April 28, 2010

Member Board Administrators and Testing Services

Tim Miller, P.E., Director of Examination Services

Notice of Future Changes to NCEES Examinations and Supporting Materials

Beginning with the April 2011 exam administration, NCEES will implement several changes to examinations and exam-supporting material. This letter provides Member Boards and testing services with the 1-year notice required by the NCEES Manual of Policy and Position Statements, Exam Development Policy 9. Also included are upcoming changes to the October 2010 exams, reported to Member Boards and testing services in 2009. April 2011 Administration Beginning with the April 2011 exam administration, NCEES will implement changes to the following Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exams. Current exam specifications and design standards are posted online at ncees.org. PE Chemical Exam • The PE Chemical exam will have revised specifications. The new specifications are attached and will be

posted on the NCEES Web site after the October 2010 administration. • A new edition of the NCEES Chemical Sample Questions and Solutions will be available for sale in

November 2010. It will reflect the new specifications. PE Civil Exam—Design Standards • The design standards for the structural module of the PE Civil exam are effective beginning with the April

2011 administration. Please wait until after the October 2010 administration to distribute the attached list to examinees. The standards will be posted on the NCEES Web site after the October 2010 administration.

PE Environmental Exam • The PE Environmental exam will have revised specifications. The new specifications are attached and will

be posted on the NCEES Web site after the October 2010 administration. • A new edition of the NCEES Environmental Sample Questions and Solutions will be available for sale in

November 2010. It will reflect the new specifications. PE Structural Exam • The 16-hour Structural exam will be offered for the first time effective with the April 2011 administration. • It is a two-component exam with the Vertical Forces component offered on Friday and the Lateral Forces

component offered on Saturday. • Candidates may take either or both components in any exam administration. They must obtain acceptable

results on both components before passing the exam.

PE Structural Exam (continued)

• NCEES will use the Examinee Management System to track the attempts each candidate makes on a component and report results and passage of the exam to the boards once acceptable results are obtained for both components.

• The specifications for the new Structural exam are attached and posted on the NCEES Web site. • A new edition of the NCEES Structural Sample Questions and Solutions will be available for sale in

November 2010. • The design standards for the PE Structural examination are effective with the April 2011 administration.

Please wait until after the October 2010 administration to distribute the list to examinees. The standards are included on the last page of the new PE Structural exam specifications and will be posted on the NCEES Web site after the fall 2010 exam administration.

October 2010 Administration As a reminder, beginning with the October 2010 exam administration, NCEES will implement changes to the following PE and Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exams. Current exam specifications and design standards are posted online at ncees.org. PE Agricultural Exam • The PE Agricultural exam will have revised specifications. The new specifications are posted on the NCEES

Web site. • An updated study guide will be available from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological

Engineers in the summer of 2010. PE Structural I and II Exams • The new 16-hour Structural examination will be offered starting with the April 2011 administration.

Therefore, October 2010 is the last time NCEES will offer the current Structural I and Structural II exams.

PE Civil Exam • The PE Civil afternoon exam will be split into five individual module booklets: Construction, Geotechnical,

Structural, Transportation, and Water Resources and Environmental. Candidates taking this exam will have to choose their afternoon module when registering with NCEES. On exam day, PE Civil candidates will receive only the afternoon module they registered for and will not be allowed to change to a different module.

PE Mechanical Exam • The PE Mechanical afternoon exam will be split into three individual module booklets: HVAC and

Refrigeration, Mechanical Systems and Materials, and Thermal and Fluids Systems. Candidates taking this exam will have to choose their afternoon module when registering with NCEES. On exam day, PE Mechanical examinees will receive only the afternoon module they registered for and will not be allowed to change to a different module.

FE Examination • The FE afternoon exam book will be split into seven individual module booklets: Chemical, Civil, Electrical,

Environmental, Industrial, Mechanical, and Other Disciplines. Candidates taking this exam will have to choose their afternoon module when registering with NCEES. On exam day, FE candidates will receive only the PM module they registered for and will not be allowed to change to a different module.

