General Archives - The Structural Guy

5 Important Tasks To Do Right After You Pass the PE or SE Exam

The process of taking the PE or SE Exam can be quite stressful, but the moment of triumph after passing is undeniably exhilarating. The euphoria of knowing you won’t have to endure another round of exams or relentless studying is truly magical. However, putting emotions aside, it’s crucial for you to complete five essential tasks right after passing the exam to successfully conclude your licensing journey.

Structural Issues for My ADU and How I Solved Them (Part 3)

In Part 1 of this series about the conversion of my detached garage into an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), I discussed the structural issues relating to the roof of the garage. In Part 2, I discussed the structural issues relating to the walls of the garage and how I dealt with them. In this Part 3, I will discuss structural issues I had with the foundation of the structure and how I fixed them.

My Experience Installing and Operating Tesla Solar and Powerwall System

Getting a solar system installed and operated at your house can be a very intimidating experience. I remember when I first did my research for the project, I was totally overwhelmed with all the information out there. What would have really helped me in my research was a summary of what to expect for solar experience from signing up to operating the system so I will try to do just that here with this post. Everyone’s experience will be different, but hopefully you can learn from my experience to avoid some pitfalls, speed up the process, and even save some money!

7 Easy Steps to Crushing the FE Exam

The Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, also known as Engineer-In-Training (EIT) exam, is the first step in the journey to obtain your Professional Engineering (PE) license. Click here if you want to learn more about it, but if you know about the exam and are thinking about taking it, follow these 7 easy steps for your best chance of passing it!

7 Must-Have Study Materials for the SE Lateral Exam

In theory, it should be simple to study for the SE Lateral exam because the subject matter is limited to just wind and seismic. However, what I found when studying for the SE Lateral exam was that there was no single unified study material similar to the SE Vertical exam that I could have used. Luckily, I was able to find some excellent in-depth lateral design study materials that helped me tremendously in my study. In this post I will share with you these 7 study materials so you can use them to self-study or refresh your knowledge of wind and seismic design.

Should You Take the SE Vertical or SE Lateral Exam First?

So you are thinking about taking the SE exam in two separate sittings, but you are not sure which exam to take first: Lateral or Vertical. I think the answer to your dilemma is that you take the exam that you have a better shot at passing first because you want to build momentum and confidence before taking the more difficult exam for you. So how do you know which of the two exams you have a better shot at passing if you never took the test before? This post will explain how you can assess your chances of passing and pick the right exam for you to take first.

The Best Reference to Learn/Review Wood Design for PE or SE Exam (Only 48 Pages Long!)

Wood is one of 4 main structural materials that you are required to know for the SE exam or the structural depth portion of the PE exam. However, I was surprised to learn recently that some of my co-workers never even took a wood design class in college. For me, I did take a wood design class in college and studied the textbook Design of Wood Structures by Donald Breyer. It was an excellent and comprehensive textbook that pretty much can teach you everything you need to to know about wood design, but it was also over 800 pages long! If you are instead looking for a fast way to learn wood design or just simply refresh your memory of wood design for PE/SE exam, I have a perfect reference for you. It is only 48 pages long but it includes all of the equations, adjustment factors, and design examples that you need to know for the PE/SE exam. Bring this reference to the PE/SE exam and you will be golden for wood design!

3 Useful Test Taking Strategies for the PE and SE Exams

There are many general test taking strategies out there that you probably already know. For this post I want to focus on 3 test taking strategies that specifically apply to the PE and SE exams. Putting these 3 strategies on the actual exam can greatly increase your chance of passing!

4 Necessary Components of a Study Plan for FE/EIT, PE, and SE exam

Studying means something different to everyone. The amount of studying you need to do depends on your level of knowledge of the subject and how much information you can retain each time you study. In this post I will provide 4 minimum studying activities you need to do for an engineering licensing exam (whether it’s FE, PE, SE, or another exam) to give you a good shot at passing. It’s up to you to calibrate this guideline to your specific needs and level of knowledge.

Continue reading “4 Necessary Components of a Study Plan for FE/EIT, PE, and SE exam”