Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
Meadowcreek Golf Course 17th Hole Erosion and Drainage Redesign; The Ethics of the Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 Through a Duty Ethics Lens131 views
Author
Lauer, Samuel, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
Advisors
Laugelli, Benjamin, EN-Engineering and Society, University of Virginia
Culver, Teresa, EN-CEE, University of Virginia
Abstract
My capstone project at Meadowcreek Golf Course in Charlottesville involved designing a stormwater management system to remediate severe erosion and golf course flooding on the 17th hole. Each design decision from designing a step pool conveyance system to sizing an underground pipe carries implicit obligations to protect downstream ecosystems and community wellbeing. To ground these obligations in a rigorous moral framework, my STS research examines the 1919 Boston Molasses Flood through Kant’s duty ethics. By analyzing how ethical failures contributed to that catastrophe, I draw parallels to my own design process, using the principles of universality and reciprocity to ensure that my technical solutions adhere to both engineering standards and moral duties.
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
Technical Advisor: Teresa Culver
STS Advisor: Benjamin Laugelli
Technical Team Members: Samuel Lauer, Marshall Epperson, Juliana Portugal, Brett Bober, Jesse Cousins, Joe Holland
Language
English
Rights
All rights reserved (no additional license for public reuse)
Lauer, Samuel. Meadowcreek Golf Course 17th Hole Erosion and Drainage Redesign; The Ethics of the Boston Molasses Flood of 1919 Through a Duty Ethics Lens. University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Science, BS (Bachelor of Science), 2025-05-08, https://doi.org/10.18130/xvne-3k53.
