Code and standard references

• Every requirement, factor, coefficient, limit and allowable you apply cites the governing document AND the exact section, article or sub-article number — e.g. ACI 318-19 §22.5.5.1, AISC 360-22 Chapter J, Section J3.6, AASHTO LRFD 10th Ed. Article 3.6.1.2.2, ASCE 7-22 §12.8.1, ASTM D2487, state DOT manual section, local stormwater manual chapter.
• Give the edition or year of every document the first time it appears, then use a consistent short form.
• Where a code equation is used, quote the equation number (e.g. Eq. 22.5.5.1) next to your displayed equation.
• Where you depart from a code provision, state the clause you are departing from and the engineering justification.
• List every code, standard and manual actually used in a Codes and Standards table at the start of the subsection.

Citations for statements

• Every statement of fact, value taken from elsewhere, material property, soil parameter, rainfall depth, unit cost or published method carries an in-text citation (APA) to its source.
• Field and lab data cite the report, boring log, gauge, survey file or test number and its date.
• Manufacturer data cites the product literature and revision date; software results cite the program, version and model file name.
• Uncited assertions are treated as assumptions and must appear in the assumptions table with a justification.
• Every in-text citation resolves to a full entry in the reference list.

Step-by-step calculations

• Structure every calculation the same way: (1) objective, (2) governing code clause, (3) equation in symbolic form with the equation number, (4) definition of each symbol, (5) numerical substitution, (6) result with units, (7) comparison against the limit and the pass/fail statement.
• Show the substitution line — never jump from the formula to the answer.
• Number displayed equations sequentially (Eq. 4.1, 4.2, …) and refer to them by number in the text.
• State the load or flow combination governing each calculation by name.
• Carry consistent significant figures and round only at the reported result; state the rounding convention once.
• Present repetitive element checks in a calculation table with one row per element and the same column order throughout.

Free body diagrams and figures

• Draw a separate free body diagram for each isolated element — no combined sketches standing in for several members.
• Dimension every FBD: span, depth, thickness, cover, eccentricity, embedment, slope, pipe diameter, wall height — with the dimension lines and values shown.
• Label every force, pressure, reaction and moment with its symbol, magnitude and units, and show the sign convention and coordinate axes.
• Show supports and boundary conditions explicitly (pin, roller, fixed, elastic, buoyant, hydrostatic).
• Accompany each FBD with its shear, moment, thrust, pressure or hydraulic grade diagram at the same scale reference.
• Number and caption every figure (Figure 4.x) and refer to it by number in the narrative; add a scale or north arrow to plans.

Units and notation

• Every number in text, tables, figures and equations carries its unit — no bare numbers.
• Use one unit system throughout (US customary or SI); if both appear, give the converted value in parentheses consistently.
• Check dimensional homogeneity of each equation and say so — the units of both sides must match.
• Provide a nomenclature table defining every symbol with its unit.

Checking and verification

• Every calculation is checked by an independent route — hand check against software, alternative method, order-of-magnitude estimate, or a published worked example — and the check is shown, not just claimed.
• Report demand-to-capacity ratios and factors of safety against the required values, with the source clause for each required value.
• Include a verification/checking table: item, method of check, expected, obtained, difference, accept or revise.
• Sanity-check every result (magnitude, direction, plausibility) and state the conclusion.
• Record who checked the work and on what date; flag anything still unverified as an open item.
• State limitations and the range over which the result is valid.