1. Leading and Learning from
Failures the Shackleton Way:
Education and Practice
Kevin L. Rens, PhD, PE
Amy J. Rens, PE, PTOE
2. Overview of Presentation
• Polar exploration and Engineering Failures
• Leadership defined
• The Race for the South Pole
• Shackleton and the Endurance
– Student Comments
• Stefansson and the Karluk
• Engineering Failures
– C-470 Girder Collapse
– Highland Pedestrian Bridge
– Student Comments
• Conclusion – Do the right thing
3. Definition of Leadership (ELP)
• Leaders, Followers, and goals make up
the three equally necessary supports for
leadership
• “The Leader is one who mobilizes others
toward a goal shared by leader and
followers”
• Certain Trumpets by Garry Wills
– 16 different types of leaders and their Antitype
5. The Race for the South Pole
• “Last” Unexplored Frontier
• Players
– Robert Falcon Scott (British)
– Roald Amundsen (Norwegian)
– Ernest Shackleton (British – Ireland)
• Discovery (1901-1903)
• Nimrod (1907-1909)
• Endurance (1914-1917)
• Quest (1921-1922)
6. The Race for the South Pole
• Scott and Shackleton (Discovery 1902-
1903)
– Furthest South (500 miles from SP)
• Shackleton (Nimrod 1909)
– Furthest South (97 miles from SP)
• Amundsen won on December 15, 1911
– Scott arrived days later only to find the
Norwegian flag stuck in the ice! Scott Died on
the return trip.
7. Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
• The Pole already discovered, Shackleton
set out to hike the continent
• Endurance (1914-1917)
• Shackleton Family Motto
– Fortitudine Vincimus “By Endurance we
Conquer”
8. Evangelist James Dobson
• Why did Dr. Dobson reprint Lansing’s
Original book “Endurance”?
• “…my belief that there are millions of
people who have not yet read this
remarkable story and will appreciate it
having being brought to their
attention”.[10]
9. "Men wanted for
Hazardous
Journey. Small
wages, bitter cold,
long months of
complete darkness,
constant danger,
safe return
doubtful, Honour
and recognition in
case of success"
Ernest Shackleton
Endurance with and without sail
10. Source: South Pole dot com
Endurance: 635 days and nights
• Set Sail from South
Georgia Dec 5, 1914
• Within Days enter
loose pack ice
Source: Kodak dot com (really Frank Hurley)
11. Endurance: 635 days and nights
• Endurance Beset in
Ice Jan 18, 1915
• Endurance Crushed
and sank Nov 21,
1915
Source: south pole dot com Source Frank Hurley
13. The Trip to Elephant Island
• Launched 3 salvaged
Life boats on April 09,
1916 (Landed on
Elephant Island April
22, 1916)
14. Elephant Island
• Elephant Island was
really Elephant “Rock”
• Shackleton selected 5
men and set sail on
April 24, 1916 in the
“James Caird”
Source: Galenfrysinger.com and wickapedia and Hurley
15. The Greatest Boat Journey Ever
• 700 mile trip to South
Georgia
• 50 foot waves
• Hurricane
• Landed on West Side
of South Georgia on
May 10, 1916
Source: James Caird Society and NASA
17. The Greatest Hike Ever
• Selected 2 men
• 36 hour hike over
unmapped glacial fields
• May 12, 1916 (7am) back
to Stromness whaling
station at Grytviken
• 4 months later after 4
attempts, the 22 men at
Elephant Island were
rescued
(source: Wickapedia
and Frank Hurley)
18. The Greatest Hike Ever
Source: Shackleton’s Captain (Worsley Biography)
19. Frank Hurley
“Hurley is a warrior with his camera and would
go anywhere or do anything to get a picture”
20. How did Shackleton Fail Forward?
Sports
Equality
Roommates
Books
Source: South Pole dot com (really Hurley)
21. How did Shackleton Fail Forward?
Haircutting tournament
The Variety Show
Source: The Shackleton Voyages (Huntford)
22. How did Shackleton Fail Forward?
Source: Shipwreck at the bottom of the world (Armstrong)
Gramophone evening at the Ritz
Saturday evening “toast” to our wives
and sweethearts
23. How did Shackleton Fail Forward?
• He adjusted his goal
– “So now, we go home” [18]
• He obsessed with getting his crew home
safely
– “Skipper, if anything happens to me while
those fellas are waiting for me, I shall feel like
a murderer.”
