System Engineering is a field of engineering which focuses on how to manage and design complex engineering projects over their life cycles. System engineering signifies an approach as well as a discipline in engineering. The aim of systems engineering is to find out new methods and research opportunities similar to the way it occurs in other fields of engineering. As an approach it is holistic and interdisciplinary. Issues such as reliabilities, logistics, coordination of different teams and evaluation measurements become difficult to handle in large complex projects. System engineering deals with work-processes, optimization methods and risk management tools for such projects.

There can be various kinds of engineering problems in a design. Solving engineering problems requires the modification and creation of systems. The process used for this is design practice which is the skill of creative problem solving and interdisciplinary teamwork for innovation. By considering all the requirements of the design, a design solution is created which thus meets the needs of the customer, the user and the society.

Using models in system engineering is of great importance. A model can be an abstraction, an imitation, an analogue or a conceptual mathematical or physical tool that can be used to answer specific questions, represent a structure, and help in decision making. The main reason for using models in system engineering is to get an idea of the effectiveness of a system, performance, technical attributes and the cost. Models help us to verify the system design and help us to study the system design process. Thus models play a very diverse role in system engineering.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_engineering#Scope

http://uwaterloo.ca/systems-design-engineering/about-systems-design-engineering/what-systems-design-engineering

For any kind of engineering design to take place the most important aspect that must be taken care of is the safety of the the whole design. Engineering design safety is the discipline that gives complete assurance of the safety of the engineered system. Safety engineers have to analyze what faults can occur in the system and then propose safety requirements in design to make the system safer. Faults should be detected in the early design process as correcting the safety faults later in the design process can turn out to be very expensive and time consuming.

It depends very vastly on how engineers can analyze all the faults and failure of their system. It is done by two methods: qualitative way and the quantitative way. Both approaches share the goal of finding the dependencies of the hazard on system level and hazard on individual level. The qualitative approach focuses on the question “What must go wrong that such a hazard can occur?” while the quantitative method focuses on providing estimates about probabilities, rates and severity of consequences. Safety analysis techniques rely solely on skill and expertise of the safety engineer. In compared to the traditional methods, model-based methods try to derive the relationship between the cause and consequences from the model of the system.

An important aspect in safety engineering is the prevention of failure. Once a failure is detected it can be reduced by adding extra equipment to the system. We see this technique being used in nuclear reactors which contain dangerous reactors and they produce so much heat that no substance can contain them. To avoid this problem reactors use emergency core cooling systems which bring the temperature down, use shielding to contain the radiation and use engineered barriers which prevent the accidental leakage thus reducing the exposure to the reactions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_engineering#Preventing_failure

http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Safety_engineering.html

Today one of the major concerns about engineering design is sustainability. A sustainable engineering design means a design not only with good economy and high quality but also a design that is of long term development. It has to be done with proper skill and technique. It should create a proper balance between the economy and the society which can maintain a healthy relation between the designer and the people who use the design. It can thus help people to be respectful to the environment.

There is a need for engineering design to have sustainability in their projects so that with all the innovative designs that the engineers are provided with can be used to benefit not only the  economy but also the environment. Company’s all over the world must be committed to sustainability. This commitment results in a cleaner air, pure water, better living and working conditions, efficiency in the use of energy, smarter transport systems and in the increase of the economy globally.

More awareness regarding sustainability in engineering design can be created by providing information to engineers in developing countries and by giving them education about the importance of sustainability.  It can also be done by engaging in decision making processes and performing projects. A very useful method would be to take into consideration the costs, conditions and impacts of a project throughout it’s life cycle.

http://www.swecogroup.com/en/sweco-group/about-sweco/Sustainable-engineering-and-design/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_engineering

Burj Khalifa i not just the tallest building in the world till now but it is one of the greatest structure to be ever created by mankind. The construction of this masterpiece began in 2007 and has about 150 stories in it. The Burj Khalifa being the tallest existing structure in the world stands 830 meters tall. It also holds several records such as the tallest freestanding structure, the world’s highest elevator, building with most floors, etc. These records specifically indicate the quality and advancement in the technique and design of its construction. It is located in the  main corporate area of Dubai.

Burj Khalifa was designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development that would include  homes, hotels, parkland, residential towers, the Dubai Mall and the Burj Khalifa Lake. Its architectural design was influenced by the Middle-Eastern domes and the pointed arches of the traditional buildings which resulted in tri-axial geometry of the Burj Khalifa. The construction was done by keeping in mind various aspects such as wind engineering, construction sequence analysis, compensation shortening, vertical shortening, superstructure concrete technology,etc. It is certainly one of the biggest achievements ever by human race.

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