Assumptions and Warnings
Assumptions
This section is a numbered list of assumptions necessary to enable the design. Justify each one. Cite them where used by number. Assumptions raise warning flags and should be used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary for the design to proceed. AN ASSUMPTION IS ONLY NECESSARY IF THE DESIGN CANNOT PROCEED WITHOUT IT. (For guidelines, read the design notes and discuss this subtle issue in class.) For more information, see the assumptions section of the design notes.
Warnings
This section covers known deficiencies in the design which are beyond the scope of the project. Warnings serve to alert other engineers and management associated with the project, not the consumer, hence restrict them to technical deficiencies. Do NOT use warnings to avoid doing design that you are capable of doing.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0633602. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recomendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
© Copyright 1995-2025 All rights reserved.
Pennsylvania State University
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics
Send comments about this site to: webmaster@esm.psu.edu
This publication is available on alternative media on request.