Systems Engineering Applied to Household Projects

David Mason, CSEP

INCOSEPresentation June 9,2009

Agenda

• Project Concept• Project Requirements• Preliminary Design • Project Planning

– Implementing the code Requirements,– Establish the budget– Perform to schedule

• Final Project Construction• Lesson Learned

System Engineering and System Integration

Concepts/Design

Schedules Procurement

Interfaces

Interdependencies

Requirements

Final Product

Trade Studies

SE and Systems Integration recognize the interfaces and interdependencies between the elements comprising the whole to optimize the customer value of the final delivered project

SE Process & Verification

Project Concept

System Analysis

Trade Studies

Project Sch & Budgets

Project Execution and VerificationLong Lead item purchases

Demolition phase

Operational Verification

RequirementsDefinitions

PreliminaryDesign

Construction orProduct verification phase

Product Validation

Customer Validation

Project Concept

• The project begins with a customer statement of concept: Home Remodel

• Expand the kitchen from a one person kitchen to > 3 person kitchen while staying inside the existing house square footage.

• Upgrade the family room by removing the popcorn ceiling and fireplace bricks.

• Visually connect the family room with the Living room• Reduce the energy consumption within the house.

Project Preliminary Considerations

• Can the Kitchen be expanded inside the current floor plan to avoid increases in Property tax?

• What needs to change: Personnel Accessibility, cooking, preparation area, storage, and cleaning

Project Concept Considerations

• Sink is not square with the window

• Floor is linoleum, dishwasher base missing

• Narrow width enables only one person to work freely

• No working counter space

• 3 Electrical Outlets

• 2 Overhead lights

• Ceramic Tile Counter top

• Cabinets had limited storage and accessibility

Project System Requirements• Expand the kitchen cabinet storage space by >

30%• Provide durable kitchen floor to withstand

dropping pots, spilled grease, easy to clean, hide the dirt.

• Increase kitchen work surface by >25%• Increase kitchen lighting• Reduce the energy consumption used in the

kitchen.• Integrate the kitchen area into the family room

and Living room living areas.

Preliminary Design• Kitchen Energy trade

study– Electric Vs Gas cook

top– Conventional Vs

Convection Oven– Window Reduction Vs

Double Pane– Wall insulation type,

thickness, location

• Kitchen Energy trade study Results– Gas Appliances– Convection Oven for

higher efficiency– Double Pane Window to

meet code requirement for minimum lighting and egress

– Wall insulation fiberglass to be placed on all exterior walls, R30

Preliminary Design Trades • Kitchen Cabinet Trade

Study Elements– Custom design Vs Off the

shelf purchase. – Type of material– Amount of Storage– Type of cabinets– Appeasement value– Counter top support– Cost– Integration of Kitchen

expansion to other rooms in the house.

• Kitchen Cabinet Trade Study Results– Purchased off the shelf

thru ‘Lowes’ who also contributed to kitchen layout design.

– Materials was maple for ‘light color’

– Storage increased >45%

– Support counter top

– Integrated the kitchen to the remainder of the house

Preliminary Design Engineering • Kitchen Expansion will have to remove the

entrance closet to obtain the increased counter space surface: – What will happen to the entrance closet?

• Needed?, if yes, where,

– How to relocate the refrigerator and stay within the working triangle of 15 feet on all three sides.

• Preliminary Design:– Move the refrigerator to the opposite wall of the

kitchen, move the entrance closet to the heater closet, move the heater into the attic.

Preliminary Design Engineering • Heater moved into the attic has specific code requirements:

– Horizontal unit– Fire platform– Separate lighting on individual electrical circuit– Fire alarm in attic– Access needs to be fire rated.

• Refrigerator moved to opposite wall requires the garage door to be relocated to new wall.– Fire rated door– Electrical circuit for refrigerator, integrated water supply.

• Project expanded to include bedroom, family room and hallway modifications.

Permit Process• City of Fremont helped with 1997 Code

applications– Furnace in attic: new requirements – One price for Kitchen remodel– Garage door relocation– New kitchen window– Additional natural gas supply for furnace relocation

and additional stove top.

