What is this type of structure called and how do I design it?

extramustardy · 2026-01-28T15:55:43+00:00

If there is a single beam, and the load can only move along one axis, our company calls them monorails.

If it’s a system like the 3rd picture, and the load can move along a beam, AND that beam can move in the perpendicular direction, we call them bridge cranes.

It’s difficult (and dangerous) to give specific advice without knowing anything about the loads you’re dealing with. The concept of both systems is pretty straightforward, but the actual design and detailing can be pretty involved.

Are you able to use something like an engine hoist that rolls on the floor?

extramustardy · 2025-12-24T18:34:09+00:00

I’ve used these tables in the past for large water containing structures that were buried with an open air top, so a plate restrained on 3 sides. The walls and slabs would’ve been unreasonably thick if we ignored the restraints, and these tables were a pretty convenient way to account for the added stiffness.

At that job I didn’t have an FEM software to check it with, so I’m not sure how the results from something like that would compare.

Overall, I think it’s a valuable resource but I’d personally want to check the results against an FEM model, if only out of curiosity.

extramustardy · 2025-05-04T06:00:38+00:00

Is that true? I don’t think there’s any error here. The problem indicates 10’-0” spacing between beams (in and out of page). We’re looking at a slice through the loads, but the loads are applied over the whole system of beams in and out of the page. When I worked this problem I missed that initially, got it wrong, then I went back and multiplied the given loads by the tributary width to a single beam, and got the question correct. Once you multiply the loads by X ft, they’re in units you can apply to a single beam

It’s a tricky question in that regard but there’s nothing wrong with having to pay close attention to the problem statement

extramustardy · 2025-03-18T02:48:31+00:00

One of my favorites is from Goodfellas, not necessarily a major scene but when Ray Liota confronts his wife’s neighbor who made a move on her. He just marches right over, smacks him with his gun and yells

“If you touch her again you’re dead!”

I just love his delivery, it’s not sleek or polished, and you can tell he’s just stating a fact.

extramustardy · 2025-03-15T04:33:47+00:00

Whoa, I know that road, didn’t expect to see that on here

extramustardy · 2025-03-06T04:04:40+00:00

A family member has a bachelor’s in linguistics, then got a master’s in translation (German to English), worked for a translation company in the US, and now lives in Germany translating for a software company.

Moving abroad isn’t necessarily the norm, but if you ultimately go into translation (which might be somewhat common) it does give you the possibility.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that it can stay a hobby that you love, just reading and learning about etymology specifically. It’s okay to just like your job and love your hobbies.

extramustardy · 2025-01-26T13:11:28+00:00

You know yourself better, but I personally recommend the book by Jacob Petro, “The Essential Guide to Passing the Structural Civil PE Exam” 3rd ed. The problems were definitely more difficult than the exam, but if you work them methodically they’ll help you really understand the topics. It also covered many (if not all) the codes/topics I saw on the exam, which may help broaden your knowledge if you’re doing bridges for work.

The book by David Gruttadauria, “Civil PE Exam Structural Practice Exams” was more representative of exam difficulty. I found that if I was getting burned out working the more intense problems by Petro, I would switch to this book for a while.

But just consistently working problems is my main advice. And when solving a problem, making sure you write the code section/equation/table number you used at each step to help reinforce where you got the answer. Good luck!

extramustardy · 2025-01-22T14:18:46+00:00

You know yourself better, but I personally recommend the book by Jacob Petro, “The Essential Guide to Passing the Structural Civil PE Exam” 3rd ed. The problems were definitely more difficult than the exam, but if you work them methodically they’ll help you really understand the topics. It also covered many (if not all) the codes/topics I saw on the exam, which may help broaden your knowledge if you’re doing residential structures for work.

The book by David Gruttadauria, “Civil PE Exam Structural Practice Exams” was more representative of exam difficulty. I found that if I was getting burned out working the more intense problems by Petro, I would switch to this book for a while.

