I Hate Horizonral Curves and Vertical Curves problems
- Thread starter Lungshen
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Road Guy
Well-known member
It's always good to skip ones you don't know until the end but these are not that difficult .. There are just so many different ways to solve the same curve problem (different formulas =same answer)
I sucked at those should diagrams and I didn't want to waste the points so I had to relearn how to do them...
Keep all your curve problems (solved) in a notebook and go get it bound together (kinko's) and take it as a reference.... That how I got through those soil problems....(by having a nice self made reference so I could plug and chug answers)
I sucked at those should diagrams and I didn't want to waste the points so I had to relearn how to do them...
Keep all your curve problems (solved) in a notebook and go get it bound together (kinko's) and take it as a reference.... That how I got through those soil problems....(by having a nice self made reference so I could plug and chug answers)
ptatohed
Licenced to Spell
[SIZE=10.5pt]Everyone is different. Geometric design, especially HC and VC curve problems were (and still are 
) my favorite PE exam topic. But I am sure I had a topic that killed me that you find a breeze. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Like RG said, if you really hate them and you are convinced that you won’t be able to grasp them no matter how hard you try (the 8hr chemistry environmental questions were that way for me), then you can perhaps skip them. You don’t have to know everything to pass. However, with that said, geometric design is a huge portion of the 8hr AM and a good size portion of the CA-Survey. So, I would advise that you practice and try to learn how to solve them. They really aren’t too bad. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Good luck.[/SIZE]
) my favorite PE exam topic. But I am sure I had a topic that killed me that you find a breeze. [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Like RG said, if you really hate them and you are convinced that you won’t be able to grasp them no matter how hard you try (the 8hr chemistry environmental questions were that way for me), then you can perhaps skip them. You don’t have to know everything to pass. However, with that said, geometric design is a huge portion of the 8hr AM and a good size portion of the CA-Survey. So, I would advise that you practice and try to learn how to solve them. They really aren’t too bad. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Good luck.[/SIZE]
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Yeah, realize the weakness of an area and practice the problems over and over is the way to pass the CA survey. My main problem is that I can't visualize the problem statement into a figure mostly due to lack of survey experience and not familiar with the terminology.
Good advice though. There is just no way around it.
Good advice though. There is just no way around it.
ptatohed
Licenced to Spell
It may be on the CA Survey exam but you should not need any survey experience to do well in geometric design. In fact, geometric design is the only transpo topic on the Civil PE AM (8/40) which everyone has to take. And, you should have covered geo design in college, right?
Get a good graphic of a horizontal curve and a good vertical curve (crest and sag) showing the components and formulas. You can get these from a PE review book, or on many many websites on the web. Then, under the definitions of the various components, write down every possible name and symbol. Ex. Both symbol I (letter capital i) and /_\ (triangle / Greek delta) = intersection angle, central angle or deflection angle (2 variables, 3 terms all mean the same thing). LC and sometimes C = Long chord or chord. BC (begin curve) and PC (point of curvature) are the same. And so on. Also, take your horizontal curve formulas and write them every which way. For instance, the formula for R may be commonly shown as R = (180/pi)(L/I) but R also equals (L)©/((2sin(I/2)) and R also equals -M/(cos(I/2) - 1), etc., etc. Put down every variation of every term and formula in one place and you'll always be covered. Oh, and make sure you have a good DMS calculator. Good luck.
randykong2010
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HC & VC are the easiest part on the exam (both the 8 hr & the survey)
there survey book I used to prepare for the survey exam explained how to solve these property clearly, the best book I had in my life
there survey book I used to prepare for the survey exam explained how to solve these property clearly, the best book I had in my life
ptatohed
Licenced to Spell
You're going to say that it's "the best book I had in my life" but not tell us what the book is??
J
jennyh14
Like ptatohed said, if curves is your problem, you should write out all the different variations of each variable. Practice a ton of these problems as it was a large part of the exam. Gather as many problems from as many sources as possible. I took a review course with civilpesurveyingreview.com that had a ton of these problems and the different variations of the variables in the reference manual, if you want to go the review course route.
