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PE Civil Cheat Sheet

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Construction

  • 20% of exam
  • Earthwork CPM Scheduling Estimating Temporary Structures

Geotechnical

  • 20% of exam
  • Soil Classification Bearing Capacity Retaining Walls Deep Foundations

Structural

  • 20% of exam
  • Load Combinations Beam Mechanics Concrete Design Steel Design

Transportation

  • 20% of exam
  • Geometric Design Traffic Capacity Pavement Design Signals

Water Resources & Environmental

  • 20% of exam
  • Hydrology Hydraulics Water Treatment Wastewater Treatment

Quick Facts

  • Exam NCEES PE Civil
  • Format CBT, 80 questions
  • Time 9-hour appointment
  • Pass score Not published (scaled)
  • Disciplines 5, pick one
  • Level Professional licensure
  • Reference Open-book handbook
  • Blueprint April 2024 specs

CPM Forward and Backward Pass CO

  • Forward finds ES/EF, backward finds LS/LF
  • Forward: early times Backward: late times Float: LS minus ES

Loose vs Compacted Volume CO

Loose (swell)

  • After excavation from bank
  • Volume increases
  • Factor greater than 1

Compacted (shrink)

  • After compaction in place
  • Volume decreases
  • Factor less than 1
  • Both measured versus bank

Earthwork & Volumes CO

  • Bank volume In-place undisturbed soil volume
  • Swell factor Loose volume over bank volume
  • Shrinkage factor Compacted volume over bank volume
  • Load factor Bank volume over loose volume
  • Cut/fill balance Match earthwork volumes on-site

Total Float vs Free Float CO

Total float

  • Delays entire project finish
  • Equals LS minus ES

Free float

  • Delays only next activity
  • Uses successor's early start
  • Project-wide vs local delay

CPM Scheduling CO

  • ES/EF Early start and early finish
  • LS/LF Late start and late finish
  • Total float Late start minus early start
  • Free float Delay without affecting successor
  • Critical path Zero-float longest activity path

Estimating & Economics CO

  • Quantity takeoff Measure plan quantities method
  • Net present value Discounted future cash flow
  • Break-even analysis Cost equals revenue point
  • Earned value Budgeted cost of work done
  • Productivity rate Output per labor hour

Temporary Structures & Safety CO

  • Formwork Temporary concrete casting mold
  • Falsework Supports wet concrete or erection
  • Shoring Vertical excavation support system
  • OSHA Type A/B/C Soil stability classifications
  • 5-ft excavation rule OSHA protective system trigger depth

USCS Soil Symbol Logic GE

  • Gravel/sand coarse; silt/clay fine soils
  • G: gravel S: sand M: silt C: clay

Total Stress vs Effective Stress GE

Total stress

  • Includes soil and water weight
  • Symbol sigma total

Effective stress

  • Grain-to-grain contact stress
  • Total stress minus pore pressure
  • Subtract pore water pressure

Foundation Type Selection GE

  • Shallow, good soil, low load → Spread footing ( Bearing capacity governs design )
  • Poor soil, high load → Deep foundation ( Piles or drilled shafts )
  • Very deep bedrock only → Drilled shaft ( Cast-in-place, large capacity )
  • Vibration-sensitive adjacent site → Drilled shaft ( Avoid pile driving vibration )
  • Lateral load dominant case → Check lateral capacity ( p-y curve analysis )
  • Uplift or tension load → Anchor or helical pile ( Tension resistance needed )

Soil Classification (USCS) GE

  • GW/GP Well-graded or poorly graded gravel
  • SW/SP Well-graded or poorly graded sand
  • ML/CL Low-plasticity silt or clay
  • MH/CH High-plasticity silt or clay
  • Plasticity index PI Liquid limit minus plastic limit

Bearing Capacity Equation Terms GE

  • qult = cNc + qNq + 0.5γBNγ
  • Nc: cohesion term Nq: surcharge term Nγ: unit weight term

Shallow vs Deep Foundation GE

Shallow foundation

  • Spread or mat footings
  • Governed by bearing capacity

Deep foundation

  • Piles or drilled shafts
  • Skin friction plus end bearing
  • Load depth to bearing soil

Bearing Capacity & Settlement GE

  • Terzaghi equation qult = cNc+qNq+0.5γBNγ
  • Nc, Nq, Nγ Bearing capacity factors
  • FS bearing qult divided by qallow value
  • Consolidation settlement Time-dependent clay compression process
  • Void ratio e Void volume over solid volume

Earth Pressure & Retaining Walls GE

  • Ka Active earth pressure coefficient
  • Kp Passive earth pressure coefficient
  • K0 At-rest earth pressure coefficient
  • MSE wall Mechanically stabilized earth wall

Deep Foundations & Slope Stability GE

  • Skin friction Pile shaft side resistance
  • End bearing Pile tip resistance
  • Drilled shaft Cast-in-place deep foundation
  • Liquefaction Saturated sand loses strength

LRFD Load Combination Memory Aid ST

  • 1.2D + 1.6L usually governs gravity
  • 1.2D: dead load factor 1.6L: live load factor Check wind and seismic too

ASD vs LRFD ST

ASD

  • Service-level loads used
  • One combined safety factor
  • Required for wood design

LRFD

  • Factored loads and resistance
  • Separate load and resistance factors
  • Common for steel and concrete
  • Service loads vs factored loads

ASD vs LRFD Method Picker ST

  • Wood design (PE Civil) → ASD ( NCEES mandates wood ASD )
  • Steel or concrete design → LRFD or ASD ( AISC and ACI both allow )
  • Retaining wall design → ASD or LRFD ( Per NCEES geotechnical spec )
  • Deep foundation capacity calc → ASD or LRFD ( Candidate's choice, be consistent )
  • Bridge design per AASHTO → LRFD ( AASHTO LRFD 8th edition )
  • Unsure which factor applies → Check question's given units ( Nominal vs factored values )

Loads & Load Combinations ST

  • ASCE 7 Minimum design loads standard
  • LRFD combo 1.2D + 1.6L governs
  • ASD combo D + L governs
  • Tributary area Load-collection floor area
  • Seismic load Mass times acceleration response

Beam Mechanics & Sections ST

  • Shear diagram Slope of moment diagram
  • Moment diagram Integral of shear diagram
  • Section modulus S Moment of inertia over c
  • Flexure stress f = Mc/I formula
  • Max deflection PL cubed over 48EI

Concrete & Steel Design ST

  • ACI 318 Concrete design code
  • Flexure phi factor 0.9 for tension-controlled sections
  • AISC Manual Steel design reference book
  • Development length Rebar embedment for bond

Horizontal Curve Point Labels TR

  • PC, PI, PT mark curve points
  • PC: curve begins PI: tangents intersect PT: curve ends

Sag vs Crest Vertical Curve TR

Crest curve

  • High point of curve
  • Daytime stopping sight distance

Sag curve

  • Low point of curve
  • Headlight sight distance governs
  • Grade change direction differs

Geometric Design TR

  • Curve radius R Center to curve distance
  • Tangent length T PC to PI distance
  • Middle ordinate M Curve to chord offset
  • SSD Stopping sight distance
  • Superelevation e Curve cross-slope rate

Traffic Capacity & Signals TR

  • LOS Level of service A-F
  • v/c ratio Volume over capacity ratio
  • PHF Peak hour factor
  • HCM Highway Capacity Manual reference
  • Clearance interval Yellow plus all-red time

Pavement & Drainage Design TR

  • ESAL Equivalent single axle load
  • CBR California bearing ratio
  • Structural number SN Flexible pavement thickness index
  • Rigid pavement PCC slab, AASHTO design

Water Treatment Train Order WA

  • Coagulate, flocculate, settle, filter, disinfect
  • Coag/floc: clump particles Sediment: settle out Filter: strain remaining Disinfect: kill pathogens

Rational vs SCS/NRCS Method WA

Rational method

  • Small watersheds under 200 acres
  • Peak flow rate only
  • Simple, fast hand calculation

SCS/NRCS method

  • Larger, complex watersheds
  • Full runoff hydrograph shape
  • Curve number based on soil
  • Watershed size drives method

Runoff / Hydrology Method Picker WA

  • Small urban watershed (<200 ac) → Rational method ( Q=CiA formula )
  • Larger or complex watershed → SCS/NRCS method ( Curve number based )
  • Need full hydrograph shape → Unit hydrograph ( Time-distributed flow )
  • Storm sewer sizing → Rational plus Manning's ( Peak flow, pipe size )
  • Detention pond sizing → Hydrograph routing ( Inflow vs outflow )
  • Stream water quality issue → TMDL analysis ( Load allocation study )

Hydrology WA

  • Rational method Q = CiA formula
  • Runoff coefficient C Fraction of rainfall runoff
  • Time of concentration Tc Longest flow path time
  • SCS/NRCS method Curve number runoff model
  • Design storm Return period rainfall event

Manning's vs Hazen-Williams WA

Manning's equation

  • Open-channel gravity flow
  • Uses roughness coefficient n

Hazen-Williams

  • Pressurized closed-pipe flow
  • Uses C coefficient value
  • Open channel vs pressure pipe

Hydraulics: Open and Closed Conduit WA

  • Manning's equation Open-channel velocity flow formula
  • Hazen-Williams Pressure pipe flow formula
  • Darcy-Weisbach Head loss friction formula
  • Bernoulli equation Energy conservation in flow
  • Froude number Sub vs supercritical flow indicator

Water & Wastewater Treatment WA

  • Coagulation/flocculation Particle clumping treatment step
  • Sedimentation Gravity settling treatment step
  • Disinfection Pathogen inactivation treatment step
  • BOD Biochemical oxygen demand

Common Traps

Bank Volume vs Loose Volume

  • Bank means in-place soil ≠ Loose means after excavation swell

ASD vs LRFD Load Factors

  • ASD uses service-level loads ≠ LRFD uses factored loads

Total Stress vs Effective Stress

  • Total includes water weight ≠ Effective subtracts pore pressure

Total Float vs Free Float

  • Total delays whole project ≠ Free delays only next activity

Rational Method vs SCS Method

  • Rational suits small watersheds ≠ SCS suits larger watersheds

Wood Design vs Steel or Concrete

  • Wood must use ASD only ≠ Steel and concrete allow either

Swell Factor vs Shrinkage Factor

  • Swell is loose over bank ≠ Shrinkage is compacted over bank

Last Minute

  • 1. 80 questions, 9-hour appointment
  • 2. No separate breadth section now
  • 3. Choose one discipline exam only
  • 4. Wood design always uses ASD
  • 5. Steel and concrete allow either
  • 6. Rational method: small watershed peak flow
  • 7. SCS method: larger watershed hydrograph
  • 8. Manning's for open channel flow
  • 9. Hazen-Williams for pressure pipe flow
  • 10. Effective stress equals total minus pore
  • 11. Know handbook table locations cold
  • 12. Practice using only electronic reference

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