This Civil Engineering Construction PE Exam Resource List is extracted from the NCEES.org listed Design Standards and is a valuable reference as you prepare for the exam, but it is not a list of required standards and documents that must be taken to the exam.
Your personal experience and expertise will dictate which resources can serve you best on exam day and should be included in your Test-Prep Resource Library©.
Test-Prep Resource Library
The Test-Prep Resource Library© is one of the most valuable tools you can use while preparing for the exam and on exam day.
Each person’s own resource library will be different from every other person’s.
When I coach people on building their Civil Engineering Construction PE Exam Resource Library, I have them start with an honest assessment of their needs.
For example:
- if they don’t have a background or experience in Traffic Engineering,
- then we don’t spend time on Geometrics and,
- they don’t include MUTCD-Pt 6 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices in their Civil Engineering Construction PE Exam Resource List
- if they have limited knowledge in wood construction,
- then we spend time only on those topics they are familiar with and,
- they include only those sections of the NDS National Design Specification for Wood Construction that pertain to them
Through this process, we narrow down the number of resources that must be assembled, tagged, transported to the exam site, and used during the test.
Additional – Recommended – Exam Day Resources
Additional exam day resources I have found helpful are listed at the end of this article.
Every time I coach someone in preparing for their exam, I get push-back on including some of these additional resources.
The reason: they’re not listed on NCEES.org.
So, even though the additional resources aren’t on NCEES’s list of Design Standards, doesn’t mean they aren’t part of the exam. My advice, look through the lists and decide for yourself what makes sense.
The NCEES Civil Engineering Construction PE Exam Resource List:
ASCE 37 Design Loads on Structures During Construction, 2014
(Amazon.com: ASCE 37, 2014)
American Society of Civil Engineers
www.asce.org
NDS National Design Specification for Wood Construction, 2012
(Amazon.com: NDS, 2012)
American Forest & Paper Association/American Wood Council
www.awc.org
CMWB Standard Practice for Bracing Masonry Walls Under Construction, 2012
(amazon: CMWB, 2012)
Council for Masonry Wall Bracing, Mason Contractors Association of America
www.masoncontractors.org
AISC Steel Construction Manual, 14th ed., 2011
Parts 1–3, 8, and 16.2
(Amazon.com: AISC, 2011)
American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.
www.aisc.org
ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, 2014
Chapters 19, 20, and 26
(Amazon.com: ACI 318, 2014)
American Concrete Institute
www.concrete.org
ACI 347R Guide to Formwork for Concrete, 2014
(Amazon.com: ACI 347R, 2014)
American Concrete Institute
www.concrete.org
ACI SP-4 Formwork for Concrete, 8th ed., 2014
(Amazon.com: ACI SP-4, 2014)
American Concrete Institute
www.concrete.org
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry
29 CFR Part 1926 (US federal version)
(Amazon: 29 CFR Part 1926, 2015)
US Department of Labor
www.osha.gov
MUTCD-Pt 6 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
Part 6 Temporary Traffic Control, 2009
(Amazon.com: MUTCD-Pt 6, 2009)
U.S. Federal Highway Administration
www.fhwa.dot.gov
Additional – Recommended – Resources:
International Building Code, 2012
(Amazon.com: IBC, 2012)
International Code Council
www.iccsafe.org
ASCE 7 Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, 2010
(Amazon.com: ASCE 7, 2010)
American Society of Civil Engineers
www.asce.org
PCI Design Handbook: Precast and Prestressed Concrete, 7th edition, 2010
(Amazon.com: PCI Design Handbook, 2010)
Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute
www.pci.org
Introduction to Hydraulics and Hydrology: with Applications for Stormwater Management, 4th ed.
Standard Handbook for Civil Engineers
Temporary Structures in Construction
LearnCivilEngineering.com Teaching Notes
That should get you started.
Remember, the information and resources you need on the exam will look different than those of the people around you.
That’s ok.
Your #1 priority is to pass the test and get your PE.
- Using the most, or the least, or the currently popular resources doesn’t count on your test score.
- You don’t get extra credit for preparing like everyone else.
- They won’t give you a PE license for conforming to some “standard” form of preparation.
Do what works for you, and you will be successful.
If you have any questions or comments about this topic or about the PE Exam in general, please do not hesitate to Contact Us.
