The Benefits of Early Exam Preparation

Preparing for the FE and PE exams can be time consuming simply because people generally don't know what to expect on the exam. Exam candidates need time to prepare for the unknown. They need time to study important exam concepts, time to commit to refresher courses, time to read through publications and manuals, time to practice problems, time to work, time with friends and family, time to decompress... time to do everything! Time is a valuable resource and cannot be recovered once it is lost or spent. It is important to begin preparing for these NCEES exams as soon as possible. The excess time allows students to be more confident and prepared. 

Candidates should begin by performing a self-assessment once their exam date is confirmed. This can be done using the NCEES exam specifications and rating knowledge of the subject matter or taking a practice exam and evaluating strengths and weaknesses. Once candidates perform their assessment, they should consider registering for refresher courses, which are a great resource for exam preparation. In addition to refresher courses, candidates should also spend time reading, reviewing, solving practice problems, and taking practice exams. Candidates should also consider tutoring as another option for exam preparation. Tutoring gives candidates a one-on-one opportunity to get help in subjects that are more difficult or unfamiliar. All of these resources are essential to exam success. 

Candidates who prepare for FE and PE exams early are more likely to pass the exam. Being successful on any exam not only involves preparation and utilization of resources, it is also indirectly linked to the candidate's confidence level. Having confidence helps dispel test anxiety caused by fear and uncertainty of the subject material. The more prepared candidates are, the more confident they become. 

Candidates are also better able to anticipate. NCEES exam are meant to test the subject matter as well as subject agility and adaptability. Exam experts test candidates' agility or their ability to think and understand quickly. After all, these exams are timed. Subjects are not always categorized together, and exam questions are not always framed exactly how material is studied during preparation. This tests the candidate's adaptability. 

Each exam is different and confidential. Candidates are not privy to this information in advance, which makes it extremely challenging when preparing for the exam. It is a rule of thumb that candidates need at least 3-6 months to adequately prepare prior to the exam. In certain cases, candidates need more. Again, more time spent preparing for these exams given all of the unknowns yields better results. 

Candidates who diligently prepare for the FE and PE exams are often better practitioners. These exams test the technical aspect of the subject as well as the practical. Preparing early increases subject interpretation and the likelihood of success. 

To help with early preparation, School of PE offers FE and PE exam review courses in a variety of formats to fit each student's specific needs. Visit www.schoolofpe.com to learn more.

Understanding the PE Civil Exam: Breadth and Depth

The PE Civil exam is an eight-hour, open-book exam containing 40 breadth questions in the morning portion and 40 depth questions in the afternoon portion.

The breadth part of the exam is the same for all examinees. Its purpose is to test general knowledge without going into great detail on segmented specialties. The breadth exam consists of multiple-choice questions covering the following topics:

• Project Planning
• Means and Methods
• Soil Mechanics
• Structural Mechanics
• Hydraulics and Hydrology
• Geometrics
• Materials
• Site Development

Examinees then go on to take their chosen depth exam in the afternoon, which tests the specific knowledge of the depth disciplines. When registering for the PE Civil exam, examinees must choose one of five possible depth topics on which to be tested:

• Construction
• Transportation
• Geotechnical
• Water Resources and Environmental
• Structural

It is recommended that examinees register for the depth exam that best aligns with their career goals. For example, if you want to focus on environmental civil engineering, you should register for the Water Resources and Environmental depth.

Preparing for two different parts of an eight-hour exam can be overwhelming, but School of PE is here to help! Our comprehensive PE Civil exam review course consists of 84 hours of comprehensive lectures and practice sessions and is designed using NCEES specifications. The course is split into two sections: 56 hours dedicated to the breadth exam and 28 hours dedicated to the depth section of your choosing. Contact School of PE for more information on available course formats and pricing.

