# Bridge Problems for the Structural Engineering (SE) Exam: Vertical Loads



## David Connor SE (Dec 3, 2015)

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to let everyone know about a new study guide that I wrote for the SE Exam. It is a book of 40 multiple choice bridge problems and solutions covering vertical loads. Being a "building" engineer I realized that practice bridge questions were hard to come by during my studies for the SE exam. That is what prompted me to write this book.

Please see my website http://www.davidconnorse.com for additional information, free preview of the book, and a link to purchase the book.

I also have an SE Exam Study Calendar on my website that I used, and that you may find to be useful.

Thanks,

David Connor, SE, PE
[email protected]


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## Giuseppe (Dec 5, 2015)

Certainly fills a need considering available SE bridge design study resources tend to be so scarce.  Thanks for sharing.  I'm sure a lot of hard work went into preparing it.

Any timetable for completion of the lateral loads volume of the publication?


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## bassplayer45 (Dec 6, 2015)

Being a bridge guy i will be interested to go through this. I do bridges every day and find the morning bridge stuff tricky


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## David Connor SE (Dec 7, 2015)

Giuseppe - The lateral loads book is currently in production. I am hoping to have it done around end-Jan./mid-Feb.  Depends on my "day job" schedule and the schedule of those who will be back checking my solutions. It was a lot of work and I hope that if you decide to buy it that it will be helpful. I've been trying to get Amazon to add the "Look Inside" feature to the Amazon listing with no avail at this time. But I have added a "Look Inside" preview of the book on my website (www.davidconnorse.com) so you can see what a typical problem is like and the solutions. The problems are generally in line with a "six-minute" problem with some having maybe an additional step (to show the concept) and some being a little easier (a concept/word problem without calculations similar to the 3-4 problems that are usually seen on the SE exam).

Bassplayer45 - You may find the book as a good "refresher" since my guess is that a lot of your calculations are done by computer software, as is typical for all structural engineers. There may also be some concepts in there that might be done by proprietary or geotechnical engineers too (i.e. anchored and MSE walls)

Also, if anyone does get the book and you find it is helpful, please leave a review of it on Amazon. 

Thanks,

David Connor, SE, PE
[email protected]


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## sellahilan (Dec 9, 2015)

*SE- Bridge Vertical &amp; Lateral Study Reference:*

I would like to share good free reference for SE Bridge - Both lateral and vertical.

*Bridge Vertical Questions - AM Part (Bridge Questions Only)*

            *Simplified LRFD Bridge Design Hardcover* – April 8, 2013

by Jai B. Kim (Editor), Robert H. Kim (Editor), Jonathan Eberle (Editor) 

*Bridge Lateral Questions - AM Part (Bridge Questions Only)*

Bridge Evening Prepartion and AASHTO knowledge is more than enough.

*AM – Both Vertical &amp; Lateral (Building Questions)*

references listed as Other References

(Class: I heard *SchoolofPE class and notes * are the best)

* *

*Bridge Questions - PM Part*

*Vertical -PM- Q1*

Above books is more than enough.

 *Vertical -PM-Q2*

Abutment

 http://azdot.gov/doc..._1.pdf?sfvrsn=2

            Retaining wall:

                        http://www.dot.state...l/section11.pdf

 *Vertical- Q-3* 

(Example below is more than enough to get 50% weight evening question)

 http://www.dot.ca.go...e/pdf/bdp_9.pdf

* Lateral-Q-1*

 Lateral Q-3 example and NCEES Sample Exam Question

 *Lateral Q-2*

            Lateral Q-3 examples and NCEES Sample Exam Question

 *Lateral Q-3* 

(This will be more than enough to answer Q3 -50% of your PM)

            http://www.idot.illi...smic design.pdf

 *Other References:*


Hiner’s CA Seismic Work Book

PCA Bridge Design Examples - For Concrete Bridge Question

FHWA- Steel Bridge Handbook -For Steel Bridge Question

2009 NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions: Design Examples

https://www.fema.gov...documents/30946

SEAOC – Seismic Design Manual -2012 (Vol 1 to 5)

PCA Design Handbook

Design of Wood Structures – By Donald Breyer

All Codes (ASCE7-10, IBC, NDS, ACI, AISC, TMS, AISI, and AASHTO)


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## David Connor SE (Dec 9, 2015)

I'd like to add another good reference to sellahilan's list:

Bridge Problems for the Structural Engineering (SE) Exam: Vertical Loads by David Connor, SE, PE
Lateral loads book is currently in development.


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## sellahilan (Dec 10, 2015)

David Connor, Yes, great work on book. I saw pages. Definitely, it will help very good for morning who does building day to day. You might need to consider complete study guide as big book. Based on my knowledge, no single book cover whole exam. I got my S.E on April 2015. (Based on Bridge Eve portion).

Ahilan Selladurai ([email protected]).


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## Lukus (Dec 12, 2015)

I'm thinking of buying David's study guide.  David, would recommend taking the vertical or lateral first (bridges)&gt;


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## Lukus (Dec 12, 2015)

sellahilan,

you recommended SEAOC volumes 1-5?  I just bought volume 1.  Do I need 4-5?


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## David Connor SE (Dec 13, 2015)

Lukus,

Thanks for considering buying my book. I think you will be pleased with it.  If you go to my website www.davidconnorse.com there is a preview of the book.

