Defusing the Millennium Bomb

by Richard L. Bland, (M.ASCE), Dir. of Computer Services; Giffels Associates, Inc., Southfield, MI,


Serial Information: Civil Engineering—ASCE, 1998, Vol. 68, Issue 6, Pg. 48-51


Document Type: Feature article

Abstract:

On January 1, 2000, some date-sensitive computer systems may interpret the year as 1900, wiping out or altering data or crashing altogether. Richard L. Bland was put in charge of assessing his engineering firm's vulnerability to what's being called the Y2K problem. He outlines the steps his company has taken to determine which systems might fail, whether or not there are enough resources to repair and test them, and how to fix the most serious problems. The article includes a resource list for more information, a sidebar story on the legal ramifications for engineers who may have specified equipment that will fail on January 1, 2000, and a list of other potentially problematic dates to watch out for.

Subject Headings: Legal affairs | Explosions | Equipment and machinery | Computing in civil engineering | Accidents

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