PE Construction study guide
PE Construction · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PE Civil: Construction is a professional licensure examination for engineers who plan, manage, and inspect heavy and commercial construction. It is one of several civil depth areas, aimed at people who already hold a PE in another civil discipline or who are pursuing licensure while working in construction operations, field engineering, contractor management, or construction project controls. The PE Construction study guide has 11 sections and about 2,701 words.
01Project Planning (Breadth)
Planning establishes the what, who, and where: work breakdown structure (WBS), site layout, sequencing logic, permits, temporary facilities, and constructability. Scheduling later converts the plan into dates.
274 words, about 1 min02Means and Methods (Breadth)
Means and methods covers how work is physically executed: excavation and support, dewatering, formwork and shoring, scaffolding, cranes and rigging, compaction, pile driving, concrete placement, and temporary works. The contractor generally selects means and methods, but the designer must review temporary works that affect permanent work or safety.
270 words, about 1 min03Soil Mechanics (Breadth)
Soil mechanics questions test classification (USCS and AASHTO), index properties (LL, PL, PI, gradation), compaction (Standard and Modified Proctor, relative density, field density tests), permeability, effective stress, consolidation and settlement, shear strength (c, φ), bearing capacity, and lateral earth pressure. Always separate total stress from effective stress; water carries no shear stress but reduces effective stress.
271 words, about 1 min04Structural Mechanics (Breadth)
Statics and strength of materials: equilibrium, shear and moment diagrams, truss analysis by joints and sections, beam deflection, column buckling (Euler, slenderness), combined stresses, and load combinations. Construction candidates also need temporary structures: shoring, formwork, excavation bracing, and crane mats.
230 words, about 1 min05Hydraulics and Hydrology (Breadth)
Open-channel flow (Manning), pressure pipe flow (Darcy-Weisbach, Hazen-Williams), weirs and orifices, pumps and system curves, rational method, time of concentration, runoff coefficients, culvert inlet/outlet control, erosion and sediment control, and stormwater detention. Construction applications include dewatering, bypass pumping, cofferdams, and temporary drainage.
222 words, about 1 min06Materials (Breadth)
Concrete: mix design by absolute volume, w/cm ratio, slump, air content, admixtures, curing, and 28-day compressive strength. Steel: grades, weldability, cover, lap splices, and inspection.
228 words, about 1 min07Construction Operations and Methods (Depth)
Equipment productivity is the core of depth questions: cycle time, bucket or blade capacity, fill factor, load factor, job efficiency, and unit conversions. Know excavators, loaders, dozers, scrapers, graders, compactors, trucks, and cranes; haul cycle and matching; dewatering; pile driving; concrete placement; and trenchless methods.
248 words, about 1 min08Project Scheduling (Depth)
Critical path method: activity-on-node networks, forward and backward pass, early and late dates, total float, free float, and multiple critical paths. Precedence logic includes finish-to-start, start-to-start, and lags.
254 words, about 1 min09Project Estimating and Cost Control (Depth)
Estimate types: conceptual (order-of-magnitude), engineer's, and bid; quantity takeoff; unit costs; labor productivity and burden; equipment; overhead; contingency; escalation; bonding and insurance; markup and margin; earned value (CPI, SPI, EAC, ETC, TCPI); cost codes and change orders. Cost control compares actual and committed cost to budget.
233 words, about 1 min10Project Administration and Management (Depth)
Contract types (lump sum, unit price, cost-plus, GMP), delivery methods (DBB, DB, CMAR), bidding and award, bonds (bid, performance, payment), insurance, submittals, RFIs, change orders, claims, delay analysis, liquidated damages, retainage, closeout, and document control. Know the difference between excusable, compensable, and concurrent delay, and the notice requirements in the contract.
230 words, about 1 min11Construction Safety (Depth)
OSHA 29 CFR 1926 and the Focus Four: falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, and electrical. Fall protection at 6 ft general, 10 ft for scaffolds, and 15 ft for steel erection; guardrails, personal fall arrest, and rescue.
241 words, about 1 min