Examinee Management System • The NCEES Examinee Management System will be implemented starting with the October 2010

administration. • Registration for the October 2010 exams will be open from July 6 to September 12. All examinees must

be registered in the NCEES Examinee Management System by September 12, 2010. • Examinees will log into the NCEES Web site, obtain a unique ID number, and register for the exam they

intend to take. For the PE Civil, PE Mechanical, and FE exams, examinees must also select an afternoon module when they register.

If you have any questions about these changes or require additional information, please contact me.

C: NCEES Board of Directors

George Roman, P.E., EPE Chair Jim Milligan, Ph.D., P.E., EPE Vice-Chair

Larry Smith, P.E., EPP Chair Denise Chastain-Knight, P.E., Chemical Engineering PE Committee Chair

Frank Hutchinson, P.E., Environmental Engineering PE Committee Chair Ed Huston, P.E., S.E., Structural Engineering PE Committee Chair Lisa Webster, P.E., Civil Engineering PE Committee Chair Jerry Carter, Executive Director Davy McDowell, P.E., Associate Executive Director Steven Matthews, Director of IT Bob Whorton, P.E., Manager of Compliance and Security Ashley Cheney, Manager of Exam Publications Susan Thrift, Manager of Exam Fulfillment and Scoring

1

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination CHEMICAL Exam Specifications

Effective Beginning with the April 2011 Examinations

• The exam is an 8-hour open-book exam. It contains 40 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour morning session, and 40 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour afternoon session. Examinee works all questions.

• The exam uses both the International System of units (SI) and the US Customary System (USCS).

• The exam is developed with questions that will require a variety of approaches and methodologies, including design, analysis, and application.

• The knowledge areas specified as examples of kinds of knowledge are not exclusive or exhaustive categories.

Approximate

Percentage of Examination

I. Mass/Energy Balances and Thermodynamics 23% A. Mass Balances 10% 1. Material balances with no reaction (e.g., phase behavior,

mass, volume, density, composition, purge, bypass)

2. Material balances with reaction (e.g., multiple reactions, incomplete reactions, excess reactant, purge, bypass, recycle, combustion)

B. Energy Balances and Thermodynamics 13% 1. Energy balances on non-reactive systems (e.g., sensible heat,

latent heat, heat of solution) 2. Energy balances on reactive systems (e.g., heat of reaction

and combinations with sensible heat; latent heat; heat of solution)

3. Power cycles (e.g., refrigeration, engines, turbines, heat recovery)

II. Heat Transfer 16% A. Mechanisms 9% 1. Heat transfer without phase change (e.g., thermal

conductivity, heat capacity, conduction, convection, free/forced heat transfer coefficients/correlations, radiation, combinations thereof)

2. Heat transfer with phase change (e.g., vaporization and evaporation, condensation, sublimation, crystallization, latent heat)

B. Applications 7% 1. Heat exchange equipment design (e.g., overall heat transfer

coefficient, fouling factors, LMTD, F-factor, equipment selection, insulation)

2. Heat exchange equipment analysis [e.g., pressure drop, fouling effects, performance evaluation (NTU), changes in parameters]

2

III. Kinetics 11% A. Reaction Parameters 6% 1. Rate equation (e.g., rate constant, activation energy, order of

reaction, mechanisms, catalysis) 2. Chemical equilibria (e.g., temperature and pressure

dependence, composition) B. Reactors 5% 1. Conversion in single reactors [e.g., batch reactor, continuous

stirred tank reactor (CSTR), plug flow reactor (PFR)] 2. Conversion in complex reactors (e.g., reactors in series: CSTR

and/or PFR, multiphase reactors, fluidized beds, packed beds, recycle, bioreactors)

3. Yield and selectivity

IV. Fluids 16% A. Mechanical-Energy Balance 12% 1. Flow behavior (e.g., viscosity; velocity; Reynolds number;

friction factor; pressure drop in pipes, valves, and fittings; expansion/ contraction; porous media; particle dynamics; fluidization; sonic velocity; laminar/turbulent; two-phase flow)

2. Flow applications (e.g., potential and kinetic energy, friction, flow networks, mixing, pumps, NPSH, turbines, compressors, drivers, solids handling)

