Engineering hoaxes

This article presents a list of construction industry traditions, superstitions, pseudoscience, obsolete scientific theories and supernatural occurrences associated with engineering.

Some of the concepts have been superseded by modern research. Others have been discredited based on further investigation, lack of repeatable scientific evidence or inability to provide logical proof. Despite this, some of these methods continue to be used by practitioners who believe in their effectiveness or embrace their theories.

• Broken ceramic statues (in Ancient Rome).
• Calling of an engineer ritual.
• Coins in mortar (dated the year construction began).
• Concealed shoes.
• Cornerstone rites.
• Crop circles.
• Dowsing.
• Feng shui.
• Foundation sacrifices (or ritual offerings).
• Ley lines.
• Mandala.
• Miasma theory.
• Religious building orientation.
• Rule of thumb.
• Pannenbier.
• Tetraphobia.
• Topping off or topping out.
• Triskaidekaphobia.
• Vastu Shastra.
• Walking under ladders.
• Witchmarks in timber (or witch posts).

See also:

• Construction phobias.
• Glossary of construction slang and other terms.
• Unusual buildings.
• Unusual construction terms.

--Heidi Schwartz