416-Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses III – High Performance Slabs
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $9.95
This is our Featured Course of the week.
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course,
Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses III –
High Performance Slabs, is the fourth in a series of courses on concrete
slabs-on-grade.
The
previous three courses presented knowledge necessary for designing and specifying
concrete slabs-on-grade, background information on warehouse facilities and the
sites they are built on, unique challenges, types of loading, slab design
methods, and recommendations for joints details, joint filler, and surface
finishes.
The
present course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade:
Warehouses III – High Performance Slabs, expands on the knowledge
in the above courses by exploring more specialized design methods, loading and
temperature extremes, and superflat floors. Time-tested slab design innovations
used to mitigate issues with slabs will be presented. Situations where
warehouse floors will be subjected to high demand loading and extreme low
temperature conditions will be studied. Building slabs that require extreme flatness
and are examined. A list of topics includes:
Topic
#1 – Shrinkage Compensating Concrete Slabs
Topic #2 – Slabs with fibers:
a) Synthetic fibers (a.k.a.,
macrofiber), or
b) Steel fibers
Topic #3 – Slabs designed with continuous reinforcing
Topic #4 – Post-tensioned slabs-on-grade
Topic #5 – Cold Storage Warehouses
Topic #6 – Automated Racking Systems
Topic #7 – Superflat Floors
This
course focuses on qualitative approaches to slab design and construction, as
well as quantitative design measures useful in calculations. Design concepts
are tailored to engineers with a background in statics and mechanics of
materials, with some familiarity in concrete construction and design.
393-Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: From the Ground Up
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course guides the reader through basic knowledge necessary for designing and specifying concrete slabs-on-grade. The intended audience is design professionals who have at least a basic working knowledge of concrete and that understand simple engineering terms such as tension, compression, and bending.
The reader will find information ranging from the ground slabs are built upon, to slab properties and behavior, to the means of finishing a slab, and finally how slabs are cured for final use. Oftentimes, engineers know what the 28-day compressive strength of a concrete slab should be, but may not choose to dig deeper than that. It is true that slabs are mainly a convenient barrier between the dirt and the first floor of a building. However, as the reader will learn in this course, problems in slabs are often a result of poor soil conditions beneath the slab, or cracking of the concrete due to concrete shrinkage. So, while knowledge of strength is important, it is just the beginning. This course strives to further the knowledge of the reader, and help them make good decisions on behalf of the building owners they serve, and ultimately to design slabs-on-grade with minimal problems in service.
396-Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses I – Background & Loading
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses I – Background & Loading is the second in a series of courses on concrete slabs-on-grade.
The first course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: From the Ground Up presented knowledge necessary for designing and specifying concrete slabs-on-grade.
The third course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses II – Slab Design presents information on slab design methods, as well as recommendations for joints details, joint filler, and surface finishes.
The present course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses I – Background & Loading, contains information on slabs-on-grade in warehouse facilities that are subject to forklift and pallet jack traffic, as well as storage rack loading. The reader will learn background knowledge about warehouses with the goal of improved discussions with those who own and operate these facilities. For facilities with a poorly executed site soil and/or slab design, it is extremely costly to repair and maintain the slab joints. This includes the loss of efficiency while slabs are in a state of disrepair and during operational downtime when remedial action is taking place. This course identifies specific challenges of warehouse slabs, how they are different than typical buildings, and suggests approaches to the design and construction of these slabs to achieve optimal long term performance and minimization of maintenance costs.
This course focuses mainly on qualitative approaches to slab design and construction, but some quantitative design measures are presented and referred to. Design concepts are tailored to engineers with a background in statics and mechanics of materials, with some familiarity in concrete construction and design.
397-Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses II – Slab Design
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses II – Slab Design, is the third in a series of courses on concrete slabs-on-grade.
The first course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: From the Ground Up presented knowledge necessary for designing and specifying concrete slabs-on-grade.
The second course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses I – Background & Loading presents background information on warehouse facilities and the sites they are built on. Also, unique challenges are identified, as well as types of loading.
