Monitored Decisions

Abstract

The suppression of innovation and matters of regulations and litigation too often stem from our traditional approach to the engineering design process, in which problems are considered and decisions made during design. Decisions formed from inadequate data and inadequate evaluation of risk become fixed in concrete, steel, and earth. There is a reluctance to change design decisions once made; a reluctance that increases once construction is under way, and becomes a resistance once a facility is in operation. Yet for many projects, decisions to modify a design need to be made during construction as well as during operation, particularly when unexpected behavior occurs. Data from long‐term monitoring should be integrated into the design process provide a basis for future decisions and maintain a facility in a functional state consistent with its intended purpose. A planned approach to decision making over time that draws on long‐term field measurements for input, with planned analysis of the measurements and appropriate contingent actions, is sought. A monitored‐decision process provides a means to gain knowledge, be innovative, and mitigate adverse relationships between parties involved in the ownership, construction, and operation of a facility.