I took the lateral (buildings) test first and vertical next time the exam was given. I don't think there is a big advantage to taking lateral or vertical first though. Maybe what ever you feel most comfortable with. But in my experience it was somewhat easier to study for the lateral test since their is so much that can be asked on the vertical test. But follow the NCEES specs for both and you should be fine.

As for the SEAOC books they are all wonderful books to have, for a building engineer. Volume 5 won't help really at all for the SE since it deals with higher level lateral systems (base isolation, damping systems, etc.) Study volume 1 cover to cover though for the lateral multiple choice questions. Since you are doing the bridges exam I would probably not get volumes 2-5, but there may be items in those volumes that would help on the multiple choice questions too. Tough call. If you were doing the buildings exam I would say get volumes 2-4. There may be an equivalent bridge design book out there that would be helpful for the bridge essay questions though. Maybe the books  Ahilan suggests.

Thanks,

David Connor, SE


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## sellahilan (Dec 13, 2015)

Lukus,

if you buy Vol-1 and have https://www.fema.gov...documents/30946 this document, you probably O.K. FEMA publication is great too. It is free. email me, [email protected] , I will forward some good reference PDF.

Thanks

Ahilan.S


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## Lukus (Dec 13, 2015)

David, 

I bought your book new from amazon since I already have an account; hopefully it's all the same to you.  I'll buy the lateral as soon as you finish it.

Ahilan, 

thanks for the help!

And to the both of you, I will consider the SEAOC volumes 2-5.  I really appreciate the advice.


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## David Connor SE (Dec 13, 2015)

Thanks Lukus!  I hope you find it helps you out in your studies.

Feel free to email me at any time if you have any questions or comments.  Also, if you could leave me a review on Amazon I would really appreciate it.

Thanks,

David Connor, SE, PE


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## Lukus (Dec 22, 2015)

David,

I cannot message you for some reason.  I sent an email to your gmail I found at your website


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## sguru (Jan 7, 2016)

Hey David, I just bought your book from Amazon. Do you have an estimate when the lateral book is coming out?


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## David Connor SE (Jan 9, 2016)

Sguru,

Thanks for purchasing my book! I appreciate it. Once you have acquainted yourself with my book, please leave a review on Amazon when you can.

I am currently working on the lateral loads book at this time. I'm hoping to have it out by the end of February. I will post to this forum when it is ready. However, please note that I'm planning to offer a special price to loyal customers who have bought the vertical loads book. Stay tuned!

Thanks,

David Connor, SE, PE


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## sguru (Mar 4, 2016)

David, 

I am looking to purchase your lateral book which just came out. Are you still offering discount to people who have bought your vertical book   . I tried to look it up on Amazon, but I couldn't find on it. I want to order the book with expedited shipping that's why I was looking to order it from amazon. How fast will it be shipped if ordered from your website?


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## David Connor SE (Mar 5, 2016)

Sguru,

The quickest way to get it would be to order from Amazon. I actually found an error in the book and corrected it so that may be why you couldn't find it at the time. It's up there now if you search for David Connor and if you order it now it will be the corrected version.

I also ordered some corrected copies and hopefully they get to me by Wednesday of next week. I'll be out of town Monday-Tuesday of next week. So it will probably be a week and a half to 2 weeks before I can get you a copy.

Send me an email at [email protected]  Thanks!


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## sguru (Mar 5, 2016)

David Connor said:


> Sguru,
> 
> The quickest way to get it would be to order from Amazon. I actually found an error in the book and corrected it so that may be why you couldn't find it at the time. It's up there now if you search for David Connor and if you order it now it will be the corrected version.
> 
> ...


David,

I see the book on amazon now. I will order it from there to expedite the process. You said the version on amazon is corrected right?


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## David Connor SE (Mar 7, 2016)

Yes, if you order from Amazon now it will be the corrected (2nd printing) version. If you get it and it's not, let me know.


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## User Requested Deletion (Mar 18, 2016)

David, 

Great book (vertical), I like the variety of short problems, especially since it is specific to bridges. I'll definitely buy the lateral book when I get to that exam. 

Do you expect all problems to take the same time to solve as those on the exam? Should I be able to complete the book in less than 4 hours? 

Thanks!


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## David Connor SE (Mar 21, 2016)

Edward,

Thanks for purchasing my book! I really appreciate it. 

I tried to make the problems in the book to be roughly the same "6-minute solution" model that the exam uses. But in some instances I may have added a step or two that would maybe not be necessary on the exam so that the book covered that additional concept. Being able to solve every problem in my book in 4 hours may be a little tough. Although, you would save the time having to jump from one code to the next since the only code you need is AASHTO and the order of the problems in the book generally follows AASHTO as well. 

If you want to test the time it would take to solve some representative problems I would pick 10 problems at random and see if I can do them in an hour or mix them in with 30 building problems from another source for a 4 hour practice exam. That is what is generally assumed that you would see in the morning section of the exam. Grinding out the entire book in one sitting may not be the best way of going about it. But I would definitely cover the entire book prior to the exam date. 

Additionally, on the exam (and in my book) there will be some problems that are easier than others or may even be considered "word problems". These may be picking a number out of a table, etc. Obviously these should take less than 6 minutes, especially if you know exactly where in the code to go. In my "Tips and Recommendations" section of the book it is my opinion that these problems should be answered first to get them "out of the way" on the exam.

Thanks, and if you have time please leave a review of the book on Amazon. 

David


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