• Projects drawings completed by the owner (me) to save code scrutiny when compared to professional drawings.

Total Permit cost = $650

Final Design Selection• Cabinets designed by ‘Lowes’:• Appliances are all Kitchen Aid,

– rebate for all appliance by same vendor– Kitchen dishwasher is the only unit with advertised

discharge range (permit req).

• Attic Furnace at 85% efficiency (not star rated for rebate to avoid added cost)

• Counter top to granite: independent contractor selected for price and quality.

• Electrical Contractor selected from personal recommendation

• Plumber selected from bid and schedule.

Final Design • Kitchen cabinet Layout for purchase, • Appliances purchased from assorted houses for cost

reduction.• Electrical outlets under cabinet (17 outlets, 60A @110V)• Recessed lighting

– in 6 locations in Kitchen– 4 in family room– 2 in hall way– 1 in entry hall– Electrical wiring performed per code requirements

• Granite selected by owner and transported by contractor• Garage door to be enlarged from 32” to 48” • Ceiling fans added to 4 bedrooms and Family room

Demolition Phase

Planning for demolition includes• what to remove• where to stage for disposal, • how to remove from the site to the disposal location,• disposal costs,• transportation methods,• and dust control.

Watch for all the hidden Surprises• Support Beams cut thru in original construction support walls•Incomplete Window Beams

Project Construction

Kitchen Floor found to slope 3 inches across the 9’ width:Unacceptable for the installation of Kitchen Cabinets with Granite Counter tops

Dishwasher was relocated to the left side of sink to enable kitchen sink to be enlarged and centered on the Ktichen Window

Project Construction

Framing New Garage access Door Installing New Kitchen WindowFound Beam gaps to ceiling support

Project Construction

Cabinets for dishwasher had to be installed as a group of three due to the protective plumbing resulting in the ‘hired helpful friend’ providing a crushing opportunity.

Project Construction

Floor cabinets required leveling in three ways•Across the back side for side ways elevation•Front to Back elevation changes•Left to Right across the span of the cabinets because the granite will be in a single plane ‘U’ Shape with matching back splash

Project Construction

Granite Counter top installation• purchased 4 ‘slabs’ of Mirror images•Located seams in benign locations•Matching patterns between counter top patterns and backsplash• bull nose pattern modified for drip control

Family room construction included:• Removal of Ceiling cosmetic beams.•Removed Pop corn Ceiling• Fireplace changed from Flag Stone fireplace to granite remenants• Double pane windows installed though out house

New Kitchen• Refrigerator located to

the opposite Wall• Lots of counter space,

overhead lights, no electrical outlets on the wall

• Sink is centered in the window, new double pane window

• Short Wall electrical outlet meets code and is very useful for everyday activities

• Light switches located on both sides of entering the kitchen

Kitchen and Family Room

• 13 feet of counter space• Direct View into the living room • Low energy lights under top cabinets to meet code and provide ‘warming

effect’. • Window raised 6” above Sink and sized for code required amount of Light.• Back splash in front of sink raised to window height to protect the wall from

water damage• Fireplace front surface finished in counter top materials.

Project final construction

Family gathered for dinner around the island counter top

Planning changes Encountered

• Plumber bid for 2 days, required 2 months• Plumber hooked the dishwasher to cold water, had to

come back for repairs in the attic. Integrate provisions in contractor bids for delays or errors in performance.

• Popcorn Ceiling remove is subject to asbestos content. Pay cash for test with results sent to PO box, else risk registering house for abatement.

• Budgets should enable flexibility for unexpected– Dishwasher vent direction: plywood used for granite counter top

resulted in increased costs and schedule.

• Schedule flexibility required for subcontractor non-performance.

Project Lessons Learned

• Cook Top to wide for the fan housing– Steam from cooking contacts upper cabinets, leading

to premature material aging.

• Kitchen Light over sink should be on separate light switch located near the sink.

• Cabinet doors should not go to the top, complicates trimming to the uneven ceiling

• Floors and walls are never level or square.• Plan for surprises behind the sheet rock wall.• Have fun, live in dusty environment.