B. Flow and Pressure Measurement Techniques 4% 1. Flow measurement application (e.g., mass and volumetric

meters) and pressure measurement application (e.g., permanent pressure drop, differential pressure devices)

V. Mass Transfer 14% A. Phase Equilibria 5% 1. Ideal systems (e.g., Henry's Law, Raoult's Law, Dalton's Law,

ideal gas law, vapor pressure) 2. Non-ideal systems (e.g., activity coefficients, fugacity

coefficients, azeotropes, immiscible/partially miscible phases, equations of state)

3. Phase equilibrium applications (e.g., bubble point, dew point, flash, critical states)

B. Continuous Vapor-Liquid Contactors 8% 1. Material and energy balances for trayed units and packed

units (e.g., absorption, stripping, distillation) 2. Design parameters for trayed units (e.g., minimum flow rates

and reflux, minimum and theoretical stages, feed location, tray selection, capacity/efficiency, flooding, dumping, tray hydraulics)

3. Design parameters for non-trayed units (e.g., minimum flow rates and reflux, minimum stages, theoretical stages/NTU, feed location, packing selection, capacity/efficiency, flooding, pressure drop, mass transfer coefficients/height of transfer units)

3

C. Miscellaneous Mass Transfer Processes 1% 1. Continuous, batch, and semicontinuous (e.g., drying,

membranes, extraction, crystallization, filtration, leaching, humidification, diffusion, adsorption, absorption, stripping, distillation)

VI. Plant Design and Operation 20% A. Economic Considerations 1% 1. Cost estimation and project evaluation (e.g., capital costs,

depreciation, operating costs, risk evaluation, optimization, return on investment)

B. Design 10%

1. Process design (e.g., process flow sheets, P&ID, specifications, procedures, modeling/simulation, scale-up, process or product development, boundary conditions)

2. Process equipment design (e.g., equipment selection, optimization, design temperature, design pressure)

3. Siting considerations (e.g., security, ingress, egress, plant

layout, utilities, natural disasters, human factors)

4. Instrumentation and process control (e.g., sensors, controller actions, feedback/feed-forward actions)

5. Materials of construction (e.g., material properties and selection, corrosion considerations)

C. Operation 4%

1. Process and equipment reliability (e.g., testing, preventive maintenance, startup/shutdown procedures, robustness)

2. Process improvement and troubleshooting (e.g., debottlenecking, experimental design and evaluation, optimization)

D. Safety, Health, and Environment 5% 1. Protection systems [e.g., pressure/vacuum relief valves

(safety valves), flares, rupture disks, vents, vacuum breakers, inerting, seal legs, discharge location, configuration, fire protection]

2. Industrial hygiene (e.g., MSDS, exposure limits and control, noise control, ventilation, personal protective equipment)

3. Hazard identification and management [e.g., flammability/ explosive limits, auto-ignition, reactor stability, process hazard analysis, safety integrity level (SIL), management of change]

4. Environmental considerations (e.g., emissions evaluation, permitting, pollution prevention, mitigation, waste determination)

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination

CIVIL STRUCTURAL Design Standards1

Effective for the April and October 2011 Examinations ABBREVIATION DESIGN STANDARD TITLE AASHTO2 AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 4th edition, 2007, with

2008 Interim Revisions, American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, Washington, DC.

IBC3 International Building Code, 2006 edition (without supplements), International Code Council, Falls Church, VA.

ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, 2005, American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA.

ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, 2005, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI.

ACI 530/530.1-054 Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures (and related commentaries), 2005; American Concrete Institute, Detroit, MI; Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA; and The Masonry Society, Boulder, CO.

AISC5 Steel Construction Manual, 13th edition, American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc., Chicago, IL.

NDS6 National Design Specification for Wood Construction ASD/LRFD, 2005 edition & National Design Specification Supplement, Design Values for Wood Construction, 2005 edition, American Forest & Paper Association (formerly National Forest Products Association), Washington, DC.

PCI PCI Design Handbook: Precast and Prestressed Concrete, 6th edition, 2004, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Chicago, IL.