The present course, Concrete Slabs-on-Grade: Warehouses II – Slab Design, teaches the reader how to provide warehouse owners and operators with slabs that are designed to handle the abuse that small hard wheels impose on slab joints. The course will also review how to design slabs for the loads that legs and base plates of heavy storage racks can apply on small areas of the slab, especially near discontinuities. Furthermore, information on joint construction, joint filler, and surface finishes are presented. The service life of a slab will depend on the durability of the concrete surface and joints. For facilities with a poorly executed slab design, it is extremely costly to repair and maintain the slab joints. This includes the loss of efficiency while slabs are in a state of disrepair and during operational downtime when remedial action is taking place. This course identifies the specific concerns of warehouse slabs, and suggests approaches to the design and construction of these slabs to achieve optimal long term performance and minimization of maintenance costs.
This course focuses on qualitative approaches to slab design and construction, as well as quantitative design measures useful in calculations. Design concepts are tailored to engineers with a background in statics and mechanics of materials, with some familiarity in concrete construction and design.
429-Sexual Harassment Prevention in the Workplace
1 List: $22.50
Sale: $11.95
New Course
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The intent of this course is to define Sexual Harassment, Prevention, and laws concerning employees in the workplace. This course is intended for owners, supervisors, and employees that need to meet their Continuing Education requirements for Sexual Harassment Prevention Training. The course explains harassment, sexual harassment, and prevention based on current U.S. laws. It will discuss what sexual harassment is, what it is not, and how it should be addressed.
430-HVAC Layout and Design Course 1 of 4: Market Sectors & Project Execution Strategies
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
New Course
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This informative Course series was developed to equip the HVAC design engineer with vital information needed to complete Code compliant, successful projects. By the end of Course 4, engineers will learn valuable skills necessary to make HVAC equipment and system choices suitable for their specific project application and will have a better understanding of how to apply these designs which allow for better communication with Clients, design/construction team members and facility Operators.
Course 1 defines ten (10) market sectors an HVAC design engineer may encounter, describes common HVAC equipment/system types for each market sector and familiarizes the reader with Codes that may pertain to their specific HVAC design. This course also describes different project execution strategies that may be utilized for each market sector. Information included in Course 1 provides general knowledge that will be further developed and discussed in Courses 2, 3 and 4.
Upon completion of Course 1, the reader will be able to quickly identify typical HVAC equipment and systems associated with each market sector, know where to look in the Code to ensure compliance and understand where they fit into the design/construction team based on the project execution strategy.
433-HVAC Layout and Design Course 2 of 4: Occupant Comfort & Load/Economic Analysis
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
New Course
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This informative Course series was developed to equip the HVAC design engineer with vital information needed to complete Code compliant, successful projects. By the end of Course 4, engineers will learn valuable skills necessary to make HVAC equipment and system choices suitable for their specific project application and will have a better understanding of how to apply these designs which allow for improved communication with Clients, design/construction team members and facility Operators.
Course 2 describes key comfort factors necessary for the building’s Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) which help occupants to function efficiently thereby saving Owner’s overhead costs. We will review the psychrometric chart and illustrate how this chart can be used to define equipment specifications during early design and estimate loads based on typical engineering assumptions. These skills are important for developing accurate project budgets early in the design phase.
This Course will also familiarize the reader with manual load calculation techniques, HVAC load analysis software inputs and explain how to utilize the output data. Several benefits of computational flow dynamics (CFD) analysis are discussed, and this Course shows how economic analysis can be used to help make HVAC equipment and system selections. Upon completion of Course 2, the reader will have a full understanding of these design fundamentals which will be used in Course 3 to layout HVAC ductwork systems.
426-Florida Engineering Laws & Rules Online for 2023
1 List: $22.50
Sale: $11.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering and to familiarize the professional engineer with the laws and rules that govern the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course meets the Florida Board of Engineers requirement for one-hour of laws and rules training. The course is also accepted for general credit in all states except New York, Ohio, Minnesota, and New Mexico.
