CPE II key terms

A design method that keeps computed stresses under service loads below a permissible fraction of material strength, applying a factor of safety to the material rather than to the loads.

A limit-states design approach that multiplies nominal loads by load factors and nominal resistances by resistance factors so that factored resistance meets or exceeds factored load effects.

The ratio of a structure's or component's capacity to the maximum expected demand, expressing how much reserve strength exists before failure under the assumed conditions.

A condition in which a structure or component stops satisfying its design purpose, classified as strength, serviceability, fatigue, or extreme-event states that each design check must satisfy.

A performance threshold on deflection, vibration, cracking, or settlement that governs usability and appearance rather than collapse, checked under unfactored service loads.

A plot of applied stress against resulting strain for a material, whose slope, yield point, ultimate strength, and elongation reveal stiffness, strength, and ductility.

The stress at which a material begins to deform permanently, marking the practical limit of elastic behavior and a common basis for allowable design stress.

The ratio of stress to strain in the linear elastic range of a material, measuring its stiffness and appearing in deflection and buckling calculations.

The ability of a material to undergo significant plastic deformation before fracture, allowing warning of overload and redistribution of internal forces in indeterminate structures.

Progressive damage and eventual cracking caused by repeated or fluctuating stress cycles at levels well below the static strength of the material.

Sudden lateral instability of a slender member under compressive load, occurring at a critical load that depends on length, end restraint, and bending stiffness rather than strength alone.

A graphical construction that transforms stress or strain components between coordinate orientations, giving principal stresses and maximum shear at a point.

The normal stress acting on a plane where shear stress is zero, representing the maximum or minimum normal stress at a point in a loaded body.

A sketch isolating a body or portion of a structure with all external and reaction forces shown, used to write equilibrium equations before solving for unknowns.

The condition in which the sum of forces and the sum of moments acting on a body are each zero, the basis for computing reactions and internal forces.

Describing a structure with more unknown reactions than independent equilibrium equations, so that member stiffness and compatibility conditions must be used to solve for forces.

A diagram showing how a particular response, such as a reaction, shear, or moment, varies as a unit load moves across a structure, used to locate critical load positions.

A prescribed set of factored or unfactored loads applied simultaneously, such as dead plus live plus wind, that a design must check to envelope credible loading scenarios.

The permanent, self-weight loading from structural members, finishes, partitions, and fixed equipment, estimated from material densities and catalog data during design.

A non-permanent load from occupancy, furniture, stored materials, or construction activity, specified by building codes as uniformly distributed or concentrated values.

A scheduling technique that models activities and dependencies as a network, identifies the longest-duration path, and computes float for every activity.

A probabilistic network scheduling method that estimates optimistic, most likely, and pessimistic durations for each activity to compute expected duration and schedule risk.

The amount of time an activity can be delayed without delaying the project finish or a successor, distinguishing total float from free float.

A performance measurement method comparing budgeted value of work performed against actual cost and planned schedule, producing cost and schedule variance and performance indices.

The approved, time-frozen version of scope, schedule, and cost against which project performance and change requests are measured and controlled.

A short-interval, usually two- to six-week, detailed plan derived from the master schedule that assigns near-term work and exposes constraints before they cause delay.

A cyclic improvement method in which a change is planned, implemented on a small scale, its results checked against expectations, and the outcome standardized or revised.

A structured investigation, often using the five-whys or fishbone diagram, that traces a problem beyond its symptoms to the underlying process or system cause.

A time-ordered plot of a process measure with statistically derived control limits, used to separate common-cause variation from special-cause signals.

A measure of how well a stable process output fits within specification limits, commonly expressed as Cp or Cpk relative to process spread and centering.

A bar chart ranking causes or defect categories by frequency in descending order, helping teams focus improvement effort on the few contributors with the largest effect.

A method that breaks a task into steps, identifies hazards at each step, and defines controls before work begins, often documented on a pre-task planning form.

A ranked order of hazard controls from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.

A formal written authorization for high-risk activities such as hot work, confined-space entry, or energization, confirming that specified precautions are in place before work starts.

A procedure that isolates hazardous energy sources, applies locks and tags, and verifies zero energy before maintenance or repair work on equipment.

The sum of a project's future cash flows discounted to today at a chosen rate, minus initial investment; a positive value indicates the project adds value.

The rate used to convert future cash flows to present value, reflecting the time value of money and the risk or opportunity cost of capital.

The time required for cumulative cash inflows to recover an initial investment, a simple liquidity screen that ignores cash flows after payback and the time value of money.

A percentage of each progress payment withheld by the owner until defined completion milestones, protecting against defective or incomplete work.

A written, signed modification to contract scope, price, or schedule issued after award, forming part of the contract once accepted by both parties.

A periodic partial payment to a contractor based on measured or scheduled value of work completed, typically reduced by retainage and prior payments.

A situation in which a professional's personal, financial, or other interest could improperly influence judgment, requiring disclosure and often recusal or a management plan.

The degree of skill and diligence ordinarily exercised by competent practitioners under similar circumstances, the benchmark against which professional negligence is judged.

The licensed professional's stamped and signed certification that work was prepared or reviewed under their responsible charge, carrying legal accountability.

A digital, object-based model of a facility that carries geometry and data through design, construction, and operation, supporting coordination, quantity takeoff, and clash detection.

An automated review of a federated model that finds geometric conflicts between building systems, such as ducts intersecting structural beams, before construction.

A single agreed repository and workflow for project information, controlling access, versioning, and approval status so all parties work from current documents.

Record documents revised to show the actual installed configuration, dimensions, and materials of a completed facility, handed to the owner for operation and future modification.