Permeable Pavement: Stormwater Management

Stormwater is a major source of pollution in urban areas. When rain falls onto impervious surfaces (roofs, roads, and parking lots), stormwater drains into sewers and is discharged into water systems carrying pollutants (like oil, trash, and bacteria) with it. These impacts are long lasting and damaging to the environment. However, this is not true for undeveloped areas, where rainfall is infiltrated in the soil and soaked up by plants through evapotranspiration. In such an environment, stormwater is much cleaner and has less of an environmental impact. As a result, green infrastructure was introduced into urban areas as an approach to manage the impacts of stormwater runoff. Section 502 of the Clean Water Act defines green infrastructure as "...the range of measures that use plant or soil systems, permeable pavements or other permeable surfaces or substrates, stormwater harvest and reuse, or landscaping to store, infiltrate, or evapotranspirate stormwater and reduce flows to sewer systems or to surface waters." In essence, green infrastructure reduces and treats stormwater at its source. 

Permeable pavements are considered to be an effective, resilient approach to managing excess stormwater runoff. Permeable pavements such as pervious asphalt, pervious concrete, interlocking pavers, and plastic grid pavers infiltrate, treat, and/or store stormwater. Some of these systems are designed to carry stormwater and discharge offsite using perforated pipes. Permeable pavements help reduce the need for road salts used for deicing, restore groundwater supplies, and reduce construction costs by limiting the need for traditional drainage structures. 

Although permeable pavements provide great benefits as a low impact to the environment; there are limitations to this method. Permeable pavements have a high potential for clogging, dirt, and debris because of the high void space within the pavement system. Special maintenance measures would be required, such as vacuuming or high-pressure washing. There are also great variations from traditional construction practices. The vast majority of permeable pavement projects are designed to carry light vehicular traffic. These are recommended for low-volume roadways, parking lots, pedestrian walkways, sidewalks, driveways, bike lanes, and shoulders. It is often a challenge to use these types of pavements for highways due to varying soil conditions, utilities, fills, and slopes. However, with good engineering design, permeable pavements are possible for roads with heavier traffic loading. 

There are three major design considerations for permeable pavement: 1) site design considerations to ensure that the site is acceptable for this method; 2) hydrologic design to ensure that the permeable pavement will meet the stormwater runoff needs; and 3) structural design to ensure that the permeable pavement will meet the traffic loading demands. Additional site considerations include soil types, depth to bedrock, pavement slopes, and other sources of runoff. The hydrologic design determines the layer thickness requirements that will infiltrate, store, and release the expected water. This requires knowledge of the subgrade permeability and rainfall intensity data. Typically, structural design of permeable pavements is for light loading. For those requiring heaving traffic loading, the 93 AASHTO design procedures should be used as well as incorporating some traditional pavement methods.

Engineering Leadership

Engineering is a very challenging technical field that requires ongoing complex decisions. In the near future, these challenges will become even greater and require the need for agility through practical problem solving, innovation, and sustainability. Even those projects that are simple in scope will involve finding new technical approaches and creative ways to achieve results. This will require engineers to be more than just technical and analytical, but also able to navigate through the social, political, economic, cultural, environmental, and ethical aspects of projects. With that comes the need for competent engineering leaders. 

First, there is a distinct contrast between managers and leaders. Managers are responsible for tangible resources and tend to be more focused on dealing with everyday issues through planning, designing, executing, and delivery of projects. Alternately, leaders involve proactive innovation and development through empowering their people to deliver projects with available resources. Leaders seek ways to improve upon what's available and what's assumed. One of the biggest attributes of a leader is effective communication. 

Effective communication includes active listening or listening with the intent to understand and observing the speaker's behavior and body language. This helps the listener gain a more accurate understanding of what the speaker is communicating. Nonverbal communication is another attribute of effective communication. It is important to be attentive to gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, eye contact, and postures. Asking questions is also a part of effective communication and is a sign of engagement. It also ensures that there is mutual understanding during the exchange. Building trust, being empathetic, and providing feedback are also ways to increase effective communication as a leader. 

Leaders must also be models of ethical behavior. Core behaviors such as integrity, accountability, and responsibility are essential to effective leadership and, if used correctly, can help motivate teammates. Engineering leaders must also have a desire to continue developing interpersonal skills. This means that leaders must have the ability to explain and summarize complex technical topics to nontechnical audiences while exhibiting intuition and empathy. 

