ABSTRACT
Present-day engineers are commonly faced with nontechnological, in addition to technological, barriers that limit what can be done to solve a problem or meet a need. Technological barriers limit what engineers can do because they might simply lack the know-how or have not yet developed tools required to solve a problem. However, engineers commonly encounter barriers that are not technological; that is, in addition to designing and building systems, they must meet other constraints, such as budgets and regulations. For example, natural resources necessary to build systems are becoming scarcer and more expensive than ever before. This trend is expected to continue. Also, engineers and economists are aware of the potential negative side effects of engineering innovations, such as air pollution from automobiles. For these reasons, they are often asked to place their project ideas within the larger framework of the environment of a specific planet, country, or region. They must ask themselves if a particular project would offer some net benefit to individuals or a society as a whole. The net benefit assessment requires considering the inherent benefits of the project, plus any negative side effects, including severities associated with failure consequences due to hazards, plus the cost of consuming natural resources, considering both the price that must be paid for them and the realization that once they are used for that project they will no longer be available for other projects.
