Claudio Zuniga

CGN 3510

12 Principles of Engineering
Principle 1: Designers need to be able to consider all aspects of their design, and
its effects on the environment. This starts from the very beginning with the
materials that are chosen for the design, one should consider their sustainability
and look for self-renewable resources as opposed to limited resources. If the
design is not feasible for the environment, then it needs to be re-designed.
Principle 2: This principle is one of the most important because it deals with the
waste being produced. Basically, anything you use or input into the design
should be going to the desired output for a waste free solution. This way the
design is considered as efficient as possible, leaving the engineer with more
material to apply to new projects. When there is waste generated, one can
usually minimize it, however that still raises the costs of the project. Therefore,
it is much better to design with a waste free solution in mind.
Principle 3: Any operations involving separations and purifications (chemical,
physical, etc.) are going to increase costs. In order to design sustainably we
should look to minimize these operations so that they work for us and not
against the project, this is done by minimizing energy costs and using selfreplenishing resources. This principle requires a vast amount of knowledge
dealing with the separation or purification, it is important that the designer be
well informed in these fields such as chemistry for example.
Principle 4: The goal is to design using as little as possible and producing the
most you can with the input materials used. This all has to deal with being the
most efficient designer possible and choosing input materials correctly. The
second and fourth principle are highly connected because if you are not being
efficient and optimizing the design for maximum output, then it is creating
waste. In order to maximize output, the designer should think critically during
the first steps of the process because it will be more difficult to fix errors the
further you get into the design process.
Principle 5: This principles focuses on the inputs and outputs of the design and
aims to create an output pulled design. This is because the consumer is only
concerned with what the design can produce or do for them, however in order to
maintain efficiency the designer must minimize the resources used. This
principle is connected with the fourth principle because by following this one,
the designer will be maximizing output.
Principle 6: The design should have as little complexity as possible, if it is not
required for the design to function properly and efficiently, then it should be

removed. One should not over complicate a design because usually the more
complexity, the higher the cost which leads to lower efficiency. This is a critical
principle because when making proposals and dealing potential buyers for your
design, your goal is to get them to understand it and its purpose. No one is
going to buy an overly complicated printer that they cant work properly, the
same applies in engineering design.
Principle 7: Durability is also crucial for a design, the designer should always
ensure that the materials and resources used are durable and can sustain the
design for years to come. However immortality should not be the goal because
that exponentially raise costs and the design should be able to be removed or
improved to better serve our society. For example if a civil engineer designs a
building or highway, we need that structure to be durable for years to come.
Principle 8: This principle ties in with principle 6, the goal is to meet the need
and be as efficient as possible while doing so. Hence the reason one size fits
all designs are considered to have a design flaw because there is extra inputted
materials and resources being used in the design when they are not necessary.
Principle 9: Disassembly is important in any design in case the user would like to
store or move it to a new location. Disassembly becomes a lot easier when a
design is solely composed of one material, which is why one should aim to have
less diversity in the materials. Value retention is important for resale purposes.
Personally I found the NASA example discussed in class very efficient because
they are protecting their investment by being able to quickly disassemble and
remove their design in case of emergency or transport.
Principle 10: This principle states that the design should be well integrated and
interconnected with available energy and material flows. In order to do so the
designer must consider the environment and what resources are already in
place and available to be used in his design. If he takes advantage such
resources, the design will be more integrated and connected with its
surroundings. In other words it will fit more into place like a puzzle piece. The
less we follow this principle, the higher the costs because we are not taking
advantage of available resources.
Principle 11: As more technological advances are made, we tend to upgrade and
replace the old with the new. Once a design becomes obsolete for whatever
reason, it must be taken down and savaged for parts leaving as little waste as
possible. It is important to design with commercial afterlife in mind and plan for
the end of your designs life by integrating reusable components and parts.
Principle 12: This principle connects with all of the principles because it deals
with the material and energy inputs that go into the design. It is important that
they be renewable if we want sustainability and durability. This principle is what
makes a good design, because it considers the inputs that go into the design
with the thought of them being re-used in mind.