Engineers must also embody the qualities of good, effective leaders, which give their leadership direction and momentum, resulting in motivated action and execution. Good leaders exhibit emotional intelligence, self-awareness, confidence, and capability, and are self-motivated. Most engineers exhibit these qualities; however, the qualities of an effective leader are even more extensive. Effective leaders are action oriented; operate with a vision or purpose, focus on delivering benefits to meet or exceed expectations, focus on building and developing teams, constantly evaluate the performance of themselves and others, anticipate the needs of the team, and be agile and flexible with regard to projects and organizational changes. 

Overall, effective engineering leaders combine technical excellence with the ability to motivate others and use these efforts along with business savvy to execute projects. The effective engineering leader is action oriented and instills this mindset into the team. Effective leaders are able to achieve goals with their teams set by stakeholders, organizations, or self-initiated. Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. 

Reference Links:

https://degree.astate.edu/articles/engineering/importance-of-leadership-skills-in-engineering-management.aspx

https://engineeringmanagementinstitute.org/8-traits-of-exceptional-engineer-leaders/

Civil Engineering Trends in the Emerging World

Civil engineering is one of the oldest professions in the world. Remnants of the Great Wall of China or the pyramids of Egypt remind us of the role of civil engineers. This role has been well defined-design, build, and maintain infrastructure. However, the effects of climate change, increasing population, and emerging technologies cause civil engineers to face new challenges in a changing world and to respond to these challenges during the planning, designing, and implementation of projects. With that, ASCE has completed a comprehensive overview identifying several macrotrends that are important to the infrastructure industry, six of which are most relevant to the profession. Prospective civil engineers will become interdependent and lead multidisciplinary teams with a wide range of expertise for a more integrated approach to infrastructure needs. 

Climate change is a broad global phenomenon caused by burning fossil fuels that add heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere. The transportation and electricity production industries contribute 58% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. It is estimated that the global temperature will rise from 2.5 to 10F over the next 100 years. These results will vary across regions. 

Alternative energy will have a large effect on the built environment. Energy is typically generated in a central location and distributed over long distances using high-emission fossil fuels. In the future, large energy grids could be replaced with small-scale local energy generation such as solar and wind. This can result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, increased energy at lower costs, and decreased reliance on current energy grids. 

Traditionally, the construction industry is risk adverse, meaning that adopting emerging trends and innovative practices is a slower process. However, embracing innovation can certainly become an enabler to the industry by improving processes, efficiency, and delivering techniques. For example, construction of large infrastructure projects can be much faster using increased automation, prefabrication, and large-scale 3D printing. 

The technology of autonomous vehicles is rapidly advancing and has the potential to reshape transportation. The future of autonomous vehicles will depend on government regulations, determining if the vehicle is truly driverless, and whether these vehicles will be publicly or privately owned. This trend could result in a decrease in fatalities and an increase in rider and pedestrian safety. Alternatively, congestion could increase with a demand for new infrastructure facilities. 

Cities are now building sensor networks for the collection of data to monitor and make decisions. This will have a tremendous effect on building management, transportation, energy and utilities, public safety, municipal services, and citizen engagement. Privacy and cybersecurity are concerns that will shape the future of this trend. 

The previously discussed trends are all influenced by policymakers, regulations, and available/future funding needs. Without policy and funding, the outcome of these trends could be negative or nonexistent, so having clear policy goals, creative funding, and financing is an integral part of incorporating them. This requires coherent regulations for technology, private sector funding cooperation, and promoting equity of access to increase the quality of life for all.

Chemical Admixtures in Concrete

Concrete is composed of Portland cement, water, and coarse and fine aggregates. Chemical admixtures are added to the mix immediately before or during placement. These are used primarily to reduce cost during construction, modify the properties of hardened concrete, and/or ensure quality during mixing, transporting, placing, and curing. Admixtures can enhance the durability, workability, and/or strength characteristics of concrete. They are also used to overcome specific environmental obstacles, such as cold weather or hot weather placement, along with specific early strength requirements.

Most admixtures are ready-to-use liquids that must be batched to suit a specific application and function. Admixtures must be compatible with the cementitious material, job specifications, project costs, and construction practices. Their effectiveness is dependent on the type and amount of cement, water content, mixing time, slump, and temperature. Admixtures are categorized by five specific classes: air-entraining, water-reducing, retarding, accelerating, and superplasticizers.

