Knowledge Workers and the Brooklyn Bridge - Essay Example

Knowledge workers and the Brooklyn Bridge During the initial construction work on the bridge, the individual knowledge worker working for Roebling had to possess a knowledge of the method for making strong cables by bunching together individual wires. He also needed to possess basic skills in carpentry, painting and construction, so that he could coordinate with other workers. Since the building of the bridge involved excavations to the depths of the river rocks, knowledge of basic engineering principles, the properties of rock and water and the impact of erosion was important. It was the design engineers, namely Washington Robeling and those who worked with him, that were mainly concerned with design aspects such as knowledge of gradient, impact of erosion by water over time, angles for rafters and columns and related information. Designing and construction of a bridge requires a basic knowledge and comprehension of the many aspects constituting “optimum structural and mechanical performance.” (Fertis, xiii). In the case of a highway bridge, dynamic and vibration analysis that needs to be carried out requires knowledge of the basic properties of the materials and cables that are used to build the bridge. Such knowledge of material properties is then used in performing the static and dynamic analysis, in developing a bridge design that is safe as well as functional. The static and dynamic analysis will involve calculations to determine both static and dynamic deformations of the bridge, together with its frequencies of vibration. This will also involve conclusions to be drawn on how long the bridge span should be in order to ensure that its rigidity is maintained in a safe design. Hence a knowledge worker working on the design and construction of the bridge in Robeling’s day would also have required a basic knowledge of statics, mechanics and structural mechanics. A knowledge worker would thus need to be acquainted with basic engineering concepts in designing of bridges. Communication in those days when the Brooklyn Bridge was first built centered around personal contact, hence these were restricted to light signals and Robelais passing on his communications through his wife. As a result, workers had to possess communication skills in interacting with members of their teams, most of whom were likely to have been drawn from the same local area of New York and largely comprising immigrants. But the kind of communication systems being used in the present day is also different from those existing during the time of Robelais. Knowledge workers may largely communicate over the Internet or through the use of mobile phones, rarely engaging in personal meetings, while in earlier times, communication was restricted to personal meetings. System interoperability requires workers to be able to operate the tools of technology such as computers and mobile accessories, so that they can effectively communicate with other team members. Furthermore, there is a much greater diversity in the workforce in the present day, although the engineering workers may still be immigrants, they are not the European immigrants of Robelais’ day, but are more likely to be immigrants from India and China. In the present day, the major concern lies in maintenance of the Brooklyn bridge and other bridges like it. Knowledge workers would therefore need to be well versed in carrying out visual inspections, because these are most frequently used with cable stayed bridges.( 1) But knowledge workers will still need to possess a basic knowledge in statics, mechanics and structural mechanics, although their focus in terms of the Brooklyn Bridge will not be on design and construction but on repair and maintenance. Another significant difference as compared to Robelais’ day is the increasing levels of automation of management and inspection systems. Highway bridges such as the Brooklyn Bridge in particular require automation of the processes associated with the design, inspection and maintenance, especially because they are ageing and deteriorating (www.pwri.go.jp). As a result, knowledge workers will be required to possess skills and knowledge, especially in bridge inspections, which constitute four levels – visual, principal, monitoring and verification. This knowledge may also need to include the appropriate skills and knowledge of technology, so that they are able to use the tools of technology that are now available to them. Since knowledge workers in the present day are mainly concerned with the maintenance of already constructed bridges like the Brooklyn Bridge, they may also need to undergo training over and above their basic knowledge of painting, carpentry and basic skills.(www.pwri.go.jp). They may need to be trained with the new technological means that are being employed to carry out the job of repair and maintenance of bridges. For instance, in Finland, a network level management system is being developed, referred to as Hibris, that will carry out an automated analysis and evaluation of bridge needs within an integrated environment. This system will utilize budget data and Markovian models, which will also output a repair index and rehabilitation index. (www.pwri.go.jp). Computerized systems will therefore do the work of assessment of repair and restoration needs. But this in turn means that knowledge workers will need to be savvy with the use of technology. In the case of the Brooklyn Bridge that is made of cables, the most common kind of inspection is visual, but in addition, assessment of the MTE condition using magnetic flux leakage may also be more prevalent, since this is one of the systems acknowledged to be the best in checking industrial cables. Acoustic monitoring can also help to detect breaks in the wire There is a possibility that 140 years into the future, some of the existing bridges like the Brooklyn Bridge may not survive. In the event they still do, they may be reinforced with new materials and remedial measures may have been taken up to improve the durability of the bridges. Waterproofing systems and membranes may be used to protect the bridge surfaces, while there may be periodic assessments carried out using advanced technology, such as an assessment of MTE conditions, using radiography and ultrasonic testing. (NCHRP, 2003:1). They may be increased use of the impulse radar, because hand held equipment can be moved over the cables and moved longitudinally in order to detect any grout voids that may be present within the HDPE (high density polyethylene) pipe sheathing that is generally used to cove the cables. Additionally, large grout voids can also be repaired using vacuum grouting. (NCHRP, 2003:1). Laser vibrometers may also be used to measure small vibrations of the cable from a long distance. Since most elements of bridge designing, construction, repair and maintenance are likely to be carried out using advanced technology and the tools that are available with it, the information worker of 140 years into the future will need to be more skilled in the use of technology and its applications, as compared to his or her ability to get along with people. These workers may also be called upon to use their innovative skills to design longer suspension bridges using more advanced tools for additional durability. For instance, the Akashi Kaikyo suspension bridge built in 1998 in Japan is 12,858 feet long and shows some innovative features not present in the first suspension bridge – the Brooklyn bridge. It has been constructed with wind dampers in order to withstand the high wind speeds (up to 180 mules per hour), pressure from standing waves and withstand earthquakes, all of which pose grave dangers to suspension bridges.(Crandall, 2007). This bridge has used an innovative feature – trusses extending beneath the roadway. These allow for the use of longer spans, because triangular geometric shapes reinforcing each other are used for additional reinforcement and for typing the cables to. It appears likely that knowledge workers of the future may be called upon to exercise their ingenuity to an even greater degree to produce innovative ideas in the design, construction, repair and maintenance of bridges. In conclusion, it may thus be noted that the kind of support an individual knowledge workers must provide has changed considerably from the time of Robelais. When the Brooklyn bridge was first constructed, the workers largely needed to possess basic painting and carpentry skills, together with a knowledge of geology and basic engineering principles involved in producing the design of the bridge. In the present day however, the knowledge of individual workers is supplemented by the tools of technology and the vast fund of information that is available over the Internet. Knowledge workers must now be able to carry out a variety of tests using lasers and other technological tools, there are superior materials available in bridge construction and advanced tools available for detection of possible faults in the cables. The knowledge worker in the present day can rely on these tools of technology and it appears very likely that there will be a greater reliance on technological information 140 years from now. While soft skills or the ability to interact effectively with people may have been very important during Robelais’ time, knowledge workers today must have the soft skills to interact with people from all over the world. 140 years from now, people may be even more savvy at communicating in a virtual environment, using models and simulations of bridges, in order to detect faults and repair them. References: * AASHTO/FHWA International Technology Scan: Bridge system, http://www.pwri.go.jp/eng/ujnr/tc/g/pdf/20/20-5-1friedland.pdf; * Crandall, John, 2007. “Suspension Bridges”, http://transportationhistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/suspension_bridges; * Fertis, Demeter G, 1997. “Infrastructure systems”, Wiley Books * NCHRP, 2003. “Inspection and maintenance of bridge stay cable systems: A synthesis of highway practice,” Transportation Research Board. Read More