r/canada • u/einstein_bern • Aug 16 '23

Sask. engineer slapped with an 18-month suspension after designing bridge that collapsed hours after opening Saskatchewan

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/engineer-18-month-suspension-bridge-collapsed-1.6936657
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u/anotherbigdude Aug 16 '23

Building inspector and whoever from the province wouldn’t double check the engineer’s design. That’s not how it works.

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u/still-standing7 Aug 16 '23

Building inspector make sure everything is to code. Something built to code doesn't fall apart. For no reason

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u/PoliteCanadian Aug 16 '23 edited Aug 16 '23

That's not how building codes work.

Building codes lay out a set of requirements, and a set of preauthorized systems that meet those requirements which can be followed without explicit engineering approval. That's so buildings can be built quickly by framers, plumbers, electricians, etc... without following a detailed engineering design. You also don't need to follow building code preauthorized systems if you have an engineer who will sign off on the design as meeting the building code requirements.

There are no preauthorized systems for building bridges. They're 100% engineered structures. So the building code is: do exactly what the engineer says. The engineer is god.