# SEAW Refresher Course Notes



## sguru (Jun 24, 2015)

Hi all,

Has anyone used SEAW refresher course notes for SE preparation. I have decided to study without taking a review course such as School of PE, etc. I just want to have a systematic set of notes to guide me through material asked on exam. Has anyone used these notes before to prepare? Are they comprehensive enough, worth buying? If not, can somebody suggest me a good set of notes? I don't want to spend too much, I already spent a bunch on buying the references.

Thanks!


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## phecke (Jun 24, 2015)

I didn't use the SEAW notes, but I did use notes from a company called Structural Engineering and Education Solutions, LLC. The notes/course were approved by the NCSEA and the SEA National Council too. I was given these by someone who I used to work with and they're pretty outdated now. However, all I used were these, the NCEES SE Practice Exam book and my own old textbooks and I passed first try for both portions.

I think it all comes down to your experience and how much help you need on certain topics. My experience was ALL structures, ALL buildings, and ALL materials. I was familiar with how to use ASCE 7, ACI 318, AISC, NDS, TMS, etc etc because that's all I had done for 5+ years, and I had done my own drafting, detailing, and design work so I had a good base on how to solve a problem just dropped on me.

Because of that I thought the afternoon portions were easier than the morning. Morning was very specific and detail oriented and can you analyze this EXACTLY how we want you to. The afternoon was like going to work.


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## sguru (Jun 24, 2015)

phecke said:


> I didn't use the SEAW notes, but I did use notes from a company called Structural Engineering and Education Solutions, LLC. The notes/course were approved by the NCSEA and the SEA National Council too. I was given these by someone who I used to work with and they're pretty outdated now. However, all I used were these, the NCEES SE Practice Exam book and my own old textbooks and I passed first try for both portions.
> 
> I think it all comes down to your experience and how much help you need on certain topics. My experience was ALL structures, ALL buildings, and ALL materials. I was familiar with how to use ASCE 7, ACI 318, AISC, NDS, TMS, etc etc because that's all I had done for 5+ years, and I had done my own drafting, detailing, and design work so I had a good base on how to solve a problem just dropped on me.
> 
> Because of that I thought the afternoon portions were easier than the morning. Morning was very specific and detail oriented and can you analyze this EXACTLY how we want you to. The afternoon was like going to work.


Thanks, Phecke! That was really helpful. My experience is similar to yours and I am inspired by your method of studying. I was just hoping to have systematic set of notes to help me keep track of content.


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## McEngr (Jun 26, 2015)

My personal opinion is that the SEAW course notes are not well organized. You would have to take several hand calculations from the likes of Degenkolb and KPFF engineers and compile them yourself from a CD-ROM. That was my experience a few years back...

I personally would pour over the SEAOC Seismic Design Manuals, PCA Notes, AISC Seismic/Spec Manual, NDS 2012, and a good masonry book (Maybe from the Calif Nevada masonry association...?). And lastly, the SERM is pretty good.

If you want to study for 300 hours or less, I would avoid the SEAW material unless you just need that extra edge for seismic design and don't do it often. The SEAW engineers are sharp, but it's also geared toward upper level coursework for a graduate school setting...

My 2 cents.


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