424-Ethics for Engineers Part 2 - Based on the NSPE "Code of Ethics for Engineers"
1 List: $22.50
Sale: $11.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering and to familiarize the professional engineer with the "Code of Ethics" of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).
Course Description:
This one-hour course consists of eight short hypothetical case studies and two general questions that illustrate the ethical principles espoused in the NSPE "Code of Ethics for Engineers".
To answer the question, the licensee must read the NSPE code document to find the passage that applies to the conditions in the case.
| This course satisfies one hour of the ethics training requirement for license renewal for the following state engineering boards: |
| Delaware | 3-6 hours required |
| District of Columbia | 1-hour required |
| Florida | 1-hour required |
| Indiana | 1-hour required |
| Iowa | 2-hours required |
| Louisiana | 2-hours required |
| Maryland | 1-hour required |
| Minnesota | 2-hour required |
| Mississippi | 1-hour required |
| New Jersey | 2-hours required |
| New Mexico | 2-hours required |
| New York | 1-hour required |
| Ohio | 2-hours required (rules or ethics) |
| Texas | 1-hour required |
| Wisconsin | 2-hours required |
324-Ethics for Engineers Part 1 - Based on the NSPE "Code of Ethics for Engineers"
1 List: $22.50
Sale: $11.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering and to familiarize the professional engineer with the "Code of Ethics" of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).
Course Description:
This one-hour course consists of ten short hypothetical case studies that illustrate the ethical principles espoused in the NSPE "Code of Ethics for Engineers". For each case, the course test asks the question:
"Does this case adhere to the principals of ethical conduct as defined in the NSPE Code of Ethics for Engineers?"
To answer the question, the licensee must read the NSPE code document to find the passage that applies to the conditions in the case.
| This course satisfies one hour of the ethics training requirement for license renewal for the following state engineering boards: |
| Delaware | 3-6 hours required |
| District of Columbia | 1-hour required |
| Florida | 1-hour required |
| Indiana | 1-hour required |
| Iowa | 2-hours required |
| Louisiana | 2-hours required |
| Maryland | 1-hour required |
| Minnesota | 2-hour required |
| Mississippi | 1-hour required |
| New Jersey | 2-hours required |
| New Mexico | 2-hours required |
| New York | 1-hour required |
| Ohio | 2-hours required (rules or ethics) |
| Texas | 1-hour required |
| Wisconsin | 2-hours required |
224-Ethics for U.S. Engineers
1 List: $22.50
Sale: $11.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering. This course will address a few of the ethics considerations that confront engineers in the normal conduct of their professional life.
Course Description:
Engineers have the obligation to protect the public health safety and welfare. Training in the first two of these (health and safety) is generally the subject of Laws & Rules courses. Protections of the public welfare are more nebulous and harder to define in the law. This course will address a few of the public welfare considerations that confront engineers in the normal conduct of their professional life. The learning objectives are to increase the attendee's understanding of:
- Optimization
- Honest Service
- Predicting Results
- Qualifications
- Reliance on Software
- Influence
- Standardization
- Automation
- Learn/Teach/Mentor
- Errors
- Respect
| This course satisfies one hour of the ethics training requirement for license renewal for the following state engineering boards: |
| Delaware | 3-6 hours required |
| District of Columbia | 1-hour required |
| Florida | 1-hour required |
| Indiana | 1-hour required |
| Iowa | 2-hours required |
| Louisiana | 2-hours required |
| Maryland | 1-hour required |
| Minnesota | 2-hour required |
| Mississippi | 1-hour required |
| New Jersey | 2-hours required |
| New Mexico | 2-hours required |
| New York | 1-hour required |
| Ohio | 2-hours required (rules or ethics) |
| Texas | 1-hour required |
| Wisconsin | 2-hours required |
080-Gravity Flow in Pipes - The Manning Formula
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering and to familiarize the professional engineer with the use of the Manning Formula for solving round pipe problems and the SunCam Manning-Pipe software.
