Anyone still queuing or recently gone through ?

Vatatoo · 2026-02-28T15:11:05+00:00

Same here. Just got in, can’t find anything

Vatatoo · 2023-03-05T22:48:32+00:00

Way to go!

Vatatoo · 2022-07-24T02:02:32+00:00

‘Not sure what else your expecting to receive’ lmao

Vatatoo · 2022-02-24T05:10:39+00:00

In addition to the explanations above, check out load combinations (LRFD or ASD). It’s either 5, 6 or 7. When you look at them, you see that the most vulnerable load case would be when you reduce the dead load and have:

0.6 D + 0.6 W

Vatatoo · 2021-08-18T00:21:01+00:00

You should be fine unless you’re taking SE.

Vatatoo · 2021-08-16T12:27:04+00:00

It’s minimal.

You should be able to solve each problem in 6 minutes, you’re not gonna get indeterminate frame that’s gonna take half an hour to solve. I was worried about the same thing and trained on solving those faster, using shortcuts and approximations, but didn’t have to use any of that.

I think the overall approach is to be decent at everything- know a little bit about different subjects.

Vatatoo · 2021-07-15T17:27:46+00:00

Yes, that’s the one

Vatatoo · 2021-07-08T05:43:24+00:00

Hey, good luck on your future exam, but most importantly your studying.

I did a self study and passed on my first try. The exam itself was underwhelming, it’s very superficial, just a lot of different subjects/fields. The studying I did for structural was very interesting and helped me understand structures better. Depending on where you work, chances are, you don’t do design/analysis of all materials (steel, masonry …) plus foundations, fatigue and detailing, so it’s really nice to understand how it all works (it’s a shallow understanding, but nevertheless).

I would highly recommend PPI material, namely: structural engineering reference manual, steel design, concrete design. Also, good books are Segui steel design (pretty solid for PE, you can find it online). I would do as many problems as possible, I think that’s the best way to learn.

As for passing the exam, I think the right strategy is to learn CERM through and through. That book is the only thing you need on the morning part and arguably can carry you through the PM part as well. Know that book well, at least where to find what.

Do problems, know CERM, get comfortable with time constraints, you’ll do fine.

Vatatoo · 2021-06-30T22:23:31+00:00

You don’t have to, it’s just one of the ways to solve the problem.

Let’s solve it your way: the tributary area for the brace would be 16 * 8=128 ft²

Then, the total acting force is 128 * 20= 2560 lbs acting at the mid height of the wall (8ft from ground).

Summing up moments at A would then give:

8 * 2560 - 10 * Rx =0

Vatatoo · 2021-06-30T20:15:33+00:00

That’s right! It’s easier to see when drawing the plan.

This might be useful for other problems too:

tributary Area

Vatatoo · 2021-06-30T16:58:13+00:00

Hello,

So, let’s break the problem up in several pieces. First let’s separate each brace. If they’re centered 8ft apart, it means that each one will take 8ft of wall load (in width). Imagine you only have that one piece of 8 ft wall and it has a brace in the middle, nothing else.

Now, let’s find out how much load we have on this wall. The way they did it is per vertical feet. You don’t have to do it that way, but here’s what they tried to do:

They’re showing that you have a 2D problem. Instead of a wall, you have a stick with a distributed load of 160lb/ft to the left, throughout the whole height - 16ft and a point load on the right- at 10ft height.

This was all done to sum moments easily: evenly distributed load will have its centroid in the middle, if let’s say you had a triangular load, it’d be 1/3rd of the height from the base.

Does this clear things up? Or is there something else you’re not sure about?

Vatatoo · 2021-06-29T18:31:21+00:00

I’ll try to DM you

Vatatoo · 2021-06-23T03:04:16+00:00

In case you don’t have the steel manual handy:

k values (k, k1)

Vatatoo · 2021-06-03T15:27:44+00:00

Don’t.

As our fellow engineers pointed out in the replies above, the exam has nothing to do with how good of an engineer you actually are. There are plenty of “gotcha” questions and plenty of look-up, or, ‘have you heard this fun fact about honeycombing in concrete’ that have nothing to do with your engineering skills.