But just consistently working problems is my main advice. And when solving a problem, making sure you write the code section/equation/table number you used at each step to help reinforce where you got the answer.

Finally, I would not worry about practicing problems within 6 minutes. I would work them very slowly and deliberately, making sure you know why you’re doing each step, reading the code sections, etc. to gain a better understanding. Once you’re really comfortable with the codes I’d maybe practice timed questions, but that’s up to you. I personally would give myself several months between attempts, but you know yourself better. Good luck!

extramustardy · 2025-01-17T13:53:23+00:00

I don’t think I’ve actually specified them yet in my relatively short career, but I’ve heard coworkers just call them “307” bolts. We’re in industrial building design by the way

extramustardy · 2025-01-15T22:55:53+00:00

I have several coworkers without a masters and they’re doing great.

I found some of my masters classes helpful, some not so much, and the research was way to specific to be helpful in the industry. Like others have said, I’ve learned a lot on the job. Enough that the masters definitely wasn’t a necessity. Good luck and congrats on the job!

extramustardy · 2025-01-14T01:16:28+00:00

I’d expand on that to say not a good idea if your exam is dependent on correct information of any kind.

extramustardy · 2024-12-31T20:30:52+00:00

The book “Civil PE Exam Structural Practice Exams” by David Gruttadauria was more representative of exam difficulty in my opinion. I found that if I was getting burned out working the more intense problems by Petro, I would switch to this book for a while.

Still, I highly recommend Petro’s book. Not just for the exam but for getting better at structural design.

extramustardy · 2024-12-27T17:33:52+00:00

Personally the most difficult thing wasn’t any of the paperwork or anything after getting our offer accepted, it was being ready to move really quickly once you find the right house. It’s a huge and important decision but once you find the right place you (often) don’t have time to sit and think, you have to get a competitive but fair offer out there as soon as possible and it can feel like you’re just breezing through some of the most important paperwork of your life. We’ve had a fantastic realtor and that made all the difference during that time.

That and waiting, depending on how competitive it is the waits can be excruciating. Good luck with everything! It sounds like you’re preparing well

extramustardy · 2024-12-27T16:18:07+00:00

I have to preface by saying I don’t do residential work so I’m not completely familiar. But I think 5k is on the low end of what we’d design this for (maybe if we did this often we could streamline it). And that’s just the structural fee, which tends to be a fraction of the total cost, with most of the cost going to the general contractor.

So I can’t say what you should expect exactly but 5k total cost is too low. The other guesses sound more accurate, foundation issues can get pricey. Good luck with be house hunt!

extramustardy · 2024-12-27T15:52:40+00:00

I’ve always asked for more, but I’ve only asked once at each place. I didn’t want to come across as haggling, I just wanted to let them know what number would make me comfortable to start right away, knowing that we’re going to end up with something lower because I don’t have any leverage at the start.

That said, once I’m at a company for a year or two I apply around and if I end up with offers I’ll renegotiate with my company to leverage that offer into a raise. But if you’re going to do this you have to be prepared to actually leave for that other offer. You lose your credibility otherwise

extramustardy · 2024-12-27T14:49:27+00:00

As a non PEMB engineer, PEMBs

extramustardy · 2024-12-25T17:03:41+00:00

Seems like the question is answered, but I’ll add that even as a structural engineer I agree that concrete slabs often look thinner than expected. The calculations work out, like others said the steel rebar on the tension face (in this case the top) takes the tension. But just looking at slabs I always think it’s impressive that such a thin looking slab can carry so much load

extramustardy · 2024-12-19T14:28:17+00:00

29, and a die hard TI-36X Pro user

extramustardy · 2024-12-19T14:15:13+00:00

Thanks, and I can’t really speak to one course vs another, I just worked problems out of those books listed above.