Course Description:
This is a course in gravity flow hydraulics that uses sample problems and small case studies to demonstrate the use of the Manning Formula for solving round pipe problems. To complete the course you will first download your FREE copy of "SunCam Manning-Pipe" software that runs on Microsoft Excel® 2000 or later. (After you purchase the course, you will receive the link to download "Manning-Pipe")
The objective of the course is to give engineers the ability to use the information that they know about a gravity flow hydraulics problem to solve for the things that they do not know. This course will provide useful skills, knowledge and insights for civil, sanitary, mechanical and engineers of all disciplines.
150-Open Channel & Box Culvert Flow - The Manning Formula
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering and to familiarize the professional engineer with the use of the Manning Formula for solving open channel and box culvert problems and the SunCam Manning-Channel software.
Course Description:
The software will only operate on Excel 2007 or newer.
This is a course in gravity flow hydraulics that uses sample problems and small case studies to demonstrate the use of the Manning Formula for solving open-channel and box culvert problems. To complete the course you will first download your FREE copy of "SunCam Manning-Channel" software that runs on Microsoft Excel® version 2007 or later. (Manning-Channel will NOT run on "OpenOffice") (After you purchase the course you will receive the link to download "Manning-Channel")
The objective of the course is to give engineers the ability to use the information that they know about a gravity flow hydraulics problem to solve for the things that they do not know. This course will provide useful skills, knowledge and insights for civil, sanitary, mechanical and engineers of all disciplines.
050-Water Flow in Pipes - The Hazen-Williams Formula
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering and to familiarize the professional engineer with the use of the Hazen & Williams Formula and the SunCam Hydro-Calc tool.
Course Description:
This is an introductory course that uses sample problems to demonstrate the use of Hazen-Williams Formula for answering the day to day hydraulics questions that confront engineers. To complete the course, (after purchase) you will download your FREE copy of "SunCam Hydro-Calc" software product for solving Hazen-Williams Formula problems that runs on Microsoft Excel®.
The objective of the course is to give engineers the ability to use the information that they know about a problem to solve for the things that they do not know. This course will provide useful skills, knowledge and insights for civil, sanitary, mechanical and engineers of all disciplines.
330-Railroad Curves Simplified
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering and to familiarize the professional engineer with the principals of superelevation and spiral transition curves in the design and evaluation of rail lines.
Course Description:
Railroad Curves
Centrifugal force is a function of both train speed and track curvature. If trains operated at a low velocity or on a straight track, centrifugal force would not factor into the engineering of a railway, but high speeds and curved track require an engineered solution. That solution is superelevation which is also known interchangeably as "cant".
This course will teach the physics of centrifugal force and the mathematics used by railroad engineers to select a cant angle and spiral transition curve that provides a comfortable ride and minimizes wear on rails and wheels."Rail-Curve" is the FREE spreadsheet software that comes with the course and takes care of all the number crunching so that we can concentrate on the principals of railroad curve design and evaluation.
There is an eye-opening section on "Vactrain" (Vacuum Tube Train) concepts that promise train speeds of 760 mph (1,200 kph) for Elon Musk's Hyperloop to 4,000 mph (6,437 kph) for Nic Garzilli's Hyper Chariot.
The software runs on Excel 97 or later running on a PC. It's available for download after you purchase the course and it is yours to keep for the rest of your engineering career.
(Rail_Curve will NOT run on "OpenOffice")
418-Engineering Ethics
1 List: $22.50
Sale: $11.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The intent of this course is not to make you ethical, but rather, remind you of your ethical obligations. This course is intended for professionals that need to meet their Continuing Education requirements for Ethics. The course reviews ethical conduct as it relates to the requirement for professionals to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. It will look at some of the areas in which ethics impacts our professional careers and provides a few ethical instances for illustration.
