Structural Engineering Flashcards
6 cards from real NCEES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Structural Engineering flashcards as text
According to NCEES PE Structural exam standards, what is the primary purpose of a moment-resisting frame in a building structure?
Answer: To resist lateral loads through bending in beams and columns
Moment-resisting frames resist lateral loads (wind or seismic) through flexural rigidity developed at beam-column connections.
In the NCEES PE Structural exam, a simply supported beam with a uniformly distributed load w over span L has a maximum bending moment of:
Answer: wL²/8
The maximum bending moment for a simply supported beam with UDL is wL²/8, occurring at midspan.
Which LRFD load combination from ASCE 7 is typically governing for dead plus live load design per NCEES standards?
Answer: 1.2D + 1.6L
The ASCE 7 LRFD combination 1.2D + 1.6L is the standard governing combination for dead plus live load scenarios.
On the NCEES PE Structural exam, the effective length factor K for a column that is fixed at the base and pinned at the top (sway prevented) is closest to:
Answer: 0.7
A column fixed at the base and pinned at the top with sway prevented has an effective length factor K ≈ 0.7.
In reinforced concrete design tested on the NCEES PE exam, the Whitney stress block depth factor β₁ for concrete with f'c = 4,000 psi is:
Answer: 0.85
For normal-weight concrete with f'c ≤ 4,000 psi, ACI 318 sets β₁ = 0.85.
Which failure mode is associated with a steel beam that has an inadequate lateral bracing interval, as assessed in NCEES structural exams?
Answer: Lateral-torsional buckling
Lateral-torsional buckling occurs when compression flanges are not adequately braced and the beam twists out of plane.
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