Question for people who have taken/are taking MD depth

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Krakosky

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With time running out, I am trying to focus on certain problem types that I noticed reoccur in the practice exams. One such problem is strength of welds. The MERM doesn't seem to have a whole lot of info or example problems on this topic. What reference material did you use for these types of problems?

Thanks,

Lisa

 
Like Capt. I just used MERM, 51-13 it has a section on fillet welds. These are the toughest examples, as they deal with an effective throat. If you can grasp the .707 by heart, a thorough understanding of weld strength based on filler materials is all that's left. In practice, It's all basically available stress, area, and failure theory.

 
Shigley's example problem on welds is much easier and better written than MERM or NCEES sample problem.

If you don't have Shigley, go to your local college textbook store and buy it, you still have 3 weeks. I am telling you that about 10 or so problems can be solved easily if you have Shigley.

 
I have Shigley but haven't looked at the welds chapter yet. I did find a pretty straight forward method online on how to calculate the required thickness of fillet welds. I used the appendix on welds as lines in the MERM. The only thing I have to remember is that the required thickness is actually the effective thickness, i.e. .707*h. I'll check out the examples in Shigley bc I want to make sure I have this topic down.

 
Krak,

I am taking the MD in a couple of weeks. I am starting to get a little stressed thinking about it. The fillet weld problems in Merm seem pretty straight forward to me, but when I pick up shigley, I thing maybe the more difficult problems seem to take a long time to work. Maybe I should consider skipping if too difficult. However, maybe I should re-look at them. What did you find helpfull on line if you don't mind me asking?

I sure need all the help I can get. Thanks.

Seafever

 
I did a Google Sucks search on fillet weld calculations and came across this website which has helped me a lot to understand the calculation procedure better. Until yesterday I had no idea how to calculate the required thickness of a fillet weld. I agree with you that sometimes the way Shigley presents things comes across as confusing. It sucks that there is only one practice problem on welds in the MERM practice problems book and one in both the 2001 and 2008 NCEES exams. I am just trying to brush up on the topics I am less familiar with that I've seen show up in the practice exams. Did you take the exam this past Oct? If so, were there any questions on welds?

Hope this helps. This same website also has pages on bolt preloads, eccentric loading on bolts etc. I've found it very useful.

/>http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Form/Weld_strength.html

 
Anybody using the 6 min sol for MD? How do you like the questions and do you recommend?

 
Krak,

I did take the exam last October. I do not even recall seeing one on my exam. I have not been real active with this site for the spring exam. I have just been craming and find time to cram. However, I have followed a few of your threads and it sounds like you are ready for the exam. If I could offer any helpfull advice it would be "taking timed tests" . Get your speed up working the problems, even the easier ones, so that you get a fast pace going in in the am. The am portion seemed pretty easy, yet if you are not well organized, know your material and working at the right pace, you may not finish. So speed in the am portion!!! The afternoon portion for me, was tough, however, I have been out of school for 22 years. I have three young children 15, 11, and 9 and it is very difficult to make time to study. So I was really not prepared going in.

Anyway, for the pm portion, just work all the MD problems you can get your hands on. I have the 6MS MD sudy guide, it is good but does not give you that many problems to work. I have been working both NCEES practice exams, but they have alot of the exact same problems. I also have the MERM practice problems, but they seem pretty difficult, but certainly usefull.

Good Luck to you and keep up your studies and it will pay off.

Seafever

 
Check Shigley's appendices for fillet weld as well. for some reason, i was able to fully understand fillet weld after reading shigley.

I took the exam last October and passed. Don't discount fillet weld from appearing on the exam.

My recommendation, anything and everything might come up on the exam, so don't even think about not studying up on a particular topic. This by far was the most trickiest exam i have taken in my entire life. But its passable, its mostly mind over matter. Its like running a 5k and then sprinting through the finish line...i am preparing for a 5k race.

 
I've been on the fence about buying the 6MS for MD due to all the errors others have said it contains. Do you think it's worthwhile to purchase? I've also been considering getting the Lindeburg practice exam but everyone has said its much harder than the actual exam. I was really dissapointed to see that the NCEES 2008/2010 exam contains some of the same questions as the 2001 exam. I plan on taking 3 times practice exams before test day. Hopefully that will help me bc I've never been good with times tests. Thanks for the advice and good luck to you too!

 
I did a Google Sucks Sucks search on fillet weld calculations and came across this website which has helped me a lot to understand the calculation procedure better. Until yesterday I had no idea how to calculate the required thickness of a fillet weld. I agree with you that sometimes the way Shigley presents things comes across as confusing. It sucks that there is only one practice problem on welds in the MERM practice problems book and one in both the 2001 and 2008 NCEES exams. I am just trying to brush up on the topics I am less familiar with that I've seen show up in the practice exams. Did you take the exam this past Oct? If so, were there any questions on welds?

Hope this helps. This same website also has pages on bolt preloads, eccentric loading on bolts etc. I've found it very useful.

/>http://www.roymech.co.uk/Useful_Tables/Form/Weld_strength.html

Please don't ask (or tell) about if a certain type of question was on the exam or not. I know that it wasn't copying a question, but with the NCEES I wouldn't enter even the lightest shade of gray area.

 
I've been on the fence about buying the 6MS for MD due to all the errors others have said it contains. Do you think it's worthwhile to purchase? I've also been considering getting the Lindeburg practice exam but everyone has said its much harder than the actual exam. I was really dissapointed to see that the NCEES 2008/2010 exam contains some of the same questions as the 2001 exam. I plan on taking 3 times practice exams before test day. Hopefully that will help me bc I've never been good with times tests. Thanks for the advice and good luck to you too!
I have both books. I would buy 6MS, but not Lindeburg exam.

 
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