4 DOF Robotic Arm; Safe for Some, Not for All 6 views

Infrastructure failure in the United States reflects a broader sociotechnical problem in which known risks within engineered systems are not consistently addressed, leading to uneven access to safety. Bridges and water systems are designed using established engineering principles that allow risks to be identified and reduced. However, these systems operate within institutional environments that shape how technical knowledge is applied. This creates a gap between what engineers know and what institutions act upon. When risks are identified but not prioritized, some communities remain exposed to preventable harm. This problem matters because millions of people rely daily on infrastructure that may already be vulnerable. My technical and STS projects examine this issue from different perspectives. The technical project focuses on how engineers identify structural risks and evaluate detection methods, while the STS project analyzes how institutional decision-making determines whether those risks are addressed. Together, they show that infrastructure safety depends on engineering capability and systems of maintenance and care. The technical portion of my research investigates how engineers can detect early signs of structural failure in bridges before catastrophic collapse occurs. The main problem is that many bridges fail even though engineering methods exist that can identify stress accumulation and design limitations. This raises the question of how effectively current detection approaches translate into real-world prevention. To address this, I went through case studies such as the I-35W bridge collapse and reviewed research on structural modeling and monitoring systems. Methods included examining numerical models that reconstruct how stress builds over time. I then compared these predictions with monitoring approaches that capture real structural behavior. The findings show that failure is often technically predictable. Structural weaknesses can be identified through modeling and observed through monitoring before visible damage appears. However, the effectiveness of these methods depends on feasibility. More advanced systems provide highly accurate data but require significant cost and maintenance. Simpler systems are easier to implement but provide less detail. This tradeoff is important because many local agencies cannot sustain complex systems over time. The most important conclusion is that effective detection requires both accurate modeling and practical implementation. The STS portion of my research examines why known infrastructure risks are often tolerated rather than addressed, which results in unequal exposure to harm. The main problem is that infrastructure failure is often framed as a technical issue when it is shaped by institutional priorities and governance structures. To investigate this, I looked at case studies such as the I-35W bridge collapse and the Flint water crisis using Infrastructure Theory and the Ethics of Care. I examined engineering reports and public health data. The findings show that infrastructure failure is often predictable but not prevented because institutions normalize risk through routine processes and competing priorities. Infrastructure Theory explains how systems remain invisible during normal operation, which allows deterioration to persist without urgency. The Ethics of Care shows that responsibility for safety depends on whose needs are recognized. In the Flint case, measurable harm was documented, yet institutional response was delayed. This shows that evidence alone does not guarantee action. These patterns reveal that infrastructure neglect is not evenly distributed. Marginalized communities are more likely to experience prolonged exposure to risk and delayed institutional response. The STS project therefore concludes that inequities in infrastructure safety arise when known risks are deprioritized because institutions fail to act on available knowledge. Together, these projects contribute to understanding infrastructure failure as a sociotechnical problem, though they also reveal important limitations. The research shows that improving detection methods alone will not prevent failure unless institutions respond to the risks those methods reveal. While the technical project demonstrates that early warning signs can be identified, and the STS project explains why those warnings are often ignored, this work does not fully resolve how institutions can be redesigned to ensure consistent action. Future research should focus on developing accountability mechanisms that connect detection to intervention. It should also examine how funding structures influence maintenance decisions. Addressing infrastructure failure requires both better engineering tools and institutional systems that prioritize care and timely action. I would like to thank Caitlin Wylie for her guidance in developing the sociotechnical framework for this research and for encouraging critical engagement with infrastructure and ethics. I also thank Michael Momot for his support throughout my capstone and for his guidance during my engineering work. I am grateful to my friends and family who supported this wonderful journey.

BS (Bachelor of Science)

Infrastructure ; Bridge; Flint; Robot

School of Engineering and Applied Science Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technical Advisor: Michael Momot STS Advisor: Caitlin Wylie Technical Team Members: Tanzim Miah, Ahmed Amari, Hoyt Fanelli, Dilan Honor Perez, Colin Sommerville, Ryan Thorpe, Brennan Williams

English

2026-05-08