Air-entraining admixtures are used to produce microscopic air bubbles when concrete is mixed. The air bubbles act as a physical buffer against cracking and improve the concrete's resistance to freeze/thaw damage. Air-entrainment can also improve workability and reduce bleeding and segregation. Typically, air-entraining admixtures are added to concrete that is exposed to the environment (such as parking lots). The normal air content of concrete is between 4% and 7% of the concrete volume. Air-entrainment admixtures should meet the requirements of ASTM C260.

Water-reducing admixtures are used to reduce the water content by 5-10% to obtain specific strength in concrete using a low cement content. This results in a lower water-to-cement ratio, a desired slump, lower CO2 emissions, and energy usage per volume of concrete produced. These admixtures disperse the cement particles and make cement use more efficient. Some applications of concrete with water-reducing admixtures are bridge decks, low-slump overlays, and patching. Water-reducing admixtures should meet the requirements of ASTM C 494.

Retarding admixtures are used to slow the setting time of concrete and are typically used to counteract the effects of placement during hot weather. Higher temperatures tend to make concrete set faster, which makes placing and finishing difficult. Retarding admixtures keep concrete workable and allow more time for finishing and placing. Retarders also function as water reducers and sometimes may entrain air. ASTM C 494 is used for specific requirements. 

Accelerating admixtures are used to reduce the initial setting time and give high early strength. These types of admixtures are used during cold weather placement or when rapid setting is required (such as an interstate concrete patch). Calcium chloride is the most common accelerator component and has been known to promote corrosion of steel reinforcement. ASTM D 98 is used for specific requirements. 

Superplasticizers are high-range water-reducing admixtures used to produce high-strength, high-performance flowing concrete that contain high cementitious material with a high slump. These are also used to reduce the water content by 12-30% and reduce permeability. Typically, superplasticizers are placed at the job site because their effects are not long-lasting. Superplasticizers allow workable fluid concrete to be placed with little to no vibrations. ASTM C 1017 is used for specific requirements. 

References:

https://www.nrmca.org/aboutconcrete/cips/15p.pdf

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/common-used-concrete-admixtures-845036

https://www.cement.org/cement-concrete-applications/concrete-materials/chemical-admixtures

How Online Learning Centers Can Optimize Student Learning

Online review courses are increasingly popular, especially for NCEES exam prep. In today's fast-paced world, people often feel they don't have the time or resources to attend an onsite course. 

If you are looking for an FE, PE, or SE online prep course, it's important to understand what each platform offers its students. It may seem overwhelming at first, but ensuring that the exam prep course you choose has the best features possible to optimize learning is vital to success. 

One important feature of online learning centers is the availability of study notes. Instructor-prepared notes not only give you something extra to study outside of class but also give you the ability to study anywhere, anytime by downloading and/or printing the notes. 

Attending an online class may be intimidating to some, but having access to lecture videos after a class has aired will help give you peace of mind in your exam prep journey. If you attend a live online class, chances are you might miss some details during the lecture. The ability to go back and review the class later can be very helpful. Bookmarking capabilities, the ability to fast forward, or make time-stamped notes are great features in an online Delivery Method. 

Online Delivery Methods that offer practice problems and solutions are also optimal for studying. Practicing engineering problems after a class or study session is a proven way to optimize exam scores, so why not take some time every day to quiz yourself? 

Another important feature online learning centers should have is instructor availability. Personalized instructor interactions can truly enhance one's learning experience. When looking at online exam prep platforms, those that include accessibility to instructors (such as tutoring options or the ability to send questions to instructors) can greatly benefit students.

Sound too good to be true? Don't worry-it's not! In fact, School of PE's FE, PE, and SE exam review courses offer all of the above features. Visit www.schoolofpe.com to learn more.

NPDES Permitting 101

If you work in the Design or Construction industry, you've heard of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting. Many projects require an NPDES permit and this is all dependent on specific project parameters such as the scope of work, proximity of the project, and/or the potential adverse effects to the environment. This permit is administered through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and regulated through authorized state agencies. In areas where states do not have a regulatory agency, the EPA governs. The overall goal of the EPA is to protect the environment-land, air, and water. 

