PEP case studies
PEP · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam is the licensure examination that engineers in the United States take after passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and completing qualifying work experience under a licensed engineer. Passing it, together with the education and experience requirements of your state board, allows you to be licensed as a Professional Engineer and to sign and seal engineering work. The PEP case studies are 5 cases and about 3,901 words.
1Concrete Strength Acceptance Dispute on a Silo Mat
A ready-mix supplier has placed 95 m³ of concrete for a mat foundation specified as f′c = 30 MPa at 28 days. Sampling followed ACI 318 frequency requirements, producing ten sets of three 150 × 300 mm cylinders.
750 words, about 4 min2Pump Bracket Resonance After Strainer Relocation
A 75 kW vertical inline pump operates at 1,780 rpm on a steel skid in a water treatment plant. A 0.9 m cantilevered bracket made from a 150 × 150 × 10 mm square tube supports a 180 kg Y-strainer and piping.
810 words, about 4 min3Cooling-Water Pump Cavitation at Commissioning
A cooling-water pump takes suction from an open tank whose water surface is 3.5 m below the pump centerline. The pump is rated 120 m³/h at 32 m head and requires NPSHr = 4.8 m at that flow.
726 words, about 4 min4Series Rating and Coordination After a Transformer Upgrade
An industrial plant upgrades its service from a 1,000 kVA to a 1,500 kVA transformer, increasing the calculated available bolted fault current at the 480Y/277 V switchboard from 28 kA to 41 kA. The existing 2,000 A main circuit breaker is rated 65 kA, but the downstream 400 A MCC feeder breaker is rated 22 kA and is marked as part of a listed series-rated combination with the 65 kA main.
835 words, about 4 min5Pressure to Seal Another Firm’s Nonconforming Drawings
You are a licensed PE at a small consulting firm. A general contractor, who is a long-time client, asks you to seal a set of structural drawings for a two-story retail building.
780 words, about 4 min