AWS Structural Welding Code D1.1 (2006), D1.2 (2003), and D1.4 (2005) American Welding Society, Miami, FL.

Notes 1. Solutions to exam questions that reference a standard of practice are scored based on this

list. Solutions based on other editions or standards will not receive credit. All questions are in English units.

2. This publication is available through AASHTO with an item code of LRFD-PE.

3. Appendix C does not apply to the Civil Structural examination.

4. Examinees will use only the Allowable Stress Design (ASD) method, except strength design Section 3.3.5 may be used for walls with out-of-plane loads.

5. Examinees may choose between the AISC/ASD and AISC/LRFD design following the 13th edition only.

6. Examinees will use only the ASD method for wood design.

1

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination ENVIRONMENTAL Exam Specifications

Effective Beginning with the April 2011 Examinations

• The exam is an 8-hour open-book exam. It contains 50 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour morning session, and 50 multiple-choice questions in the 4-hour afternoon session. Examinee works all questions.

• The exam uses both the International System of units (SI) and the US Customary System (USCS).

• The exam is developed with questions that will require a variety of approaches and methodologies, including design, analysis, and application.

• The knowledge areas specified as examples of kinds of knowledge are not exclusive or exhaustive categories.

Approximate Percentage of Examination

I. Water 32% A. Basic Principles 4%

1. Hydraulics/fluid mechanics 2. Chemistry 3. Biology/microbiology 4. Fate and transport 5. Sampling and measurement methods 6. Hydrology/hydrogeology

B. Wastewater 10% 1. Sources of pollution and minimization/prevention 2. Treatment technologies and management 3. Collection systems 4. Residuals management (solid, liquid, and gas) 5. Codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines

C. Stormwater 4% 1. Sources of pollution 2. Treatment technologies and management 3. Collection systems 4. Codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines

D. Potable Water 10% 1. Treatment technologies and management 2. Distribution systems 3. Residuals management (solid, liquid, and gas) 4. Codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines

E. Water Resources 4% 1. Sources of pollution 2. Codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines 3. Watershed management and planning 4. Source supply and protection

II. Solid Waste 18%

A. Basic Principles 3% 1. Chemistry 2. Fate and transport 3. Codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines 4. Risk assessment 5. Sampling and measurement methods

2

6. Minimization, reduction, and recycling 7. Thermodynamics 8. Hydrology/hydrogeology 9. Geology

B. Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste 6% 1. Storage, collection, and transportation systems 2. Treatment and disposal technologies and management

C. Hazardous Waste 6% 1. Storage, collection, and transportation systems 2. Treatment and disposal technologies and management

D. Medical, Radioactive, and Other Waste 3% 1. Storage, collection, and transportation systems 2. Treatment and disposal technologies and management

III. Air 23%

A. Basic Principles 7% 1. Sampling and measurement methods 2. Codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines 3. Chemistry 4. Thermodynamics 5. Fate and transport 6. Atmospheric science and meteorology

B. Pollution Control 16% 1. Source categories 2. Emissions inventory 3. Treatment technologies 4. Pollution minimization and prevention

IV. Site Assessment and Remediation 12%

A. Basic Principles 5% 1. Codes, standards, regulations, and guidelines 2. Chemistry and microbiology 3. Hydrology/hydrogeology 4. Sampling and measurement methods 5. Risk assessment 6. Fate and transport 7. Pollution characterization

B. Site Assessment 3% 1. Site characterization 2. Historical considerations and land-use practices 3. Remediation alternative identification

C. Remediation 4% 1. Minimization/prevention 2. Remediation technologies and management 3. Remediation alternative identification

V. Environmental Health and Safety 8%

A. Industrial Hygiene, Health, and Safety B. Security, Emergency Preparedness, and Incident Response Procedures C. Exposure Assessments D. Radiation Protection/Health Physics E. Vector Control, Sanitation, and Biohazards F. Noise Pollution G. Indoor Air Quality H. Codes, Standards, Regulations, and Guidelines

3

VI. Associated Engineering Principles 7% A. Mathematics and Statistics B. Economics and Project Management C. Sustainable Design D. Mass and Energy Balance

1

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral Component of the

Structural BREADTH Exam Specifications Effective Beginning with the April 2011 Examinations

• The 4-hour Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral breadth

examination is offered on Friday morning and focuses on gravity loads. It contains 40 multiple-choice questions.

• The exam uses the US Customary System (USCS) of units.

• The exam is developed with questions that will require a variety of approaches and methodologies, including design, analysis, and application.

• The knowledge areas specified as examples of kinds of knowledge are not exclusive or exhaustive categories.

• Score results are combined with depth exam results for final score of this component.

Approximate Percentage of Examination

I. Analysis of Structures 30%

A. Loads 10% 1. Dead

2. Live 3. Snow, including drifting 4. Moving (e.g., vehicular, pedestrian, crane) 5. Thermal 6. Shrinkage and creep 7. Impact (e.g., vehicular, crane, and elevator) 8. Settlement 9. Ponding 10. Fluid 11. Ice 12. Static earth pressure 13. Hydrostatic

14. Hydraulics (e.g., stream flow, wave action, scour, flood)

B. Methods 20%

1. Statics (e.g., determinate, location of forces and

moments, free-body diagrams)

2. Shear and moment diagrams 3. Code coefficients and tables

4. Computer-generated structural analysis techniques

(e.g., modeling, interpreting, and verifying results)

5. Simplified analysis methods (e.g., influence lines, portal

frame method/cantilever method)

6. Indeterminate analysis methods (e.g., deflection

compatibility)

2

II. Design and Details of Structures 65% A. General Structural Considerations 7.5% 1. Material properties and standards 2. Load combinations 3. Serviceability requirements

(a) Deflection

(b) Camber

(c) Vibration 4. Fatigue (for AASHTO concrete and steel) 5. Bearings

6. Expansion joints

7. Corrosion B. Structural Systems Integration 2.5%

1. Specifications, quality controls and coordination with

other disciplines

2. Constructability 3. Construction sequencing 4. Strengthening existing systems: reinforcing methods C. Structural Steel 12.5% 1. Tension members

2. Columns and compression members 3. Base plates 4. Beams 5. Plate girders—straight 6. Plate girders—curved 7. Trusses 8. Beam-columns 9. Connections—welded 10. Connections—bolted 11. Moment connections 12. Weld design 13. Composite steel design

14. Relief angle (e.g., masonry support angle, facade

support angle) 15. Bridge piers 16. Bridge cross-frame diaphragms D. Light Gage/Cold-Formed Steel 2.5% 1. Framing 2. Connections 3. Web crippling E. Concrete 12.5%

1. Flexural members (e.g., beams, joists, bridge decks, and

slabs)

2. Design for shear 3. Columns and compression members 4. Two-way slab systems 5. Pre-tensioned concrete 6. Post-tensioned concrete

3

7. Attachment of elements and anchorage to concrete

(e.g., inserts, attachment plates, dowels) 8. Bridge piers 9. Crack control 10. Composite design 11. Slab-on-grade F. Wood 10% 1. Sawn beams 2. Glue-laminated beams 3. Engineered lumber 4. Columns 5. Bearing walls 6. Trusses 7. Bolted, nailed, and screwed connections G. Masonry 7.5% 1. Flexural members 2. Compression members 3. Bearing walls

4. Detailing (e.g., crack control, deflection, masonry

openings) H. Foundations and Retaining Structures 10%

1. Use of design pressure coefficients (e.g., active, passive,

at rest, bearing, coefficient of friction, cohesion)

2. Selection of foundation systems (e.g., based on geotechnical information, boring logs, settlement, and groundwater table)

3. Overturning, sliding and bearing 4. Combined footings/mat foundations 5. Piles (concrete, steel, timber) 6. Drilled shafts/drilled piers/caissons 7. Gravity walls 8. Anchored walls 9. Cantilever walls 10. Basement walls for buildings 11. Effect of adjacent loads 12. Use of modulus of sub-grade reaction