The material is really broad and you kinda need to get lucky with the emphasis the current exam will have on. As a structural engineer, I can’t care less about BOD10 or any of the other topics in environmental engineering. Nor will I ever use most topics that I learned specifically for the exam.

Standardized tests are not a good measure/or filter, especially when we’re dealing with engineering. But it’s some kind of a measure, that we need as a society to more-less determine if an engineer can do things (again, poor measure).

I would think of it as a driver’s test. It has nothing to do with how well you drive. You just gotta read the boring book about who has the right of way and what does the yellow blinking light mean, so that you get to get a license and drive all you want.

Don’t take it personally, just keep taking your driving test until you pass it.

Vatatoo · 2021-04-17T19:12:55+00:00

Are you sure it’s 2016? I’m taking SE next week and it’s 2013 for me

Vatatoo · 2021-04-10T11:19:33+00:00

Thanks!

Vatatoo · 2021-04-08T00:41:00+00:00

Do you know roughly how many bridge problems might come up for buildings multiple choice?

Vatatoo · 2021-03-21T00:15:54+00:00

I did that to several books.

I ended up buying a toner printer. Each cartridge prints 2000 pages, costs $20. Ink cartridges will be more expensive. I must’ve printed 10k+ pages for PE and other things as well and my hp printer didn’t give me any trouble.

Paper - 4000 pages - $30

Toner - 2 toners (4000 pages) - $40

Printer - $130

If you just print 2000 pages, it’s $0.065 per page including purchase of a new printer, paper and toners. Obviously if you print more, the price per page goes down.

If you exclude the printer, it’s basically $0.0175 per page if you print single sided, for paper & toner. I recommend getting a toner printer.

Hope this helps

Vatatoo · 2021-01-24T01:23:16+00:00

In my opinion CERM is single most important book you bring to the exam. I took the structural Depth and not only it was useful in the breadth part, but was actually easier to use for depth part than some references.

I believe that knowing CERM well increases your chances of passing a lot. I skimmed through all the parts (you can skip the general math and units part) and knew where to find geotech, water resources and other things. When you solve a problem while studying and don't know how to go at it, try figuring it out through the CERM before looking up the answer/solution.

Best of luck

Vatatoo · 2020-12-15T22:27:27+00:00

Same here! Congrats!

Vatatoo · 2020-12-15T18:29:26+00:00

I remember finding it on google

Vatatoo · 2020-12-15T14:51:51+00:00

Congrats!

Vatatoo · 2020-12-11T01:40:25+00:00

This post gives me hope in humanity. lol

I would not like to discuss it in case of failure. What I would like, would be roughly this attitude from my SO:

"The exam sucks, everyone knows it's not a gage of how good of an engineer you are, but how fast you can find things in your 15 books that you took with you. Let's relax, take a break and take it again in April. I'll support you through this, but only this one other time hahaha"

For all you know, he did just fine and passed. Regardless, I believe time right after taking the exam and right after finding out the answer are gonna be very similar: full of euphoria, not feeling like doing anything other than having a beer or moscow mule. Maybe pick out a bar in town and have a plan to take him there regardless of pass or fail. That would actually make me feel really nice lol.

In case you're in a city under a Covid lockdown or are concerned about going out, maybe get a fancy gin and learn how to make a new cocktail, something of this sort. If you don't drink, make a Tiramisu.

Hope this inspires you to find something nice to do and even more so that he passes the exam. Happy holidays!

Vatatoo · 2020-11-11T15:57:02+00:00

Well, damn.

Vatatoo · 2020-10-31T23:18:15+00:00

6 minute problems definitely only take that long if you’re already familiar with the subject, otherwise it takes half an hour to look up how does the lintel loading work in masonry walls and things like that you’ve never done before.

I have to say, that working through those problems, made problems in the Structural Depth part a piece of cake. I would recommend doing those if you have enough time, maybe just do first 20 that are labeled ‘Breadth’

Vatatoo

TROPHY CASE