Earthwork Construction and Layout
Excavation and embankment (e.g., cut and fill) Borrow pit volumes Site layout and control Earthwork mass diagrams and haul distance Site and subsurface investigations
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Estimating Quantities and Costs
Quantity take-off methods Cost estimating Cost analysis for resource selection Work measurement and productivity
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Construction Operations and Methods
Lifting and rigging Crane stability Dewatering and pumping Equipment operations (e.g., selection, production, economics) Deep foundation installation
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Scheduling
Construction sequencing Activity time analysis Critical path method (CPM) network analysis Resource scheduling and leveling Time-cost trade-off
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Material Quality Control and Production
Material properties and testing (e.g., soils, concrete, asphalt) Weld and bolt installation Quality control process (QA/QC) Concrete proportioning and placement Concrete maturity and early strength evaluation
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Temporary Structures
Construction loads, codes, and standards Formwork Falsework and scaffolding Shoring and reshoring Bracing and anchorage for stability Temporary support of excavation
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Health and Safety
OSHA regulations and hazard identification/abatement Safety management and statistics Work zone and public safety
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Site Characterization
Interpretation of available existing site data and proposed site development data (e.g., aerial photography, geologic and topographic maps, GIS data, as-built plans, planning studies and reports) Subsurface exploration planning Geophysics (e.g., GPR, resistivity, seismic methods) Drilling techniques (e.g., hollow stem auger, cased boring, mud rotary, air rotary, rock coring, sonic drilling) Sampling techniques (e.g., split-barrel sampling, thin-walled tube sampling, handling and storage) In situ testing (e.g., standard penetration testing, cone penetration testing, pressure meter testing, dilatometer testing, field vane shear) Description and classification of soils (e.g., Burmeister, Unified Soil Classification System, AASHTO, USDA) Rock classification and characterization (e.g., recovery, rock quality designation, RMR, weathering, orientation) Groundwater exploration, sampling, and characterization
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Soil Mechanics, Laboratory Testing, and Analysis
Index properties and testing Strength testing of soil and rock Stress-strain testing of soil and rock Permeability testing properties of soil and rock Effective and total stresses
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Field Materials Testing, Methods, and Safety
Excavation and embankment, borrow source studies, laboratory and field compaction Trench and construction safety Geotechnical instrumentation (e.g., inclinometer, settlement plates, piezometer, vibration monitoring)
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Earthquake Engineering and Dynamic Loads
Liquefaction analysis and mitigation techniques Seismic site characterization, including site classification using ASCE 7 Pseudo-static analysis and earthquake loads
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Earth Structures
Slab on grade Ground improvement (e.g., grouting, soil mixing, preconsolidation/wicks, lightweight materials) Geosynthetic applications (e.g., separation, strength, filtration, drainage, reinforced soil slopes, internal stability of MSE) Slope stability and slope stabilization Earth dams, levees, and embankments Landfills and caps (e.g., interface stability, drainage systems, lining systems) Pavement structures (rigid, flexible, or unpaved), including equivalent singleaxle load (ESAL), pavement thickness, subgrade testing, subgrade preparation, maintenance and rehabilitation treatments Settlement
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Groundwater and Seepage
Seepage analysis/groundwater flow Dewatering design, methods, and impact on nearby structures Drainage design/infiltration Grouting and other methods of reducing seepage
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Problematic Soil and Rock Conditions
Karst; collapsible, expansive, and sensitive soils Reactive/corrosive soils Frost susceptibility
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Earth Retaining Structures
Lateral earth pressure Load distribution Rigid retaining wall stability analysis (e.g., CIP, gravity, external stability of MSE, crib, bin) Flexible retaining wall stability analysis (e.g., soldier pile and lagging, sheet pile, secant pile, tangent pile, diaphragm walls, temporary support of excavation, braced and anchored walls) Cofferdams Underpinning (e.g., effects on adjacent construction) Ground anchors, tie-backs, soil nails, and rock anchors for foundations and slopes
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Shallow Foundations
Bearing capacity Settlement, including vertical stress distribution
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Deep Foundations
Single-element axial capacity (e.g., driven pile, drilled shaft, micropile, helical screw piles, auger cast piles) Lateral load and deformation analysis Single-element settlement Downdrag Group effects (e.g., axial capacity, settlement, lateral deflection) Installation methods/hammer selection Pile dynamics (e.g., wave equation, high-strain dynamic testing, signal matching) Pile and drilled-shaft load testing Integrity testing methods (e.g., low-strain impact integrity testing, ultrasonic cross-hole testing, coring, thermal integrity testing)
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Loads and load applications
Dead loads Live loads Construction loads Wind loads Seismic loads Moving loads (e.g., vehicular, cranes) Snow, rain, ice Impact loads Earth pressure and surcharge loads Load paths (e.g., lateral and vertical) Load combinations Tributary areas
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Forces and load effects
Diagrams (e.g., shear and moment) Axial (e.g., tension and compression) Shear Flexure Deflection Special topics (e.g., torsion, buckling, fatigue, progressive collapse, thermal deformation, bearing)
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Materials and material properties
Concrete (e.g., plain, reinforced, cast-in-place, precast, pre-tensioned, post-tensioned) Steel (e.g., structural, reinforcing, cold-formed) Timber Masonry (e.g., brick veneer, CMU)
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Component design and detailing
Horizontal members (e.g., beams, slabs, diaphragms) Vertical members (e.g., columns, bearing walls, shear walls) Systems (e.g., trusses, braces, frames, composite construction) Connections (e.g., bearing, bolted, welded, embedded, anchored) Foundations (e.g., retaining walls, footings, combined footings, slabs, mats, piers, piles, caissons, drilled shafts)
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Codes, standards, and guidance documents