III. Construction Administration

5%

A. Procedures for Mitigating Nonconforming Work B. Inspection Methods

4

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral Component of the

Structural DEPTH Exam Specifications Effective Beginning with the April 2011 Examination

The 4-hour Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral depth examination is offered on Friday afternoon. The depth modules of the Structural exam focus on a single area of practice in structural engineering. Examinees must choose either the BUILDINGS or the BRIDGES module. Examinees must work the same module on both components. That is, if bridges is the module chosen in the Vertical Forces component, then bridges must be the module chosen in the Lateral Forces component. All questions are constructed response (essay). The exam uses the US Customary System (USCS) of units. BUILDINGS The Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral Structural depth exam in BUILDINGS covers loads, lateral earth pressures, analysis methods, general structural considerations (element design), structural systems integration (connections), and foundations and retaining structures. This module contains four 1-hour problems in each of the following areas:

• Steel structure • Concrete structure • Wood structure • Masonry structure At least one problem includes a multistory building, and at least one problem includes a foundation. BRIDGES The Vertical Forces (Gravity/Other) and Incidental Lateral Structural depth exam in BRIDGES covers gravity loads, superstructures, substructures, and lateral loads other than wind and seismic and may test pedestrian bridge and/or vehicular bridge knowledge. This module contains one 2-hour BRIDGE problem and two 1-hour BRIDGE problems, as indicated below:

• Steel superstructure (2 hours) • Concrete superstructure (1 hour) • Other elements of bridges (e.g., culverts, abutments, retaining walls) (1 hour)

5

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake) Component of the

Structural BREADTH Exam Specifications Effective Beginning with the April 2011 Examination

• The 4-hour Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake) breadth examination is offered on Saturday

morning and focuses on wind/earthquake loads. It contains 40 multiple-choice questions.

• The exam uses the US Customary System (USCS) of units.

• The exam is developed with questions that will require a variety of approaches and methodologies, including design, analysis, and application.

• The knowledge areas specified as examples of kinds of knowledge are not exclusive or exhaustive categories.

• Score results are combined with depth exam results for final score of this component.

Approximate Percentage of Examination

I. Analysis of Structures 37% A. Lateral Forces 10% 1. Wind 2. Horizontal seismic 3. Vertical seismic 4. Dynamic earth pressure B. Lateral Force Distribution 22%

1. Statics (e.g., determinate and indeterminate, location of forces and moments, free-body diagrams)

2. Seismic design categories (C and lower) 3. Seismic design categories (D and higher) 4. Seismic static force procedures 5. Seismic dynamic force procedures

6. Configuration of a structural system to resist

effects of horizontal torsional moments 7. Relative rigidity force distribution 8. Horizontal/plan and vertical irregularities 9. Flexible diaphragms 10. Rigid diaphragms 11. Simplified wind 12. Wind analytic procedures 13. Wind components and cladding 14. Main wind force resisting systems C. Methods 5%

1. Computer-generated structural analysis techniques

(e.g., modeling, interpreting, and verifying results)

2. Simplified analysis methods (e.g., influence lines,

portal frame method/cantilever method)

6

II. Design and Detailing of Structures

60% A. General Structural Considerations 7.5% 1. Load combinations 2. Serviceability requirements: building drift

3. Anchorage of a structural system to resist uplift

and sliding forces 4. Components, attachments, and cladding 5. Redundancy factors 6. Overstrength 7. Ductility requirements 8. Abutment/pier seat width B. Structural Systems Integration 5% 1. Structural systems to resist effects of lateral forces 2. Constructability 3. Strengthening existing systems: seismic retrofit a. Details b. System compatibility C. Structural Steel 10% 1. Ordinary moment frames 2. Intermediate moment-resisting frames 3. Special moment-resisting frames 4. Bracing 5. Ordinary concentric braced frames 6. Special concentric braced frames 7. Eccentric braced frames 8. Bridge piers D. Light Gage/Cold-Formed Steel 2.5% 1. Metal deck diaphragms 2. Light-framed wall systems (e.g., shearwall systems) E. Concrete 12.5% 1. Ordinary or intermediate shear walls 2. Special shear walls 3. Ordinary or intermediate moment-resisting frames 4. Special moment-resisting frames 5. Diaphragms