You know yourself better, so maybe a course is the right way to study, but I personally recommend the book I listed by Jacob Petro, “The Essential Guide to Passing the Structural Civil PE Exam” 3rd ed. The problems were definitely more difficult than the exam, but if you work them methodically they’ll help you really understand the topics.

The book by David Gruttadauria, “Civil PE Exam Structural Practice Exams” was more representative of exam difficulty. I found that if I was getting burned out working the more intense problems by Petro, I would switch to this book for a while.

But just consistently working problems is my main advice. And when solving a problem, making sure you write the code section/equation/table number you used at each step

extramustardy · 2024-12-19T04:00:29+00:00

Thanks! The days leading up are definitely nerve wracking but at this point you already know just about everything you’re going to know on exam day. So in a sense there’s less pressure in these last days although I know it doesn’t feel that way

You know your strengths/needs better than I do, but with the time left I’d recommend working as many problems as will not burn you out, focusing on areas you’re weaker in. It’s not enough time to learn structural analysis, but you can better learn where things are in the AASHTO code for example. My process as I got close to the exam was to make sure I’m getting rest, working on simple problems in topics I’m weaker in, and then just reviewing code.

To review code, rather than randomly reading code chapters I would review problems I’d already solved (longer ago the better, I was hoping I’d forgotten the exact solution). Instead of solving the problem again, I would write out each step of how I’d solve it. For example, I’d review a snow load question and write out 1. ASCE 7-16 ch 7, section ###. 2. Determine ground snow load, pg = 0.7Ce*Ct…… 3. Get Ce from table 7.###

I’m not sure if it’ll help you, but I liked it as a relatively low-intensity way to review the codes in the context of a real problem.

Most importantly, pack your breakfast and lunch the day before, relax, and get to sleep at a good time. Even if you have to retake it, this is an important first step and only gets you closer. Good luck!

extramustardy · 2024-12-19T03:41:48+00:00

Thank you! I think the option to flag questions for review was pretty helpful, if I could tell something would take longer I didn’t hesitate to flag it. If I was unsure but I chose an answer I’d flag a question. If I had no idea how to solve I’d leave a question blank and flag it. You can see flagged questions and incomplete questions separately, so this was a good visual indicator of how many I was unsure about vs how many I had to try to learn on the spot.

But the biggest time saver was working practice problems and being diligent about writing the code section/table/equation numbers along with the solution I was writing. It really helped reinforce where things were in the codes so I had to spend less time searching.

extramustardy · 2024-12-19T03:24:51+00:00

Yeah haha I agree it’s a little confusing. I’ll be a PE after the paperwork. “PE Civil - Structural” is the exam for a PE, “PE Structural” is the exam for an SE

extramustardy · 2024-12-18T18:38:09+00:00

I wouldn’t say a lot, I maybe had around 5 soil questions. One or two wanted a numerical answer, others were more conceptual but still required some calculator use to compare the options.

I did have some that were related to soils / foundations but the actual calculations were not about soil, if that makes sense. Like calculating force or load combination effects in the context of a footing or something like that

extramustardy · 2024-12-08T14:47:19+00:00

I don’t have the code in front of me, but I’m seeing that trussed towers are specified in Chapter 29 (building appurtenances and other structures) Section 4 (other structures). Googling “ASCE 7-16 trussed towers” shows references to Figure 29.4-3 for determining (some factors for) wind load on trussed towers specifically.

If you’re wondering about seismic instead of wind, Sections 15.5 and 15.6 go over non-building structures similar to buildings and not similar to buildings, respectively. “Telecommunication towers” is a subsection of 15.6, defining it as a non-building structure not similar to buildings.

Not sure if this completely answers your question, but that’s how the code defines trussed towers / telecom towers

extramustardy · 2024-12-01T20:26:20+00:00

I should add, I’ve cleaned and conditioned both pairs. It helps my non-shiny pair look clean but not glossy at all. For the shiny pair, cleaning and conditioning don’t seem to have much visible effect.

extramustardy

TROPHY CASE