction, not stated in the case
Affected Parties:
  • Engineer A
  • Client A
  • Future residents of the development
Urgency Level: medium
[facts] "The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the project currently has no building code in place."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the project currently has no building code in place.
  • stateClass content: Regulatory Gap State
  • subject content: The geographic area in which Client A is planning to build the residential development project
  • activePeriod content: Currently, throughout the planning of the residential development project
  • terminatedBy content: Adoption of a building code by the jurisdiction, not stated in the case
  • affectedParties content: Engineer A; Client A; Future residents of the development
  • confidence assessment: 0.92
  • urgencyLevel assessment: medium
changed
Review
Risk Finding State
C87
Text References:
"Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be bu..."
Confidence: 0.9
State Class: Risk Finding State
Subject: Engineer A
Active Period: From Engineer A's analysis of the newly released information and algorithm output onward
Triggering Event: Engineer A analyzes newly released information and applies a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data
Affected Parties:
  • Client A
  • Owner
  • Future residents of the development
Urgency Level: high
[facts] "Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be bu..."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise.
  • stateClass content: Risk Finding State
  • subject content: Engineer A
  • activePeriod content: From Engineer A's analysis of the newly released information and algorithm output onward
  • triggeringEvent content: Engineer A analyzes newly released information and applies a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data
  • affectedParties content: Client A; Owner; Future residents of the development
  • confidence assessment: 0.9
  • urgencyLevel assessment: high
changed
Coastal Storm Surge Safety Risk
Public Safety Risk State
Linked
Public Safety Risk State
C87
Text References:
"due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise"
Confidence: 0.9
State Class: Public Safety Risk State
Subject: The residential development project near a coastal area and its future occupants
Active Period: While the project is planned and built near the coastal area without the 100-year storm surge design elevation
Triggering Event: Client A plans a residential development project near a coastal area subject to potential climate change and sea level rise
Terminated By: Building the project to a storm surge elevation that mitigates the projected hazard
Affected Parties:
  • Future residents of the development
  • The public
Urgency Level: high
[facts] "Engineer A believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: due to public safety risks even at lower projections of future surge level rise
  • stateClass content: Public Safety Risk State
  • subject content: The residential development project near a coastal area and its future occupants
  • activePeriod content: While the project is planned and built near the coastal area without the 100-year storm surge design elevation
  • triggeringEvent content: Client A plans a residential development project near a coastal area subject to potential climate change and sea level rise
  • terminatedBy content: Building the project to a storm surge elevation that mitigates the projected hazard
  • affectedParties content: Future residents of the development; The public
  • confidence assessment: 0.9
  • urgencyLevel assessment: high
changed
Owner Cost Based Refusal
Budget Constraint State
Review
Budget Constraint State
C87
Text References:
"Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation."
Confidence: 0.88
State Class: Budget Constraint State
Subject: Owner
Active Period: From the Owner's refusal onward, while the design elevation question remains unresolved
Triggering Event: Engineer A recommends that the project be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, which carries increased cost
Terminated By: The Owner agrees to build the project to the 100-year projection storm surge elevation
Affected Parties:
  • Engineer A
  • Client A
  • Future residents of the development
Urgency Level: high
[facts] "Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Because of the increased cost, Owner refuses to agree that the residential development project be built to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation.
  • stateClass content: Budget Constraint State
  • subject content: Owner
  • activePeriod content: From the Owner's refusal onward, while the design elevation question remains unresolved
  • triggeringEvent content: Engineer A recommends that the project be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation, which carries increased cost
  • terminatedBy content: The Owner agrees to build the project to the 100-year projection storm surge elevation
  • affectedParties content: Engineer A; Client A; Future residents of the development
  • confidence assessment: 0.88
  • urgencyLevel assessment: high

Rs Resources

Resources Classes
1
changed
ReferenceMaterial
rdfs:subClassOf Resources
Linked
Reference Material
C87
Definition
Extracted from facts primary
Handbooks, manuals, guides, datasets, algorithms, and other documentation or data artifacts supporting professional practice with technical and procedural knowledge, such as newly released information and analytical algorithms incorporating historic weather data used for coastal risk assessment.
Inherited from ReferenceMaterial · note
Handbooks, manuals, guides, and other documentation supporting professional practice with technical and procedural knowledge.
Properties
Text References:
"Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be bu..."
Confidence: 0.85
Resource Category: reference_material
[facts] "Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be bu..."
Field classification (triples vs literals)
Literal extractions (kept for synthesis)
  • textReferences content: Based on newly released information as well as a recently developed algorithm that includes newly identified historic weather data, Engineer A believes the residential development project should be built to a 100-year projected storm surge elevation
  • resourceCategory content: reference_material
  • confidence assessment: 0.85
Resources Individuals
0
No new resources individuals were identified in this section.
Pass 1: Contextual Framework - Facts
Review extracted entities, then continue to the next step
Continue to Discussion Review
Case texts: National Society of Professional Engineers, Board of Ethical Review.

NOTE: The NSPE Board of Ethical Review considers ethical cases involving either real or hypothetical matters submitted to it from NSPE members, other engineers, public officials, and members of the public. The BER reviews each case in the context of the NSPE Code of Ethics and earlier BER opinions. The facts contained in each case do not necessarily represent all of the pertinent facts submitted to or reviewed by the BER and shall not be considered a direct evaluation of any real matter that may have been submitted.

Each opinion is intended as guidance to individual practicing engineers, students, and the public. In regard to the question of application of the NSPE Code of Ethics to engineering organizations (e.g., corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, government agencies, and university engineering departments), the specific business form or type should not negate nor detract from the conformance of individuals to the Code. The NSPE Code deals with professional services, which must be performed by real persons. Real persons in turn establish and implement policies within business structures.

This opinion is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. It may be reprinted without further permission, provided that this statement is included before or after the text of the case and appropriate attribution is provided to the National Society of Professional Engineers' Board of Ethical Review.

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