6. Reinforcement details (e.g., ductile detailing,

anchorage) 7. Bridge piers 8. Tilt-up construction F. Wood 7.5% 1. Shear walls 2. Plywood diaphragms (e.g., drag struts, chords) 3. Plywood sub-diaphragms G. Masonry 7.5% 1. Flexural-compression members 2. Slender walls 3. Ordinary or intermediate shear walls

7

4. Special shear walls 5. Anchorage for walls (e.g., out-of-plane) 6. Attachment of elements to masonry H. Foundations and Retaining Structures 7.5% 1. Spread footings 2. Piles (concrete, steel, timber) 3. Drilled shafts/drilled piers/caissons III. Construction Administration 3% A. Structural observation

8

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake) Component of the

Structural DEPTH Exam Specifications

Effective Beginning with the April 2011 Examination The 4-hour Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake) depth examination is offered on Saturday afternoon. The depth modules of the Structural exam focus on a single area of practice in structural engineering. Examinees must choose either the BUILDINGS or the BRIDGES module. Examinees must work the same module on both components. That is, if bridges is the module chosen in the Vertical Forces component, then bridges must be the module chosen in the Lateral Forces component. All questions are constructed response (essay). The exam uses the US Customary System (USCS) of units. BUILDINGS The Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake) Structural depth exam in BUILDINGS covers lateral forces, lateral force distribution, analysis methods, general structural considerations (element design), structural systems integration (connections), and foundations and retaining structures. This module contains four 1-hour problems in the following areas:

• Steel structure • Concrete structure • Wood and/or masonry structure • General analysis (e.g., existing structures, secondary structures, nonbuilding structures, and/or

computer verification)

At least two problems include seismic content at Seismic Design Category D and above. At least one problem includes wind content of at least 110 mph. Problems may include a multistory building. Problems may include a foundation. BRIDGES The Lateral Forces (Wind/Earthquake) Structural depth exam in BRIDGES covers gravity loads, superstructures, substructures, and lateral forces and may test pedestrian bridge and/or vehicular bridge knowledge. This module contains one 2-hour BRIDGE problem and two 1-hour BRIDGE problems, as indicated below:

• Columns (1 hour) • Footings (1 hour) • General analysis (i.e., seismic and/or wind) (2 hours)

NCEES Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination

STRUCTURAL Design Standards1

Effective for the April and October 2011 Examinations ABBREVIATION DESIGN STANDARD TITLE AASHTO2 AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 4th edition, 2007, with

2008 Interim Revisions, American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, Washington, DC.

IBC International Building Code, 2006 edition (without supplements), International Code Council, Falls Church, VA.

ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, 2005, American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA.

ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, 2005, American Concrete Institute, Farmington Hills, MI.

ACI 530/530.1-053 Building Code Requirements and Specifications for Masonry Structures (and related commentaries), 2005; American Concrete Institute, Detroit, MI; Structural Engineering Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA; and The Masonry Society, Boulder, CO.

AISC4 Steel Construction Manual, 13th edition, American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc., Chicago, IL.

AISC Seismic Design Manual, 2nd printing, October 2006, American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc., Chicago, IL.

AISI North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members, 2001 edition, with 2004 supplement, American Iron and Steel Institute, Washington, DC.

NDS National Design Specification for Wood Construction ASD/LRFD, 2005 edition & National Design Specification Supplement, Design Values for Wood Construction, 2005 edition, American Forest & Paper Association (formerly National Forest Products Association), Washington, DC.

PCI PCI Design Handbook: Precast and Prestressed Concrete, 6th edition, 2004, Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Chicago, IL.

Notes 1. Solutions to exam questions that reference a standard of practice are scored based on this

list. Solutions based on other editions or standards will not receive credit. All questions are in English units.

2. This publication is available through AASHTO with an item code of LRFD-PE.

3. Examinees will use only the Allowable Stress Design (ASD) method, except strength design Section 3.3.5 may be used for walls with out-of-plane loads.

4. Examinees may choose between the AISC/ASD and AISC/LRFD design following the 13th edition only.