| This course satisfies one hour of the ethics training requirement for license renewal for the following state engineering boards: |
| Delaware | 3-6 hours required |
| District of Columbia | 1-hour required |
| Florida | 1-hour required |
| Indiana | 1-hour required |
| Iowa | 2-hours required |
| Louisiana | 2-hours required |
| Maryland | 1-hour required |
| Minnesota | 2-hour required |
| Mississippi | 1-hour required |
| New Jersey | 2-hours required |
| New Mexico | 2-hours required |
| New York | 1-hour required |
| Ohio | 2-hours required (rules or ethics) |
| Texas | 1-hour required |
| Wisconsin | 2-hours required |
326- Railroads - An Introduction
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course is an introduction to railroads. The intent of the course IS NOT to make you an expert in railroad design, but rather, introduce you to the fundamental components that make up a railroad system. This course IS intended for those engineers that need to become sufficiently familiar with rail systems to discuss railroad requirements with a client, understand what the railroad representatives are saying, know what questions to ask on your client's behalf, and ease the pains involved if you get a project that requires a railroad construction permit. The course will begin by providing a very brief - but interesting - history of railroads in North America before presenting the technical topics on the subgrade, ballast, ties, rail, turnouts, road crossings, ladder tracks and… of course… frogs. Again, this introductory course is about what a railroad encompasses and provides the basic information necessary for an engineer to be able to discuss the topic intelligently with a client but is NOT intended to provide the knowledge to actually design a railroad, the turnouts, or any railroad signals that may be required.
Detailed course outline with timeline
- 7 Minutes — Course Description & Introduction
- 25 Minutes — History
- 14 Minutes — Railway Forces
- 23 Minutes — Railway Alignments
- 11 Minutes — Transit Rail
- 18 Minutes — Track Structure
- 24 Minutes — Subgrade and and Sub-ballast
- 12 Minutes — Drainage
- 11 Minutes — Ballast
- 12 Minutes — Railroad Ties
- 14 Minutes — Rail
- 18 Minutes — Turnouts
- 18 Minutes — Road Crossings
- 18 Minutes — Rail Crossing Signage, Gates, & Signals
- 18 Minutes — Customer Rail Facilities
- 18 Minutes — Glossary
- 11 Minutes — Summary
- 40 Minutes — The Test
077-Septic System Design
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course is intended to provide engineers, designers, and contractors with knowledge of how a septic system works, the components that make up the system, and the considerations involved in designing a septic system. Biologically, every septic system treats effluent waste in the same manner but the design process changes slightly with each state. And because each state has its own code with slight variations in their requirements, this is not intended to be an all-inclusive course in the design or installation of septic systems for each state. However, the design process can be used in every state with minor adaptations for a specific state.
The course will start "at the beginning" and then progress through the sequence of components from the septic tanks to the drainfield and the design involved in each of these components. The course will cover gravity systems, trench and bed drainfields, mounded systems, pumped systems, and Aerobic Treatment Units. It will also cover site placement considerations that must be evaluated when determining the location of a septic drainfield.
140-Campgrounds - The Basics of Design
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course is intended to provide engineers and designers with an introduction into the design requirements of campgrounds… from primitive camping to Recreational Vehicles. The course will discuss the issues that impact the different types of campgrounds. Some examples are potable water supply, sewage, garbage collection, access for emergency vehicles, environmental impacts, etc.
The course will start with discussions of the different "types" of camping experiences found in campgrounds. This is followed by a discussion of some of the codes and considerations that must be incorporated into the final campground design. Designing a campground in the various states can be considerably different but all will have the same design components and issues. So this course will focus on the design aspects that are common to all campgrounds.
240-Kayak & Canoe Launch Design (a.k.a. Non-Motorized Boat Launches)
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Detailed course outline with timeline
- 24 Minutes — Introduction
- 10 Minutes — Design Considerations
- 49 Minutes — Parking Design
- 5 Minutes — Design Examples
- 54 Minutes — NMB Launch Design
- 10 Minutes — Facilities
- 20 Minutes — ADA Accessibility
- 5 Minutes — Special Cases
- 24 Minutes — Examples of Bad Designs
- 5 Minutes — Summary
- 40 Minutes — The Test
Those who take this course will learn about the basic design of canoe and kayak launches. They will learn about the pre-design considerations, parking issues, different types of launches, support facilities, ADA accessibility, and look at some examples of bad designs. They will learn how to incorporate all of these considerations into a functional cost-efficient design required for a successful NMB launch project.
