FE Civil Exam

what does water-to-cement ratio impact?

workability, durability, and strength

what is usually associated with soil stabilization?

mechanical compaction, application of chemical admixtures, and installation of geotextiles

what is the maximum compressive strength (fc’) for normal weight concrete?

4000 psi

what properties have an impact on the design tensile strength of sawn lumber?

moisture content, temperature, size, and load duration

what variables are considered in the design of hot-mix asphalt?

aggregate, asphalt binder content, and ratio of aggregate to asphalt binder

on a stress-strain curve, how is the modulus of elasticity found?

the slope of the linear elastic portion

what is the unit weight of reinforced concrete?

150 lbs/cf

what is the unit weight of normal weight concrete?

145 lbs/cf

what is the ultimate concrete strain?

0.003

what is the modulus of elasticity of normal steel?

29 GPa = 29,000,000 psi

who is allowed to stamp and approve engineering designs/plans?

professional engineers (PE) or AIAs (certified architects)

what identifies the critical path of a timeline?

zero float

what is an indemnification clause?

clause in a construction contract that holds one party accountable for any losses tied to their negligence

what is a normal percent retainage?

5-10%

what is the main point of the engineering code?

to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public

what is the minimum educational experience for a PE license?

an ABET accredited bachelor’s degree

what assumption can be made in dynamics when the angle of a force is very small?

sin(theta) = opposite

in columns, how is the strong axis identified?

whichever has the larger moment of inertia

what does a CPI less than 1 mean?

the project is over budget

what does a CPI greater than 1 mean?

the project is under budget

what does an SPI less than 1 mean?

the project is behind schedule

what does an SPI greater than 1 mean?

the project is ahead of schedule

what best represents the sieve analysis of uniformly graded soil?

a plot with only one major linear portion that falls between the #4 and #200 sieves

what are the three major phases of soil?

solids, water, and air

what is the density of water?

1 g/cm³

when soil is completely saturated, what is the volume of air?

volume of air is 0

what test is used to measure the maximum dry density of a soil?

standard proctor test

when water is applying a force to a retaining wall, what is the Ka value?

Ka = 1

what is the critical depth for loose sands vs dense sands?

loose sands = 10x the diameter of the pile

dense sands = 20x the diameter of the pile

how many kips are in a ton?

1 ton = 2 kips

how many pounds are in a kip?

1 kip = 1000 lbs

what is the most common type of footing used in bridges?

deep foundations or piles

where are wall footings found?

along the length of the structure

do mat footings or spread footings support more weight?

spread footings

when are mat footings usually used?

when the surrounding soil is cohesive

what is the difference between the bernoulli equation and the energy equation?

energy equation includes headloss

what is true about pitot tubes?

the velocity at the submerged entrance is always zero

what is the common equation for stress?

stress = force/area

what is the common pressure equation?

pressure = (density)(gravity)(height)

what is usually true about mercury in a barometer?

vapor pressure is negligible

what is specific gravity?

the ratio between the unit weight of a material and the unit weight of water OR the density of a material and the density of water

what is assumed in the Bernoulli equation?

no pumps/turbines, no friction losses, and no head losses

in stormwater management, initial abstraction accounts for what?

infiltration, evaporation, and retention

what is the purpose of an emergency spillway?

to let flow pass that exceeds the capacity of the main spillway and protect the dam in a flood event

what characteristics lead to eutrophication in a water body?

nitrogen and phosphorous runoff, sediment deposition that reduces the volume of the water body, and an overabundance of plants and nutrients

what is the main purpose of the federal National Discharge Pollutant Elimination System (NPDES)?

to limit and control pollutants from point source discharges to waters of the United States

what is the equation for factor of safety?

FS = capacity/demand