Cowboys Practice Roof Collapse

Jonathan Hauxwell Maria Burbano-Salazar Anuvrat Saxena Shahrzad Amin Mathew Kurian Joshua Korah Jesus Valadez Ruchi Shah Nikhil Malik

Distribution of work

Shahrzad, Ruchi and Nikhil: Introduction

Maria, Mathew and Jonathan: Ethical case study.

Jesus, Joshua and Anuvrat: Actions to avoid problem

What it wasn’t

The issue isn’t the one that happened during Superbowl weekend.

Isn’t the one where the ice that collected on Cowboys stadium feel off the roof

This had to do with collapsing of the Cowboys practice facility

What Happened

Roof of the Dallas Cowboys practice facility crashed

12 people were injured including two life threatening injuries

Team Scout had severed spinal cord and was paralyzed

Special Teams coach Joe DeCamillis’ broke his neck

Why the roof fell

Bad weather caused the structure to collapse

Estimated wind speed was estimated to be around 70 miles per hour

The structure itself wasn’t built properly as notated by the company later on

Who built it, and how it happened

The roof was built by Summit Structures LLC

Frame of the roof was overstressed, and Summit knew about it.

The structure was “too slender and long” and “prone to buckling”

Case Study Study of the ethical nature of the performance of Summit Structures

• Act Utilitarianism

• An act is ethical or not if it generates more “good” than “bad”.

• Positives: – Building met deadline

– Cost efficient

• Negatives: – Structure failed

– Two people seriously injured (one paralyzed), several hurt

– Cost of reconstruction • Time

• Money

• Resources

– Expensive legal problems

• Kantianism

– If an act can become a universal rule without contradicting itself then its ethical. And if it treats people as ends in it of themselves.

• Act: Do not dedicate time to fix design defects

• If universal rule: all buildings flaws would have a quick fix

• Purpose of the rule: Fix buildings, in order for them to last long

– Would get the job done quick and efficiently but the buildings would not last.

– Then many buildings would fail and the purpose would not be accomplished

• Software code of ethics

- Violation of principle 3 the product

3.01 - Strive for high quality, acceptable cost and a reasonable schedule, ensuring significant tradeoffs are clear to and accepted by the employer and the client, and are available for consideration by the user and the public.

Summit Structures failed to strive for high quality. Even though the building was up to code it did not compensate for “Texas weather” unexpected high winds and heavy rains.

– Violation of principle 1 Act consistently with public interest.

• Summit Structures violated the following elements”

1.02 Balance competing interests (Utility)

1.03 Approve structure only if it is safe (Utility)

1.04 Disclose actual/potential dangers (Kantianism)

PMI Code of ethics

Honesty: Not deceiving, misleading, stating half truths, or using information out of context.

Summit Structures mislead the Cowboys by making them believe that the design flaws had been fixed .

Responsibility

Summit Structures did not accept full responsibility for the flaws in the design of the building that lead to the collapse of the roof

End of ethical analysis

The act committed by Summit Structures violated: Kantianism

Act Utilitarianism

PMI code of ethics

Software engineering code of ethics (applied to architecture)

Therefore: Summit Structures acted unethically

Preventing Future Incidents

Summit Structures Shared information with Cowboys organization

PMI Code of Ethics – Honesty

Kantianism

Hired licensed engineers

Civil Engineering Certification

PMI Code of Ethics – Honesty

Utilitarianism

Made the adequate repairs

PMI Code of Ethics – Responsibility

Utilitarianism

Tested structure for severe weather conditions

PMI Code if Ethics - Responsibility

Utilitarianism

Preventing Future Incidents

Cowboys

Been more aware of the problems Summit Structure’s buildings have had in the past

Kantianism

Sources

"Several Hurt by Falling Snow at Cowboys Stadium, Site of Super Bowl." USA Today. Gannett, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://content.usatoday.com/communities/thehuddle/post/2011/02/five-hurt-by-falling-snow-at-cowboys-stadium-site-of-super-bowl/1>.

Press, Associated. "Report: Firm Concealed dangers." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 25 July 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/8199975/report-summit-structures-llc-knew-dallas-cowboys-canopy-fall>.

"AP Exclusive: Firm Knew Cowboys Facility May Fall." Yahoo! Sports. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-cowboys-canopycollapse>.

"Roof Collapse Injures a Coach, 11 Others at Cowboys' Facility - USATODAY.com."Roof Collapse Injures a Coach, 11 Others at Cowboys' Facility - USATODAY.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/cowboys/2009-05-02-roof-collapse_N.htm>.

"12 Injured in Dallas Cowboys Practice Arena Collapse." CNN. N.p., 02 May 2009. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-02/us/cowboys.practice.field.collapse_1_collapse-nfl-photographers?_s=PM%3AUS>.

"Â Cowboys Practice Stadium Roof Collapses, Multiple Injuries." The Inquisitr. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.inquisitr.com/23265/cowboys-practice-stadium-roof-collapses-multiple-injuries/

"NIST Study Says Design Errors Caused Collapse of Dallas Cowboys' Fabric-Structure Training Facility." ASFE: The Geoprofessional Business Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.asfe.org/index.cfm?cdid=11231>.

"Personal Injury Attorneys - Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island and the Bronx."Personal Injury Lawsuits in Dallas Cowboy Roof Collapse; Low Scoreboard OK for This Season. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.newyorkinjuries.com/blog/2009/09/06/personal-injury-lawsuits-in-dallas-cowboy-roof-collapse-low-scoreboard-ok-for-this-season-62879>.

"Firm That Advised on Cowboys Structure Has Filed for Bankruptcy." Wfaa.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. <http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/64823727.html>.

Sources