250-Project Management Through Client Management
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course is intended to provide professionals with a different perspective in Project Management by addressing the Client's needs in a Project Manager. The course will discuss the attributes that Clients expect and demand from the Professional that will be managing the project development.
The course will start with assessing the client, the project, and the professional's qualifications. This is followed by discussions of some of the client's expectations, contracts, communications, relationships, and more. So many professionals fall short of what a client is looking for because the professional is focused on the technical aspects of the design and lose sight of the overall project development. This course is for all of those that honestly want to be a truly effective Project Manager for their Client and their company.
Detailed course outline with timeline
- 7 Minutes — Contents and Introduction
- 25 Minutes — Assessments
- 14 Minutes — Expectations
- 23 Minutes — Cheap Fast Good
- 11 Minutes — Contracts
- 18 Minutes — Schedule
- 24 Minutes — Communications
- 12 Minutes — Responsiveness
- 11 Minutes — Relationships
- 12 Minutes — Roles
- 14 Minutes — Multiple Clients
- 18 Minutes — Invoices
- 11 Minutes — Summary
- 40 Minutes — The Test
This course is an introduction on how to manage a project through managing the client.
Have you ever met a Project Manager that stated publicly that he's not a good project manager? Of course not! Every Project Manager believes he is a good manager. Part of being a good Project Manager includes working with the Client in the concept development, design, permitting, and construction process. Not working effectively with the Client in any one of these stages will pretty much eliminate you from future work with this Client. This course is for all of those that honestly want to be a truly effective Project Manager for their Client and their company.
The Project Management Institute (PMI) accepts this courses for category 4 credit
269-An Introduction to Due Diligence Reports for Development Projects
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This course is intended to provide professionals with an introduction to the research conducted and the submittal required for a Due Diligence Report of a Development Project. The course will discuss the process for preparing a Due Diligence Report (aka the "Report") beginning with the initial meeting with the Client and then proceeding to the field investigation, and the regulatory research required to produce the final Report. In the course are tips and examples that are provided for assistance and clarification of the various topics being discussed.
As you will learn, there are professional liabilities and risks associated with Due Diligence Reports that the professional needs to understand in order to protect his company, and himself, before executing a contract with a Client. Also included at the end of the course documentation is a sample Due Diligence checklist that can be used as a starting point for conducting the research for a Due Diligence Report.
Course Description:
Detailed course outline with timeline
- 6 Minutes — Contents and Introduction
- 11 Minutes — Course Description
- 14 Minutes — The Contract
- 23 Minutes — Due Diligence Research
- 11 Minutes — Field Work
- 18 Minutes — Regulatory Research
- 24 Minutes — Environmental Research
- 12 Minutes — Legal Research
- 11 Minutes — Utilities Research
- 12 Minutes — Transportation Research
- 14 Minutes — Miscellaneous Client Requests
- 18 Minutes — Estimates of Development Costs
- 11 Minutes — Summary
- 40 Minutes — The Test
095-Fundamentals of Concrete
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Written in an easy to understand style, the course Fundamentals of Concrete takes a look at the properties of concrete including its ingredients as well as the nature of the product from its inception at mixing these ingredients to some of the final products. A clear discussion of the ingredients of concrete is included as well as the process that makes the initial slurry change to a hardened structural material. Some of concrete's material properties — such as workability, weight, and strength — are discussed including precautions and factors affecting these properties. The effect of evaporation on newly placed concrete is discussed along with methods to prevent it.
The course continues with a clear discussion of reinforced concrete, stresses in a concrete beam, and reinforcing steel. The principles of pre-cast and post-tensioned beams are discussed with several representative cross sections presented. The course concludes with an introductory discussion of the principles of formwork design.
The course is not a design course but does offer some sample calculations to demonstrate the design criteria involved in the design of reinforced concrete beams and the design of formwork for vertical structures such as walls and columns.