International Building Code (IBC) American Concrete Institute (ACI 318, 530) Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI Design Handbook) Steel Construction Manual (AISC) National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS) LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (AASHTO) Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE 7) American Welding Society (AWS D1.1, D1.2, and D1.4) OSHA 1910 General Industry and OSHA 1926 Construction Safety Standards
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Temporary structures and other topics
Special inspections Submittals Formwork Falsework and scaffolding Shoring and reshoring Concrete maturity and early strength evaluation Bracing Anchorage OSHA regulations Safety management
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Traffic Engineering
Uninterrupted flow (e.g., level of service, capacity) Street segment interrupted flow (e.g., level of service, running time, travel speed) Intersection capacity (e.g., at grade, signalized, roundabout, interchange) Traffic analysis (e.g., volume studies, peak hour factor, speed studies, modal split) Trip generation and traffic impact studies Accident analysis (e.g., conflict analysis, accident rates, collision diagrams) Nonmotorized facilities (e.g., pedestrian, bicycle) Traffic forecast Highway safety analysis (e.g., crash modification factors, Highway Safety Manual)
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Horizontal Design
Basic curve elements (e.g., middle ordinate, length, chord, radius) Sight distance considerations Superelevation (e.g., rate, transitions, method, components) Special horizontal curves (e.g., compound/reverse curves, curve widening, coordination with vertical geometry)
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Vertical Design
Vertical curve geometry Stopping and passing sight distance (e.g., crest curve, sag curve) Vertical clearance
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Intersection Geometry
Intersection sight distance Interchanges (e.g., freeway merge, entrance and exit design, horizontal design, vertical design) At-grade intersection layout, including roundabouts
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Roadside and Cross-Section Design
Forgiving roadside concepts (e.g., clear zone, recoverable slopes, roadside obstacles) Barrier design (e.g., barrier types, end treatments, crash cushions) Cross-section elements (e.g., lane widths, shoulders, bike lane, sidewalks) Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design considerations
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Signal Design
Signal timing (e.g., clearance intervals, phasing, pedestrian crossing timing, railroad preemption) Signal warrants
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Traffic Control Design
Signs and pavement markings Temporary traffic control
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Geotechnical and Pavement
Sampling and testing (e.g., subgrade resilient modulus, CBR, R-Values, field tests) Soil stabilization techniques, settlement and compaction, excavation, embankment, and mass balance Design traffic analysis and pavement design procedures (e.g., flexible and rigid pavement) Pavement evaluation and maintenance measures (e.g., skid, roughness, rehabilitation treatments)
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Drainage (Refer to Hydraulics and Hydrology of the Breadth Module)
Hydrology (e.g., Rational method, hydrographs, SCS/NRCS method), including runoff detention/retention/water quality mitigation measures Hydraulics, including culvert and stormwater collection system design (e.g., inlet capacities, pipe flow, hydraulic energy dissipation), and open-channel flow
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Alternatives Analysis
Economic analysis (e.g., present worth, lifecycle costs)
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Analysis and Design
Mass balance Hydraulic loading Solids loading (e.g., sediment loading, sludge) Hydraulic flow measurement
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Hydraulics–Closed Conduit
Energy and/or continuity equation (e.g., Bernoulli, momentum equation) Pressure conduit (e.g., single pipe, force mains, Hazen-Williams, Darcy-Weisbach, major and minor losses) Pump application and analysis, including wet wells, lift stations, and cavitation Pipe network analysis (e.g., series, parallel, and loop networks)
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Hydraulics–Open Channel
Open-channel flow Hydraulic energy dissipation Stormwater collection and drainage (e.g., culvert, stormwater inlets, gutter flow, street flow, storm sewer pipes) Sub- and supercritical flow
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Hydrology
Storm characteristics (e.g., storm frequency, rainfall measurement, and distribution) Runoff analysis (e.g., Rational and SCS/NRCS methods) Hydrograph development and applications, including synthetic hydrographs Rainfall intensity, duration, and frequency Time of concentration Rainfall and stream gauging stations Depletions (e.g., evaporation, detention, percolation, and diversions) Stormwater management (e.g., detention ponds, retention ponds, infiltration systems, and swales)
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Groundwater and Wells
Aquifers Groundwater flow Well analysis–steady state
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Wastewater Collection and Treatment
Wastewater collection systems (e.g., lift stations, sewer networks, infiltration, inflow, smoke testing, maintenance, and odor control) Wastewater treatment processes Wastewater flow rates Preliminary treatment Primary treatment Secondary treatment (e.g., physical, chemical, and biological processes) Nitrification/denitrification Phosphorus removal Solids treatment, handling, and disposal Digestion Disinfection Advanced treatment (e.g., physical, chemical, and biological processes)
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Water Quality
Stream degradation Oxygen dynamics Total maximum daily load (TMDL) (e.g., nutrient contamination, DO, load allocation) Biological contaminants Chemical contaminants, including bioaccumulation
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Drinking Water Distribution and Treatment
Drinking water distribution systems Drinking water treatment processes Demands Storage Sedimentation Taste and odor control Rapid mixing (e.g., coagulation) Flocculation Filtration Disinfection, including disinfection byproducts Hardness and softening
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Engineering Economics Analysis
Economic analysis (e.g., present worth, lifecycle costs, comparison of alternatives)
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500+ Problems and growing weekly
Timed online practice exams
Dynamic variable testing format
Detailed solutions and references
500+ Problems and growing weekly
Timed online practice exams
Dynamic variable testing format
Detailed solutions and references
Construction questions
Geotechnical questions
Structural questions
Transportation questions
Water Resources questions