CPE II flashcards

31 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Design factor (safety factor)

Ratio of failure strength to allowable stress. It accounts for uncertainty in loads, material properties, and analysis methods; higher values are used where consequences of failure are severe.

Critical path

The longest-duration sequence of dependent activities through a project network. Its total float is zero, so any delay on it delays the project completion date.

Total float

Late start minus early start, or late finish minus early finish, for an activity. It is the time an activity can slip without delaying the project finish date.

Cost Performance Index

CPI equals earned value divided by actual cost. A value below 1.0 means work is costing more than planned; it can forecast estimate at completion.

Euler buckling load

P_cr = pi squared times E times I divided by (K times L) squared. It predicts elastic instability of a slender column; K depends on end restraint conditions.

Reynolds number

Re = density times velocity times diameter divided by viscosity. It indicates flow regime: laminar below about 2300 in pipes, transitional to turbulent above about 4000.

Poisson's ratio

Negative ratio of lateral strain to axial strain in uniaxial loading. For isotropic materials it relates shear modulus and bulk modulus to elastic modulus.

Bernoulli equation

For steady incompressible flow along a streamline, pressure head plus velocity head plus elevation head is constant, minus losses. It supports pitot and orifice calculations.

Process capability Cpk

Cpk is the minimum of the upper and lower specification distances divided by three sigma. Unlike Cp, it penalizes a process whose mean is off-center.

PDCA cycle

Plan-Do-Check-Act, the Deming improvement cycle. Improvements are standardized only after the Act stage confirms results; it underlies most quality management systems.

FMEA RPN

Risk Priority Number equals Severity times Occurrence times Detection, each scored on a defined scale. Higher RPN values prioritize corrective actions in failure mode analysis.

Pareto analysis

Ranking causes in descending frequency shows that a small number of causes produce most effects. Teams target the vital few causes first rather than the trivial many.

Hierarchy of controls

Risk control ranked by effectiveness: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment as the least reliable barrier.

Lockout tagout

Hazardous energy control procedure: isolate all energy sources, apply locks and tags, then verify zero energy before work. Only the applying worker removes their lock.

Confined space entry

Entry into a space with limited egress and hazardous atmosphere potential requires testing, a permit, an attendant, and a rescue plan before entry begins.

ALARP principle

Reduce risk to as low as reasonably practicable. Residual risk is documented and accepted after comparing control cost against risk reduction benefit.

Capital recovery factor

Converts present worth to equivalent uniform annual cost: A = P times i(1+i)^n divided by [(1+i)^n minus 1]. Used in annual cost comparisons of alternatives.

Net present value

Sum of discounted cash flows at the hurdle rate. Independent projects with positive NPV are economically acceptable; higher NPV is preferred among mutually exclusive options.

Internal rate of return

Discount rate at which project net present value equals zero. Accept when IRR exceeds the minimum attractive rate of return, subject to project comparability.

Lump-sum contract

Fixed-price agreement for defined scope. The contractor bears most cost-overrun risk, so the owner pays a premium for scope certainty and low change volume.

Paramountcy obligation

The duty to hold public health, safety, and welfare paramount over employer, client, and personal interest when professional judgment conflicts with commercial pressure.

Conflict of interest disclosure

Reveal financial or personal interests that could impair objectivity, then recuse from decisions where judgment is compromised. Undisclosed conflicts breach professional conduct rules.

Whistleblowing escalation

Report concerns internally first through defined channels. External disclosure is justified when imminent public safety risk persists and internal remedies have failed.

Closed-loop communication

Sender transmits instruction, receiver repeats it back, sender confirms accuracy. It prevents error in high-consequence handoffs such as field instructions and shift changes.

As-built documentation

Records actual installed geometry, materials, and deviations from design drawings. It supports operations, maintenance, and future modification work after handover.

Document control revision codes

Unique document numbers plus revision identifiers track changes. Controlled distribution retrieves or voids superseded copies so obsolete information cannot be used.

ALCOA+ data integrity

Records must be attributable, legible, contemporaneous, original, and accurate, plus complete, consistent, enduring, and available. It underpins regulated engineering records.

Digital twin

A virtual model linked to asset data and real-time condition. It supports maintenance planning, performance analysis, and lifecycle decisions for physical systems.

Tolerance stack-up

Worst-case assembly variation is the sum of component tolerances. Statistical stack-up uses the root-sum-square of independent tolerances for a more realistic variation estimate.

Verification versus validation

Verification confirms the design meets stated requirements. Validation confirms the delivered system meets the user's actual intended use in its operating environment.

Three-phase power

Real power P equals square root of three times line voltage times line current times power factor. Power factor is the cosine of the voltage-current phase angle.