SE Buildings Vertical & Lateral - Fall 2022

[Justover]

Hey Folks,

Just wanted to make a thread for everyone planning to write the buildings vertical &/or lateral exams this October. This can be a place for questions, comments, discussion, study groups, tips, etc.!

I'm in Phoenix, AZ and am planning to write both the vertical and lateral exams this fall. I'm also signed up for both the vertical and lateral AEI courses starting in July. It's going to be a busy and stressful 4 months

 

[Engineerbabu]

I am not intending to demoralize you but I recommend taking one exam at a time unless you have already prepared for 4/5 months already.

 

[Justover]

I am not intending to demoralize you but I recommend taking one exam at a time unless you have already prepared for 4/5 months already.

Although I appreciate your input, I think this decision will vary based on each individual. There are a multitude of people who take both exams together and pass both without issue. Some fail both. Some pass one and fail the other. Some individuals choose to take only one and fail repeatedly.

For me personally, taking both exams together is the path that makes the most sense. Life is busy. Blocking out 4-6 months of time for continuous, dedicated studying of all material is my preference. I'm blocking out the time to study, I would much rather cover all the material in one go. From experience, I know this is how I (personally) will better retain information versus trying to spread it out into blocks. If it doesn't work out I have the ability to retake the exam, in full or in parts, as required.

I spoke with a number of colleagues on the topic and, honestly, most of them took the same approach. Again, personal preference. There is no right or wrong way, it's just what works best for you personally.

 

[Reverse Polish]

I am not intending to demoralize you but I recommend taking one exam at a time unless you have already prepared for 4/5 months already.

I second this. I did take both exams in the same weekend, studying for 9 months beforehand, and the exam was still a demoralizing process.
If you think you can fit 300-400 hours of study into 4 months, God bless you. Something's going to give, whether it be job, personal life, sleep, sanity, or exam preparation. That has nothing to do with a "personal preference"--that's just math.

 

[Justover]

I second this. I did take both exams in the same weekend, studying for 9 months beforehand, and the exam was still a demoralizing process.
If you think you can fit 300-400 hours of study into 4 months, God bless you. Something's going to give, whether it be job, personal life, sleep, sanity, or exam preparation. That has nothing to do with a "personal preference"--that's just math.

Studying 300-400 hours in 4 months is 75-100 hours per month, which if we take 4 weeks per month, breaks down to 18-25 hours per week. This is equivalent to a part time job, and I'm treating it as such. I have time blocks scheduled in my outlook calendar for 20-25 hours per week.

As someone who's worked multiple jobs concurrently, and worked fulltime throughout college, this isn't an unreasonable schedule. Again, appreciate the input, but everyone is different. Also, don't get me wrong - I am in no way saying this is going to be easy.

 

[Bard]

Let's talk about AASHTO! How do you become familiar with this insane reference for the breadth exam?

 

[Justover]

Let's talk about AASHTO! How do you become familiar with this insane reference for the breadth exam?

Great question! Maybe a bridge guy/gal can chime in and provide us with some insight?

Right now I'm taking the approach of tabbing things I reference when working through example problems. I'm hoping to get a better idea of key topics/sections to reference through the AEI course and aim to make a good cheat sheet so I can minimize having to reference the massive manual (I have mine split into two binders currently).

 

[leggo PE]

Good luck!! People certainly do take both exams and pass. That wasn’t my experience, unfortunately.

The AEI classes are great! But going forward, I will try one exam at a time myself as well! If only for the fact that I simply couldn’t keep up with both classes at the same time by the end — something had to give. And that was with starting and making it through almost all of the gravity class on my own time before the lateral (and subsequently the gravity) class got started.

Anyway, I sincerely hope you are one of the ones who conquers both, or at least one, of the exams!!

I’m next looking at spring 2023 — cutting it close to the CBT test, I know!

 

[Bard]

Great question! Maybe a bridge guy/gal can chime in and provide us with some insight?

Right now I'm taking the approach of tabbing things I reference when working through example problems. I'm hoping to get a better idea of key topics/sections to reference through the AEI course and aim to make a good cheat sheet so I can minimize having to reference the massive manual (I have mine split into two binders currently).

That's my same approach. I plan on purchasing David Connor's SE book (David Connor, SE | Structural Engineer) to go through examples and tab everything I come across. Not sure if there are other good resources for bridge problems that are made for "Building Depth" folks.

It's just frustrating that this is the only reference I have trouble with. While I am unfamiliar with bridge analysis and design, I'm also unfamiliar with wood and masonry design and have had no issues becoming familiar with those references. AASHTO is daunting to look at, let alone to open and read.

It makes me have a greater appreciation for AISC and ACI for their well-written references (even if it took ACI up to 2019 to make that happen).

 

[DoctorWho-PE]

Studying 300-400 hours in 4 months is 75-100 hours per month, which if we take 4 weeks per month, breaks down to 18-25 hours per week. This is equivalent to a part time job, and I'm treating it as such. I have time blocks scheduled in my outlook calendar for 20-25 hours per week.

As someone who's worked multiple jobs concurrently, and worked fulltime throughout college, this isn't an unreasonable schedule. Again, appreciate the input, but everyone is different. Also, don't get me wrong - I am in no way saying this is going to be easy.

Good luck! I also attempted both and failed, twice. AEI does prepare you well, but be ready to spend well more than 18-25 hours a week if taking both classes. Just instruction time alone is 20+ hours a week, if doing the live version. At least with on demand you can speed up the videos, which is nice.

 

[DoctorWho-PE]

That's my same approach. I plan on purchasing David Connor's SE book (David Connor, SE | Structural Engineer) to go through examples and tab everything I come across. Not sure if there are other good resources for bridge problems that are made for "Building Depth" folks.

It's just frustrating that this is the only reference I have trouble with. While I am unfamiliar with bridge analysis and design, I'm also unfamiliar with wood and masonry design and have had no issues becoming familiar with those references. AASHTO is daunting to look at, let alone to open and read.

It makes me have a greater appreciation for AISC and ACI for their well-written references (even if it took ACI up to 2019 to make that happen).

I actually find the AASHTO to be pretty well organized, and the index is amazing. Don't know how to design bearings? Index will tell you where to go. So once you kind of grasp the basics of AASHTO, the code can usually get you the rest of the way.

 

[DaBird1]

I actually find the AASHTO to be pretty well organized, and the index is amazing. Don't know how to design bearings? Index will tell you where to go. So once you kind of grasp the basics of AASHTO, the code can usually get you the rest of the way.

The index I know for certain has saved my *** more than once during the exam. Had a topic that I had no idea about went to the index and BAM! Also if you know the chapter you can also use the definitions in the front of each chapter to help you locate the correct equations as well. That has helped me too. AASHTO is so daunting just because of its VOLUME. In essence it combines all of our normal building codes into a one stop shop. So for bridge people that is nice. I personally don't like bridges though. ha!

 

[Salt-Acid-Fat-Heat-Acid]

Good luck! I also attempted both and failed, twice. AEI does prepare you well, but be ready to spend well more than 18-25 hours a week if taking both classes. Just instruction time alone is 20+ hours a week, if doing the live version. At least with on demand you can speed up the videos, which is nice.

Almost no way I could have done both with the live lectures. Some I watched at 1.5X, some at 2X, some at 1.25X. Also, I recommend skipping the videos for materials you know pretty well and just do problems. Also, I recommend giving the depth problems a shot before watching the videos. No one seems to get enough practice on the depth problems, and while watching the videos helps, you need more practice with long form problems.

 

[DoctorWho-PE]

Dr I videos I could speed up, but some of Dr Z's were too fast to start with.

 

[Justover]

Good luck! I also attempted both and failed, twice. AEI does prepare you well, but be ready to spend well more than 18-25 hours a week if taking both classes. Just instruction time alone is 20+ hours a week, if doing the live version. At least with on demand you can speed up the videos, which is nice.

I've been going through the videos and watching them at 1.5x speed and skipping over things I'm comfortable with. I generally prefer to read through the notes and work practice problems and just watch the video if a concept is unclear or if I feel I need more information.

I've been debating if I should listen to the 'live' classes when they start, but wasn't sure if this would be a valuable use of my time. Did you ever listen to the live classes or have any thoughts on this?

 

[Justover]

Good luck!! People certainly do take both exams and pass. That wasn’t my experience, unfortunately.

The AEI classes are great! But going forward, I will try one exam at a time myself as well! If only for the fact that I simply couldn’t keep up with both classes at the same time by the end — something had to give. And that was with starting and making it through almost all of the gravity class on my own time before the lateral (and subsequently the gravity) class got started.

Anyway, I sincerely hope you are one of the ones who conquers both, or at least one, of the exams!!

I’m next looking at spring 2023 — cutting it close to the CBT test, I know!

Did you pre-listen on your own time and try and attend the 'live' classes? Or what was your approach?

Bummer that you didn't pass - was your first attempt in Spring 2022? Are you choosing to wait until 2023 to just give yourself more time to study, rather than trying for the Fall 2022 exam? The whole CBT is stressful, I don't want to get stuck taking that exam..

 

[DoctorWho-PE]

I've been going through the videos and watching them at 1.5x speed and skipping over things I'm comfortable with. I generally prefer to read through the notes and work practice problems and just watch the video if a concept is unclear or if I feel I need more information.

I've been debating if I should listen to the 'live' classes when they start, but wasn't sure if this would be a valuable use of my time. Did you ever listen to the live classes or have any thoughts on this?

I have done the live for the most part. This last time i logged in and listened with it as background noise, but worked problems and such during them. That way when i had questions i could ask live.

 

[_tslewis]

Studying 300-400 hours in 4 months is 75-100 hours per month, which if we take 4 weeks per month, breaks down to 18-25 hours per week. This is equivalent to a part time job, and I'm treating it as such. I have time blocks scheduled in my outlook calendar for 20-25 hours per week.

As someone who's worked multiple jobs concurrently, and worked fulltime throughout college, this isn't an unreasonable schedule. Again, appreciate the input, but everyone is different. Also, don't get me wrong - I am in no way saying this is going to be easy.

ok, looks like you know best. I'm on hird time trying to pass vertical after passing lateral first time in April,

I only took lateral and vertical at same time in April after having studied only for vertical beforehand on 2 exam attempts.

if you are going to study for one exam I would do vertical as you can't pass lateral without some knowledge of vertical codes and design methods.

I also took aei and would recommend.

although vertical maybe easier numerically, is is vast in terms of material to know and 400 hours is needed just for vertical in my opinion.

of course it helps if yiu are in a pure engineering role at work and are being exposed to relevant SE material 24/7....

 

[_tslewis]

Studying 300-400 hours in 4 months is 75-100 hours per month, which if we take 4 weeks per month, breaks down to 18-25 hours per week. This is equivalent to a part time job, and I'm treating it as such. I have time blocks scheduled in my outlook calendar for 20-25 hours per week.

As someone who's worked multiple jobs concurrently, and worked fulltime throughout college, this isn't an unreasonable schedule. Again, appreciate the input, but everyone is different. Also, don't get me wrong - I am in no way saying this is going to be easy.

having taken AEI, you will easily eat up 18 hours a week just attending class. the lateral is twice as intensive as vertical and often runs twice as long as expected with multiple additional classes. it is worth it as Dr I id fantastic at going through a lot of lateral fundamentals

 

[_tslewis]

Let's talk about AASHTO! How do you become familiar with this insane reference for the breadth exam?

aastho is not that hard for building engineers, they have to give easier aashto questions for the non bridge engineer.

use the AASHTO index, it is fantastically well organized and has everything.

you will never be able to prepare for every AASHTO question and I guarantee you will have 2 or 3 questions you have yo use index for,, don't panic and use the index