Structural 1 Exam 1

[fasboater]

I have not designed using any ASHTO spec. What do I need to know in reference to ASHTO for the SE 1? I seen a couple posts on this a while back but I don’t recall anything specific.

Thanks

 

[IceNine]

The examples in the Structural Engineering Reference Manual were helpful. Besides that, I had a copy of the 1996 AASHTO code, which I had not studied at all. I was able to answer several of the questions using this code (I assume some of my answers were correct since I passed the exam)

 

[hippo11]

Yes, use the SE Reference Manual and do the examples. Get familiar with the AASHTO load tables, load combos, etc. Things are very cookbook-ish in AASHTO but you should know what those tables exactly mean and what they do and don't assume.

 

[fasboater]

hippo11,

where can I find these load tables, combos, etc. I didnt cover a lot of AASHTO spec in school and I dont have any idea what code I might need to purchase.

 

[MiketheEngineer]

Buy the manual....Just google it. Not cheap. maybe you can borrow one

 

[Atomic25]

As said above, you just need to do problems....and tab the heck out of the codebook. It is a beast of a book, about 900 pages long, hardest part is navigating it. There are some questions in the SE reference manual, a few in the NCEES prep test, and a few in 6minute solutions for the SE 1 exam.

I have a 2002 AASHTO 17th ed I bought new for my exam, which I passed. If you dont know of anyone who can lend it to you and you need one, I'd be willing to get rid of it for 1/2 price I paid, so for $165+shipping.

FYI: They'll be using an updated version starting on the April2008 exam....in fact a lot of the codes in the exam will be updated then.

 

[UcfSE]

Don't go to the test without the code or any other references for that matter. Borrow them if you can, buy it if you must.

 

[woodengineer]

The shame about that exam is that it is 80% building design, 20% bridge. I do not know any building design engineers who also design highway bridges or vice versa. The exam should be Structural I (Buildings), or Structural I (Bridges).

Enough of that. I took the AASHTO codes to the exam, but was only mildly successful in asnwering any of the bridge questions. There are enough other topics to sink your teeth into to pass the exam. Fortunately, I passed the first time, but I made a concerted effort to not spend a lot of time on bridge design.

Good luck with your exam.

woodengineer

 

[NS4U]

pci put out this free manual for concrete bridge design per AASHTO LRFD... it also has some complete design examples

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

 

[TXStructural]

If you don't know AASHTO, and don't deal with bridge design, skip the bridge questions if they aren't general engineering questions. It is that simple.

Of the 20% bridge, some questions will be AASHTO-specific, but some will be more generally applicable to any structure.

I took two tries because I tried to use my well-tabbed AASHTO manual to find simple answers. I had also had a bridge design course in grad school within three years of the test.

Skip the bridge and learn steel, concrete, wood, and masonry. Focus on how loads are applied and how they are distributed. Look over minimums, like reinforcing in concrete and masonry, limit states, anchors, and the other things you do everyday as a working structural.

Tab the crap out of your references well before the exam and USE the tabs in your daily work. The exam is not the time to figure out which info is in which tab.

Yes, you need to know what is between the tabs, but you need to be able to find information quickly.

Answer all of the questions, but don't waste time trying to find answers to things you do not know. I find it easy to go back and look over the questions which you skipped if you leave the answer blank - but be sure you skip the answer and do not get off one space (the right answer in the wrong spot is still wrong). IF you have time, go back and attempt the questions you skip, otherwise, at the 5 minute warning, simply go back and fill in answer "C" or "B" in all of the blanks.

And don't ever change an answer unless you have proved yourself wrong elsewhere in the exam. I always end up changing a right one for a wrong one if I make an unsubstantiated change.

Again, skip the AASHTO-specific bridge questions.
I'd probably not even take the book if I had it to do over (which I don't). SE II, anyone?

 

[Atomic25]

It really depends on how your exam is composed and it varies from exam to exam. When they say its 20% bridge questions, its only a general guide...can be more or less. I wouldn't recommend going in blind on an entire code as general as AASHTO. There may be too many easy cookbook questions on yours that it'll fail you. Yea, there may be some bridge questions that will stump you, but to throw away the easy ones is just silly when you have to study several months for an exam.

 

[IceNine]

Agree with Atomic25. Some of the bridge questions are straight from the code. I skipped all of the bridge questions initially, went back and pulled out my AASHTO code and found several answers. The AASHTO code may be large, but it does have an index.

 

[tagreiner]

TXStructural said: "SE II, anyone?"

The advantage with SE 2 is that you pick EITHER buildings or bridges, and that's ALL you work on for the whole test. So, if you don't know AASHTO, it doesn't really matter for the SE 2 exam.

The disadvantage with SE 2 is that you have to show ALL your work, and their is no multiple-choice answer to pick from or work your answer towards. You just have to work out the problem as best you can, and try to show enough work to prove your point.

I passed SE 1 (first time), and right away took SE 2 and also passed it on the first time. In retrospect, I sort of thought SE 1 was harder, because it had more breadth to it, but I think I also got lucky with SE 2's questions.

Thad

 

[Atomic25]

To those who asked for my AASHTO manual, Dave Murphy (eng-tips) wont let me place any contact info on this site. I guess just look for it on EBAY and maybe you'll win the bid. Sorry guys

 

[HgTX]

If your contact info is on a website somewhere, you could point them to the website. There's plenty of precedent for that on this site.

Hg

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