The NPDES permit program was created by the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972. According to the EPA, this program is used to address water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants to water of the United States. Broadly defined by the EPA, a point source means any discernible, confined, discrete conveyance. Point sources include pipes, ditches, channels, tunnels, and conduits. Water pollution includes any type of pollutant introduced into water systems. This can be industrial, municipal, and agricultural waste discharged into US waters, which includes those that are navigable, tributaries to navigable, interstate, intrastate, and oceans out to 200 miles. 

NPDES permits specify the acceptable level of pollutants in a discharge. This permit or license ensures that permittees select best management practices to meet the state's mandatory standards and federal minimums. Best management practices are simply treatment techniques; they define how the permittee will maintain acceptable levels of pollutants during land-disturbing activities, which can be caused by industry, mining, agriculture, and construction. There are two types of NPDES permits: induvial permits, which are specific to the site; and general permits, which cover a group of discharges with similar qualities. The construction general permit is required at construction sites with land-disturbing activities of one acre or greater. The permit can also be required if the site falls within a certain geographical location (such as a watershed) and/or proximity to the regulated waters of the state. 

During construction activity, soil is disturbed leaving loose soil exposed without vegetation. When it rains, stormwater washes over the bare soil at construction sites and carries it along with other construction pollutants such as fuel, debris, and other chemicals, to point sources. This ultimately produces water pollution and has adverse effects on the environment because soils and construction waste that wash into water systems negatively affect aquatic ecosystems. 

To be covered under a construction general permit, the permittee must file a notice of intent (NOI). This is an electronic public document filed through the EPA or state regulatory agency and provides notice to the agency that the entity (owner or operator) intends to be covered under the general permit. NOIs contain basic information regarding the site, land-disturbing activities, and the proposed discharge. In environmentally sensitive areas, the permittee is required to submit additional information such as a stormwater pollution prevention plan.

The Basics of Temporary Traffic Control

The primary function of temporary traffic control is to provide road users-bicyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles-with safe conveyance and passage through roadway construction zones. It is also used to provide safety to workers and equipment. Traffic control design is the ability to communicate clear and concise information to road users when normal roadway activities are suspended. This is conveyed through the use of traffic control devices such as signs, symbols, pavement markings, channelizing devices, and traffic signals. The manual used to provide this standard is the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD, 2009). 

Part 6 of the MUTCD provides standard guidance for the design and implementation of temporary traffic control devices. Signs are typically the first temporary traffic control device seen by road users. Sign colors are orange and black and provide an advanced warning that normal traffic operations will be altered. These signs are, in essence, warning signs but for temporary use. Multiple signs are used in some instances and placed at specific distances apart based on speed and geographic location of the roadway. Regulatory signs are also used in temporary traffic control operations to convey messages. Channelizing devices such as cones or drums are also commonly used temporary traffic control devices that direct the flow of traffic safely through the work zone. Other devices may include temporary traffic signals used at temporary intersections (such as at the construction entrance to the road), message boards and attenuators used on higher speed facilities, and temporary pavement markings used on more long-term projects such as lane additions. These devices are used together to provide a well-balanced, informative system for safe passage by road users. Temporary traffic control devices should never be overused. Drivers can become overstimulated, increasing the risk of driver error. 

Temporary traffic zones are composed of several components. The advanced warning area is used to tell traffic what is ahead. The transition areas are used to move or shift traffic away from the normal path. The activity area is composed of an optional buffer space to provide additional protection for equipment and workers and the workspace where the actual roadway operation is being performed (such as pavement patch repair or utility work in public right of way). The last part of the temporary traffic control zone is the transition area, where traffic begins to shift back into normal traffic operations. 

There should be extensive strategic planning and design consideration before implementing temporary work operations. This produces driver unfamiliarity and the potential for serious collisions. A temporary traffic control plan is developed by designers and engineers and must be stamped by a licensed professional and approved through the office of the governing jurisdiction of the road (county, state, or municipal) before implementation. Site-specific plans are usually developed based on guidance by the MUTCD, which provides 46 typical design configurations for the placement of signs, markers, barricades, and channelizing devices (such as shoulder work, work in the center of an intersection, and detours through urban areas).