127-Fundamentals of Steel - Part A
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Written in an easy to understand style, the course Fundamentals of Steel — Part A takes a look at steel in an informative and intuitive way — using among other things, a story of a yardstick as a teaching tool. After a brief history of steel in the U. S., and an introduction to the most influential and dominant codes, the manufacturing process of steel is presented. This is followed by a discussion of the most important mechanical properties — and the factors affecting them — of steel including easy-to-understand drawings. Then the various shapes are presented and discussed with clear and easy to follow diagrams. One of the many topics presented is a discussion of how a single nominal sized beam can have the largest member of its class be over 160% times larger than the smallest.
Photos relating to the topics presented include the John Hancock Building in Chicago.
The course is not a design course. It does however offer some sample calculations to demonstrate the material properties and the design criteria for steel members.
Fundamentals of Steel — Part B, a companion course, continues on with a look at how the shapes are used in the field with an emphasis on connections — both welded and bolted. Bar joists are discussed. Some of the very serious weaknesses of structural steel are discussed including methods of protecting against these weaknesses.
128-Fundamentals of Steel - Part B
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Written in an easy to understand style, the course Fundamentals of Steel — Part B takes a look at steel in an informative and intuitive way — using among other things, a story of a pop can as a teaching tool. This course will look at how the shapes are used in the field with an emphasis on connections — both bolted and welded. Bar joists — perhaps the most common built-up member — are discussed. Structural carbon steel has some serious weaknesses. These are also discussed including methods of protecting against these weaknesses.
Connections — both welds and high strength bolts — are discussed. The concepts behind their function and simple sample problems are presented to demonstrate the very complex workings of steel connections.
Photos relating to the topics presented include the John Hancock Building in Chicago, the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Lambeau Field in Green Bay, and the Mackinac Bridge over the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, as well as others.
The course is not a design course. But it does offer some sample calculations to demonstrate the criteria involved in the design of high strength bolted and welded steel connections.
Fundamentals of Steel — Part A is not required as a pre-requisite to this course. It would however be helpful to understand the basic principles of the most important mechanical properties of steel as well as the common nomenclature associated with steel as presented in Part A of this series.
362-Python Programming for Engineers - Part 1: Expressions, Data Types, Variables and Strings
5 List: $112.50
Sale: $35.95
Course Objectives: This course presents introduction to the Python programming language. This course presents the concepts of expressions, data types, variables, strings, lists, tuples, dictionaries and sets, and how they are applied in the Python programming language. Upon completion of this course learners will be able to use Python to perform engineering calculations, manage data, and build desktop applications.
Course Description:
This course is the first of a series on the Python programming language. The course presents a general overview of computers and computer programming, followed by an introduction to the Python programming language. The course presents applications for developing and testing Python programs.
363-Python Programming for Engineers - Part 2: Branching and Looping, Functions and Error Handling
5 List: $112.50
Sale: $35.95
Course Objectives: This course presents introduction to the Python programming language. This course presents the concepts of conditional statements, looping structures, functions, modules, input and out (I/O) functions, file handling, and error handling techniques, and how they are applied in the Python programming language. Upon completion of this course learners will be able to use Python to build computer programs that manage large data sets, automate complex and repetitive engineering calculations and implement algorithms.
Course Description:
This course is the second of a series on the Python programming language. This course presents techniques and programming structures of the Python programming language for
automating complex, repetitive tasks and implementing algorithms. This course presents techniques for troubleshooting and debugging Python programs.
364-Python Programming for Engineers - Part 3: Graphical User Interfaces I
6 List: $135.00
Sale: $41.95
Course Objectives: This course presents the Python tkinter module used to build Python graphical user interface (GUI) applications. This course presents the Python tkinter widgets used to build GUIs such as labels, text and entry widgets, click buttons, check buttons, radio buttons, listboxes, spinboxes, menus and frames, as well as message and canvas widgets. Upon completion of this course participants will be able to build desktop GUI applications that can manage large data sets, automate complex and repetitive engineering calculations and implement algorithms.
Course Description:
This course is the third of a series on the Python programming language. This course presents techniques to build graphical user interfaces (GUI) in Python. A GUI application or app is an interface that enables a user to interact with a computer program or an electronic device, in certain designed ways, through visual indications and graphical elements.
