The EERI Oral History Series Reflection Assignment

The EERI Oral History Series Reflection - Assignment Example Berkeley. He convinced the civil engineering chairman at the time to allow for the advanced degree; â€Å"Isn’t it about time that we should start awarding Ph.D.s?†1. In addition to teaching, Egor enthusiasm for engineering led him to work in various exciting positions as an engineer, including E.F. Rudolph, Martin Pohl, Bill Mellema and Southwest Portland Cement Company. Furthermore, as a researcher, Egor took thirty years to pursue the subject of seismic design which was not known to many. As he puts it; â€Å"I undertook an extensive exploration of this difficult problem†2. Secondly, Egor was highly adaptable. This trait is well brought out during his early years as a child. Having been born in Russia, Egor had to endure harsh conditions as a child, partly brought about by the war in Russia. For instance, he and the family had to live on the Hospital Train where his father worked. As he says, they were there for â€Å"two-and-a-half years.† Egor had to live in other places including Hailar, Pogranichnyy, and Harbin before settling in San Fansciso. As a practicing engineer, his ability to adapt to new environments and challenges was put to the test. He worked in various firms in various capacities. Each of these positions brought with them their own unique set of challenges. He worked in more than ten firms as an engineer holding various positions. For example, while working at Bill Mellema in Los Angeles as a seismic designer, Egor was involved in a number of designs and analyses. He notes that work â€Å"varied in complexity; some was in steel , and some in reinforced concrete†3. Furthermore, his ability to adapt to new and challenging environments played an important role in his teaching and research career. For instance, in his early career in teaching at Berkeley, Egor was required to teach three courses to classes some with an enrolment of more than 100 students. He however managed to adapt to this challenge, and even at some point memorizing

Engineering Design Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engineering Design Process - Essay Example Among the fundamental elements of the design process are the establishment of objectives and criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction, testing, and evaluation". (Engineering Design, 2006) problem, an existing condition in need of change, a challenge to look ahead for problematic conditions of the future, of design and construction. Because it is important for the engineers to be sure that they understand the problem thoroughly, the first step in the design process is for each group to state the problem. (Garmire, 2002) To recognise the problem requires the ability to think laterally, to anticipate the unexpected and to appreciate the aesthetics of problem solving as well as the material aspect. The aspects within which the problem is being addressed must be understood. (Eng, 2006) Because statements of problems exist within a context, they usually involve bias and often imply solutions. Effective engineers learn to observe the context and eliminate bias. They must clarify the problem statement by looking at each word or phrase and redefine it to make the statement more precise. What is the real problem (Garmire, 2002) Usually brainstorming is done in this stage and is effective enough to reach to a reasonable conclusion. option to confirm its feasibility before being formulated a... They must clarify the problem statement by looking at each word or phrase and redefine it to make the statement more precise. What is the real problem (Garmire, 2002) Usually brainstorming is done in this stage and is effective enough to reach to a reasonable conclusion. 3. Develop possible alternative solutions: Choosing the right design requires a creative team effort to identify several possible solutions, and evaluate development of the preferred option to confirm its feasibility before being formulated and made. (Eng, 2006) This enables engineers to study and analyse in detail each and every alternative solution with respect to its opportunities and drawbacks. Performance, cost control and complexity objectives must be considered and balanced during design evaluation. Example: Financial concerns might make an engineering company choose rental over equipment purchase. Specific performance objectives, that the new system must perform online data processing may result in a complex network design for which control procedures must be established. Evaluating and selecting the best design involves a balance of system objectives that will best support organisational goals. 4. Select the best solution: Out of several possible alternates, only one is chosen in the light of its effectiveness and accuracy. After choosing the final solution, the design specifications are said to be frozen, as this formal step avoid cost overruns and missed user expectations. 5. Prototype development: Prototyping acts as an iterative approach to the engineering design process. During each iteration, requirements and alternative solutions to the problems are identified and analysed, new solutions are designed, and a