AASHTO bridge design 2

[COEngineeer]

Can someone help me with AASHTO? I am taking the PE exam in 4 days. I am doing practice questions and it has a lot of bridge design questions. I do not have AASHTO because my company designs houses. Is there a place somewhere (pdf maybe) where I can print out all the maximum design moment factors? Girder distribution factor, length of the bridge, number of lanes, etc. I just need a crash course on bridge design and AASHTO, can anyone help? I dont know anyone here that is in that business.

 

[PMR06]

I don't know of any online source for AASHTO. Like you, my company doesn't design bridges, so I had to borrow a code. I'd beg, borrow (don't steal) a copy of the AASHTO if you can. Check the libraries too, public or university. 20% of the test is bridge related, and a lot are simple questions that you just have to look up in the code.

Not to read into your post, but I'd make sure and take time to relax Thursday also. Don't cram at the last minute, just make sure you've got all your materials prepared, car gassed up, etc. Then go have a good healthy meal, a beer if you like, then a good nights sleep.

Make sure you've got a spare calculator too, and that both are the exact approved models. I saw a guy have his battery die, and have to beg for his life to borrow another calculator!

Good luck!

 

[COEngineeer]

Yeah, I got one of those solar calculator so as long as I have light, I should be ok. Yeah, Ive made several calls and luckily I have a friend in precast bussiness that has the code so I will pick it up tomorrow. I really dont understand why I have to learn BIOCHEMISTRY!!! I guess it is related to enviromental science. I am just focusing on the afternoon session (structural). I know where to look on other subjects on my Civil Engineering manual reference. Any other tip?

 

[Boiler8019]

Yea man, I'm taking it this week too. I havent found any decent prep material out there for the AASHTO. I bit the bullet and just bought the dang thing. If you asked a little earlier, I could have sold you the CD that came with it.

FYI, you can study that thing all you want in the next day or two, but in my honest opinion, unless you devote a good month or so to it you're not likely to hit enough to make it worthwhile. There's just too many details that they can ask. Just leave those questions for the end and be done with it. Luckily, I hear the october exam was full of bridge questions....hopefully its the opposite this time.

They really need to make a separate bridge exam.

 

[COEngineeer]

But you will be taking the geotechinical part in the afternoon right boiler?

 

[JEmH]

It's been four years since I took the exam, so maybe things are different, but I found that there was enough time to find things in books that I only had passing familiarity with. So, as Boiler says, don't waste too much stress on memorizing the details. Knowing the organization and purpose of each chapter may be enough to scrape by.
Incidentally, when I took it we had the entire afternoon test and could peruse each section before marking the sheet indicating which section we were working from, although I'd bet that most people go straight to their specialty. I don't know if it still works that way. If it does, it would be worth the 5-10 minutes of "wasted" time to browse the exam, especially if what you do doesn't fall neatly into one catergory.
Ironically, at that time, probably half my work was bridge design, I had my own AASHTO, knew it front to back, and I think I had one real bridge design question.
Good luck on Friday. Remember, the least competent young PE you've ever met passed this test, so it can't be that hard.

 

[PMR06]

The Structural Engineering Reference Manual (SERM) has a decent overview of bridge stuff. Maybe you could get your hands on one of those?

Other than having the resources and relaxing the day before, I'd suggest you skip over questions you don't know at first. It took me three passes thru the tests. First pass I answered the questions I immediately knew. Second pass I spent time on the more involved questions, then third pass I chugged away at the problems I really didn't know. Circle your answers in your booklet, then make sure to leave 10 minutes or so to double check that you filled in all the bubbles correctly. That what worked for me anyway.

And coffee is a double edged sword! It will keep you moving along, but bathroom breaks take up crucial test time!

 

[bridgebuster]

You can download several AASHTO LRFD examples from this site

http://bridges.transportation.org/?siteid=34&pageid=339

you can download the US Bridge Design Manual FM 3-34.343 here:

http://www.army.mil/usapa/doctrine/Active_FM.html

It has design examples based on Standard Specs

If I find anything else I'll post it.

 

[bridgebuster]

Go here to download the Army manual

http://sachs.us/nsfb.pdf

 

[DaveVikingPE]

ditto on the coffee. If you've gotta go, be strategic about it...

The one question on prestressed concrete I had on the civil structural PE came out of the AASHTO manual - but, man, it was tough.

Good advice is to be had here! Get a lot of sleep, be prepared and focus! I wish only success for all taking the exam on Friday!

 

[COEngineeer]

DaveVikingPE.. you mean by be strategic about it means... go to the bathroom when someone else is in the bathroom so you can ask him questions? hahaah.

 

[DaveVikingPE]

Dude... they have proctors in the bathroom, don't say a word to anyone!

I think wearing Depends would be a good thing, actually, saves a lot of time.

 

[COEngineeer]

I was kidding. I think Ill chug 2 red bulls 1 hour b4 exam and go to the bathroom prior exam and.... no burrito in the AM.. afraid ..... you know.

 

[VoyageofDiscovery]

bridgebuster,

Great links.

VOD

 

[bridgebuster]

VOD,

you're welcome

 

[NS4U]

http://pci.org/publications/bridge/

That's a pretty good overview of how to apply AASHTO to PS concrete bridge design.

There are some good examples too for simple-span (and more complex) designs