24. How did Shackleton Fail Forward?
• “Shackleton pushed Frank Wild to take his
breakfast biscuit, insisting that his friend
needed it more than he did. When Wild
refused, the boss (Shackleton) threatened
to bury it in the snow rather than to eat it
himself. Wild took the biscuit. It was a
gesture he never forgot.” [14]
25. How did Shackleton Fail Forward?
• “When Hurley lost his mittens, Shackleton
insisted that he take his own. When
Hurley objected, Shackleton was to the
point of throwing his gloves over and into
the water rather than wear his own when a
crew member had to be without.” [18]
26. How did Shackleton Fail Forward?
• “The night was a Blur. Once Perce fell
asleep while holding a board in place on
the dam. He found a mug of soup in his
hand and didn’t know how it got there.
The strangest thing was how the boss was
everywhere all the time. When a shift was
finished on the pumps, there he was with
mugs of chocolate.” [13]
27. Evangelist James Dobson
• “Let me simply dedicate this edition of
Endurance to every reader who has faced
impossible challenges and gales of grief.
Perhaps you are such a person who has
encountered perilous mountains too high to
scale. I hope this book will encourage you not to
give up. It was through the indomitable courage
and perseverance of the explorers that they
overcame terrible obstacles and lived to tell their
story. There’s a message here for all of us.”[10]
29. Student Responses to Shackleton
• “The Shackleton story was not only inspiring but
moving. I think you chose a perfect time to show
this movie. At a time when most of us have
been thinking we have it so terribly bad and we
can’t possibly push through, it put me in my
place to see the story of these men. It’s
amazing that any one human would triumph in
such a situation; let alone 27 men.
Determination and sheer will made it possible for
these men to live on in life and return home
safely to their families.”
Fall 2006 CE 3505 comment
30. Student Responses to Shackleton
• “This story really put things into perspective for me. I find
myself constantly stressing out over minor things that are
not worth stressing out over……. Life is too short to
dwell on the mishaps that each and every one of us have.
Rather life is meant to be a journey that we go through
and make due with. A bad test here or there, not making
enough money, fighting with your spouse, etc. all
suck, but the ones who are able to get through the
adversity are truly successful. I feel as if I take a lot of
things for granted. This story has made me look at life
differently. As long one tries with all they have got, life is
a success. Shackleton is great example of what life truly
should be about, determination to live to the fullest.”
Spring 2007 CE 3505 comment
35. Vilhjalmur Stefansson
• Literally and
figuratively the polar
opposite of
Shackleton
• More concerned
about completing the
expedition as
opposed to the safety
of the crew
36. Source: Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Karluk
• August 12, 1913
became similarly
trapped
• September 12, 1913
Stefansson organized
a “hunting party” to
forage for meat
• Was not seen for
approximately 5 years
Source: Nivens [2]
38. Why did Stefansson Fail
Backward?
Inequality
Source: Nivens [2]
“Goodbye Mr. Stefansson”
39. Why did Stefansson Fail
Backward?
• “…..lives were secondary to the success
of the exploration.” [2]
• His way was the “right” way – did not listen
to the advice of his crew
– “that the questioner had no right to ask”
– “question was impertinent”
40. Why did Stefansson Fail
Backward?
• “Stefansson preferred to plunge ahead,
heedless of detailed planning, confident
everything would work out. His friend
Richard Finnie described him as “really a
lone wolf explorer…..at best when
traveling by himself or with a few
congenial followers.” ” [2]
41. Why did Stefansson Fail
Backward?
• “Stefansson had not gone on any hunting party. Bartlett (Captain)
knew it in his gut. Stefansson had abandoned ship. He had been
anxious to be on his way, to continue his grand expedition. He
could not sit still any longer. Whatever his motives, McConnell,
Wilkins, Jenness, Jimmy, and Jerry (accompanying Stefansson)
were probably unaware. As far as any of them knew, they were on
a hunting trip, and it didn’t seem to occur to any of them that a
secretary, a photographer, and an anthropologist made a strange
hunting party. If it truly was a hunting trip, why was Hadley, the
great trapper, not included? Or Chafe, the expert marksman? Why
did Kuraluk, the best by far of the Eskimo hunters, remain on the
Karluk while two other lesser hunters went in his place? If
Stefansson were planning a simple hunting trip, surely he would
have taken Kuraluk, who could of stood to be separated from his
family for that short period of time. But if his intentions were indeed
to be gone longer, better to take the two single Eskimos, knowing as
he did the native tradition of families staying together when hired.”
