Designing for Function-

The first requirement of any design project is to deliver a product that measures up to the function specifications. If specifications of a combat aircraft call for a cruising speed of 2.5 Mach, a penetration of 1,000 km and a ceiling altitude of 15 km, the first task of the designer is to make sure that these characteristics are achived. The handling performance requirements, essential through they are, come over and above these functional requirements. If we are structural engineers and our task is to prepare a structural design for an 80-storey building, the first requirement is to produce a structure that can take up the load of 80 storeys, can withstand earthquakes and wind loads of reasonable magnitudes.