Guides the creation of engineering calculation documents through a 6-phase workflow covering problem definition, input gathering, method selection, computation, validation, and reporting. Produces structured YAML calculation files that the calculation-report skill renders to HTML/PDF.
Guides the creation of engineering calculation documents through a 6-phase workflow covering problem definition, input gathering, method selection, computation, validation, and reporting. Produces structured YAML calculation files that the calculation-report skill renders to HTML/PDF.
Structured workflow for engineering calculation documents. Covers phases 1-5
(authoring); phase 6 hands off to calculation-report for rendering.
6-Phase Workflow
Phase
Name
Gate
Output
1
Problem Definition
Scope, objective, and limitations stated
Sections 01-02 populated
2
Input Gathering
All inputs sourced, units verified
Sections 03-06 populated
3
Method Selection
Standard identified, applicability confirmed
Section 07 populated
4
Computation
Step-by-step calc with clause refs
Sections 08-09 populated
5
Validation
Independent check or benchmark completed
Sections 10-13 populated
6
Reporting
Trigger calculation-report skill
Sections 14-16, final output
Section Reference Table
Each section has a dedicated reference file in sections/ with purpose, schema
fields, required content, quality checklist, example snippet, and common mistakes.
#
Section
Reference File
Phase
Required
01
Metadata
01-metadata.md
1
Yes
02
Scope
02-scope.md
1
Yes
03
Design Basis
03-design-basis.md
2
Yes
04
Materials
04-materials.md
2
Conditional
05
Inputs
05-inputs.md
2
Yes
06
Assumptions
06-assumptions.md
2
Yes
07
Methodology
07-methodology.md
3
Yes
08
Calculations
08-calculations.md
4
Yes
09
Outputs
09-outputs.md
4
Yes
10
Sensitivity
10-sensitivity.md
5
Recommended
11
Validation
11-validation.md
5
Yes
12
Verification
12-verification.md
5
Yes
13
Conclusions
13-conclusions.md
5
Yes
14
Charts
14-charts.md
6
Recommended
15
Data Tables
15-data-tables.md
6
Recommended
16
References
16-references.md
6
Yes
Phase-to-Section Mapping
Phase 1 — Problem Definition
Populate sections 01 (Metadata) and 02 (Scope). Establish document control,
define the calculation objective, and bound the scope with explicit inclusions,
exclusions, and validity ranges. No computation occurs in this phase.
Phase 2 — Input Gathering
Populate sections 03 (Design Basis), 04 (Materials), 05 (Inputs), and
06 (Assumptions). Every input must have a traceable source. Material properties
must reference certificates or code tables. Assumptions must state whether they
are conservative or best-estimate and justify why.
Phase 3 — Method Selection
Populate section 07 (Methodology). Select the governing standard and edition.
Confirm applicability to the problem geometry, load regime, and material.
Present equations in symbolic form before substituting numeric values.
Phase 4 — Computation
Populate sections 08 (Calculations) and 09 (Outputs). Execute the method
step-by-step with clause references at each step. Record intermediate results
with units. Summarize results with pass/fail status and utilization ratios.
Phase 5 — Validation
Populate sections 10 (Sensitivity), 11 (Validation), 12 (Verification), and
13 (Conclusions). Perform sensitivity sweeps on key parameters. Validate
against benchmarks or alternative methods. Record independent check details.
State the adequacy conclusion with governing check identification.
Phase 6 — Reporting
Populate sections 14 (Charts), 15 (Data Tables), and 16 (References).
Finalize visualizations and citation list. Then trigger the calculation-report
skill to render the structured YAML into HTML/PDF output.
Handoff to calculation-report:
# After all sections are populated:
# 1. Validate YAML structure against schema
# 2. Invoke calculation-report skill with the calc YAML path
# 3. Review rendered output for formatting issues
Quality Checklist — Commonly Missed Items
These items are the most frequent causes of calculation rejection in
engineering review, drawn from EFCOG, DNV, Structures Centre, and Caltrans
guidance:
Problem Definition (Phase 1)
Calculation objective states what is being proved, not just what is computed
Exclusions are explicit — reviewers should not guess what is out of scope
Validity range specifies temperature, pressure, and geometry limits
Input Gathering (Phase 2)
Every input has a source reference (not just a value)
Units are consistent throughout — no mid-calculation unit changes
Material partial safety factors match the code edition cited
Assumptions are numbered and each has a justification sentence
Method Selection (Phase 3)
Standard edition year is stated (not just the standard number)
Applicability limits of the method are checked against actual parameters
Equations appear in symbolic form before numeric substitution
Computation (Phase 4)
Each calculation step cites the specific clause or equation number
Intermediate results are shown (not just final answers)
Hand-check or order-of-magnitude sanity check is present
Validation (Phase 5)
At least one independent validation method is used
Sensitivity analysis covers the top 3 most uncertain parameters
Verification record includes checker name and date
Conclusion explicitly states which check governs the design
Reporting (Phase 6)
All referenced standards appear in the reference list with edition
Charts have axis labels, units, and titles
Data tables state units in column headers, not in cell values
Plan-Review Placeholder Artifacts
When the user asks for an engineering-calculation concept artifact before implementation approval, create a clearly labeled placeholder HTML under the plan/review artifact area (for example docs/plans/assets/<issue>-<topic>-placeholder.html) rather than final output folders. The placeholder should demonstrate reviewer-facing chart intent — chart titles, axis labels with units, dropdown/default behavior, formulas, assumptions, sign/frame conventions, and limitations — while explicitly stating it is not the TDD-backed final deliverable. Link it from the GitHub issue and the issue plan artifact map, commit/push it transactionally, and verify with both a static HTML structure check and a browser/console load check when possible.
Usage
# Typical invocation pattern:
# 1. Agent loads this skill when a calculation task is identified
# 2. Work through phases 1-5, populating section YAML
# 3. At phase 6, hand off to calculation-report for rendering
#
# For section-specific guidance, read the relevant file:
# .claude/skills/engineering/calculation-methodology/sections/01-metadata.md
Research Sources
This skill synthesizes calculation documentation best practices from:
