General Civil Design Tips 3

[TheTank]

I am a newly graduated civil EIT. I am trying to put together a quick reference guide book to help me avoid having to go to the books all the time. Does anyone have one started or know where I can find one on the web?

I would like it to have geometric formulas, recomended pipes sizes, sewer and water pipe parameters (how far apart, how close to a road etc...) and whatever else you can think of that would be helpful on a day to day basis.

Thanks in advance.

 

[francesca]

Really, what you've mentioned is pretty-much determined by the governing utility companies. For instance, HDPE pipes are approved by some street departments but not others; some utility companies require 10' horizontal separation but accept less if the vertical separation is greater than 2'...

The best is to learn from the established engineers in your company; ask them what they use every day. No doubt the local (or nearest metropolitan) street department drainage manual will feature. This will govern minimum pipe sizes, permissable pipe materials and acceptable methods of drainage calculation. In the town I worked, the local gas and water department wasn't as organized, but luckily I worked with the former city engineer!

 

[RDK]

I keep a copy of the EI fundamentals reference handbook by my desk at all times and a pdf copy on the computer as well.

Lots of good basic stuff there, the rest just keep adding it as you come across it. (many universities have the course work and notes on line, often there are excellent reference sourses, many minicipalities have design manuals as well)

Google the terms you are looking for and put together your own book of knowledge that is applicable to the work you are doing.



Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion

http://www.kitsonengineering.com

 

[ish2s]

The best thing that I can recommend and from my own personal experience is that it all depends on where you are and what you are working on. Honestly every public agency goes by a different set of standards and minimum criteria. As previously stated, find out what the people you work with rely on most.

 

[mshimko]

I'm from a different field, but other than one or two standard references (such as Linberg's PE Review Manual), I get the most value out of a few binders I put together myself on various topics. I initially started these binders as an aid when I was studying for the PE exam many years ago, they then became a primary reference for the exam, and I occasionally add sections/topics to these as I deem appropriate.

 

[TheTank]

mshimko,

any chance you have the files electronically? If so, you mind sharing the wealth?

Thanks

 

[jdonville]

TheTank,

Chances are the engineers in your own firm have their own files for quick reference. Ask them what the most useful stuff is and kindly request permission to borrow it to make copies for yourself.

There is alot of basic design guidance available free for the downloading from government agency websites (such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, the US Bureau of Reclamation, the US Federal Highway Administration), manufacturers, industry trade associations, etc., that you can print out the most relevant sections and keep them in a binder/file folder by your desk and add to it when you run across something new.

[Not to carp too much, but I see a fair number of posts on this site asking for references to papers or documentation that could have been had simply by using a decent internet search engine or two.]

Sometimes useful information becomes unavailable. SlideRuleEra generously maintains copies or excerpts from a number of hard-to-find or out-of-print sources on his website

http://www.slideruleera.net

.

Admittedly, copies of papers appearing in research/scholarly publications are more difficult to come by, but if your company needs the information, they should be willing to pony up for it.

Developing our personal set of reference material is an important component of how we engineers continue our professional development.

Jeff


Jeffrey T. Donville, PE
TTL Associates, Inc.

http://www.ttlassoc.com