Civil Engineering PE Basic Civil Engineering PE 2

Question 1

A simply supported beam spans 20 ft and carries a uniformly distributed load of 2 kip/ft. What is the maximum bending moment?

Accepted Answer

200 kip·ft

Answer

Maximum moment for a simply supported beam with UDL = wL²/8 = 2×(20)²/8 = 100 kip·ft — wait, that's 100 kip·ft; recalculating: 2×400/8 = 100 kip·ft, so answer is 100 kip·ft.

Question 2

Which soil classification system uses group symbols like SW, SP, ML, and CH?

Accepted Answer

Unified Soil Classification System (USCS)

Answer

The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) uses two-letter group symbols to classify soils based on grain size and plasticity characteristics.

Question 3

In reinforced concrete design per ACI 318, the strength reduction factor (φ) for tension-controlled flexure is:

Accepted Answer

0.90

Answer

ACI 318 assigns φ = 0.90 for tension-controlled flexural members, where the net tensile strain ≥ 0.005.

Question 4

Manning's equation is used to calculate flow in open channels. If n = 0.013, R = 0.5 m, S = 0.001, and A = 2 m², what is the approximate discharge Q?

Accepted Answer

1.22 m³/s

Answer

V = (1/n)R^(2/3)S^(1/2) = (1/0.013)(0.5)^(2/3)(0.001)^(1/2) ≈ 0.613 m/s; Q = VA = 0.613×2 ≈ 1.23 m³/s.

Question 5

A soil sample has a void ratio of 0.65 and a specific gravity of 2.70. What is the dry unit weight (γ_d) in kN/m³?

Accepted Answer

16.0 kN/m³

Answer

γ_d = G_s × γ_w / (1+e) = 2.70 × 9.81 / (1+0.65) = 26.487/1.65 ≈ 16.1 kN/m³.

Civil Engineering PE Practice Test

Civil Engineering PE Practice Test

Civil Engineering PE Basic Civil Engineering PE 2