[16]
42. Consequence of Failing Backward
• Stefansson left
behind 22 men, 1
woman, and 2
children – 11 of these
25 would not survive
in the end [16].
Source: Nivens [2]
44. Engineering Case Studies
• Project Management is Responsibility
• C-470 Bridge over I-70
Golden, CO
• Highland Pedestrian Bridge over I-25
Denver, CO
• Student Comments
47. Timeline
• Tuesday Night: 05/11/04
9:00 pm Closed I-70
12:00 am Realized one section was
backwards
1:00 am Mid-air splicing resumed
4:00 am Temporary bracing started
4:30 am Difficulty with bolts
5:30 am Reopened I -70
Source: NTSB Report HAB-06-01
48. Timeline
• Wednesday: 05/12/04
Weather conditions prevent construction
8:45 pm General contractor’s supervisor inspects
girder
• Thursday: 05/13/04
Driver takes a photo of rotated girder
• Saturday: 05/15/04
8:49 am Traveler calls 911 to report a twisted girder
9:00 am CDOT engineer observed buckled girder
10:04 am Girder falls and strikes an SUV
Source: NTSB Report HAB-06-01
52. Issues
• Short time window allowed
• No pre-qualification of subcontractors
• No stamped set of erection plans
• No pre-erection meeting
• No structural engineer on site
• No contingency plans
• No pre-defined inspection plan after installation
• CDOT’s practice to not interfere with Contractor’s
process
Source: NTSB Report HAB-06-01
53. Lessons Learned – CDOT
• Prequalification of subcontractors
• Process for Safety Critical Work
– Construction plan to CDOT
• Safety critical work
• Qualifications of supervisor
• Contingency plans
– Safety Critical Element Conference
– Final plan sealed by Contractor’s PE
– CDOT Engineer’s authority to stop work
54. Lessons Learned – CDOT
• Erection of Structures
– Pre-erection conference
– Erection plan sealed by Contractor’s PE
– Contractor’s Engineer to specify
• False work plans
• Bolt Torque requirements
• Girder stresses at critical points
– Contractor’s Engineer inspects and approves
erection before opening to traffic
– Daily inspections of temporary structures
58. Timeline
• Friday Night: 08/04/06
– Closed I-25 at midnight
– Set East and West Anchors
– Reopened I -25
• Saturday Night: 08/05/06
– Closed I-25 at midnight
– Set 2 middle spans
• Sunday Afternoon: 08/06/06
– Reopened I-25
• Bridge Grand Opening – December 16, 2006
59. Highland Bridge – Denver, CO
Source: Ken
www.denverinfill.com/blog/2006/08/highland-bridge-denver-milestone
65. Grand Opening – December 16, 2006
Source: Jeffrey Beall; www.flickr.com/photos/denverjeffrey
66. Student Comments
• “…a lot of the reason CCD (Denver)
handled the construction the way they did
is because of the lessons learned by the
C-470 girder incident. Yes, CDOT
changed its polices and procedures as far
as bridge erection is concerned, but many
other municipalities also learned valuable
lessons…”
Spring 2007 CE 5508 comment
67. Student Comments
• “We all agree that there is a need for
integrity. The question we need to ask is
how far and how long will we stand for
what we feel is the ‘right thing’…Holding to
strong ethics and integrity doesn’t always
make you a popular person.”
Spring 2007 CE 5508 comment
68. Student Comments
• “As engineers, we have the responsibility
to look past money, schedule, even our
own designs, and make sure the safety of
workers and the public are set as priority
one.”
• “…it’s not just one big choice on a project
that leads to disaster; it’s a lot of little
choices along the way.”
Spring 2007 CE 5508 comments
69. Conclusion
• The basic theme of this paper is simple
enough
– Just do the right thing
– I have heard this in Coaching, Teaching,
Consulting, and have read it in the papers
70. Conclusion: Do the Right Thing
• Shackleton, Stefannson, CDOT, and CCD all
had to satisfy their own personal codes of ethics.
– Was it the right thing?
• “Engineers shall hold paramount the safety,
health, and welfare of the public”
Code of Ethics for Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers