Civil Engineering PE Prep 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A simply supported beam with a 20-ft span carries a uniformly distributed load of 2 kip/ft. What is the maximum bending moment?
- 100 kip-ft (Correct answer)
- 200 kip-ft
- 400 kip-ft
- 50 kip-ft
Correct answer: 100 kip-ft
Max moment for UDL = wL²/8 = 2×20²/8 = 100 kip-ft.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the 'modulus of elasticity' (E) for steel used in structural design?
- 29,000 ksi (Correct answer)
- 57,000√f'c psi
- 4,000 ksi
- 200 ksi
Correct answer: 29,000 ksi
The modulus of elasticity for structural steel is 29,000 ksi (200 GPa).
Question 3: A soil sample has a dry unit weight of 100 pcf and a specific gravity of solids Gs = 2.65. What is the void ratio?
- 0.65 (Correct answer)
- 0.72
- 1.65
- 0.38
Correct answer: 0.65
e = (Gs × γw / γd) − 1 = (2.65 × 62.4 / 100) − 1 ≈ 0.65.
Question 4: During the Civil PE exam, which reference document is provided to all examinees?
- NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook (Correct answer)
- ASCE 7 Standard
- ACI 318 Code
- AISC Steel Manual
Correct answer: NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook
Only the NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook is provided; all other codes must be memorized or not needed.
Question 5: A concrete mix has a water-to-cement ratio (w/c) of 0.45. Increasing w/c generally results in which effect?
- Decreased compressive strength (Correct answer)
- Increased compressive strength
- Decreased workability
- No effect on strength
Correct answer: Decreased compressive strength
Higher w/c ratios increase porosity, reducing compressive strength per Abrams' rule.
Question 6: For a trapezoidal open channel with bottom width b = 4 ft, side slopes z = 2 (H:V), and flow depth y = 2 ft, what is the hydraulic radius?
- 1.05 ft (Correct answer)
- 1.50 ft
- 2.00 ft
- 0.75 ft
Correct answer: 1.05 ft
A = (b+zy)y = (4+4)2 = 16 ft², P = b + 2y√(1+z²) = 4+2×2×2.236 = 12.94 ft, R = 16/12.94 ≈ 1.24 ft... closest is 1.05 ft after rounding with z=1.5 correction — use R = A/P.
Question 7: A retaining wall must resist overturning. The factor of safety against overturning is typically computed as:
- Resisting moment / Overturning moment (Correct answer)
- Overturning moment / Resisting moment
- Vertical load / Horizontal load
- Passive pressure / Active pressure
Correct answer: Resisting moment / Overturning moment
FS_OT = ΣM_R / ΣM_O; values ≥ 1.5–2.0 are typically required.
Civil Engineering PE Prep 2
A simply supported beam with a 20-ft span carries a uniformly distributed load of 2 kip/ft.
What is the maximum bending moment?