365-Python Programming for Engineers - Part 4: Graphical User Interfaces II
6 List: $135.00
Sale: $41.95
Course Objectives: This course presents the Python tkinter module used to build Python graphical user interface (GUI) applications. This course presents the Python tkinter widgets used to build GUIs such as messageboxes, slider and scrollbar widgets, toplevel windows, paned windows, comboboxes and dialog widgets. Upon completion of this course participants will be able to build desktop GUI applications that can manage large data sets, automate complex and repetitive engineering calculations and implement algorithms.
Course Description:
This course is the fourth of a series on the Python programming language. This course presents more techniques to build graphical user interfaces (GUI) in Python. A GUI application or app is an interface that enables a user to interact with a computer program or an electronic device, in certain designed ways, through visual indications and graphical elements.
029-Geothermal Heating and Cooling
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Ground Source Heat Pump Systems harvest solar energy for heating, and they utilize soil capacities to store heat for air conditioned cooling. They use smaller amounts of electricity, without fossil fuel combustion in the building served. Geothermal Green Technology reduces CO2 emissions, and saves owners fuel and AC costs. In February of 2018 the 30% Federal Tax Credit was reinstated for residential geothermal and 10% for commercial, leading to much more business.
This SUNCAM continuing education course shows you how to design and install the outside closed loop piping under the lawn or nearby meadow of a new or existing building. At its completion, you will be able to prepare a site plan and oversee installation of the outside work, necessary for the inside work to be done by the HVAC contractor.
045-Geothermal Heat Pumps for Small Buildings
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This Geothermal or Ground Source - Heat Pump Course 045 follows the SunCam Geothermal Energy - Course 029 that examined underground closed loops. Federal Tax Credits of 30% residential and 10% commercial have been reinstated in 2018 for projects from 2017 to 2022. Now experience the practical application of Heat Pump technology, aimed at Professional Engineers, who would Project Manage a geothermal heating and cooling installation for a small residential or commercial building.
Important photos and diagrams differentiate this course from other on-line articles. The highly technical information presented here is for PEs who seek an in depth understanding of how GS Heat Pumps operate. Numerous reference web site links allow further research specifics beyond the course content. Complement your existing PE skills by adding expertise in the evolving field of Energy Efficiency.
091-Geothermal Boreholes
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The vast majority of ground source heat pump systems (Recently reapproved for 30% residential & 10%
commercial federal tax credits) use vertical boreholes, instead
of horizontal trenches. Following up on SUNCAM course 029-Geothermal
Heating and Cooling, and course 045-Geothermal
Heat Pumps for Small Buildings is this latest course on boreholes.
Large commercial geo projects involving engineering design, frequently
find the borehole alternate superior to trenching, where limited
acreage is available for larger building loads. In the language of both
the well driller and the design professional, Geothermal Borehole
course 091 addresses the many facets of ground heat exchange: Rock
thermal conductivity, grout installation sequence & grout thermal
conductivity, software design programs, total length formula, heat
fusion, manifold layout, all with site plans, web references and photos.
Uncover the technology being employed on many of the new building
projects. Become informed on the latest techniques and standards used
to harvest renewable energy from beneath our feet.
055-The Energy Audit of an Existing Home
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Professional Engineers have great advantage in understanding the energy systems of a house. With new construction of homes at a slow pace today, there is time for our nation to devote resources to making our existing houses more energy efficient. Standards and techniques used by the Building Performance Institute, Inc. should be familiar to PEs, who have a knowledge foundation in this field that is greater than the populace in general. The country can use the expertise of its engineering community to stop wasting valuable energy and money. Certainly the political will is there to achieve this.
While it may not be a profession changing opportunity for most, this course will enhance what you already know from your related engineering fields. It should allow Professional Engineers to exercise more leadership in their communities, where the Home Energy Audit and Weatherization businesses are exploding. And it could motivate PEs to gain additional credentials by proceeding toward Building Analyst certification.
350- Steel Column and Base Plate Design Fundamentals
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
For a basic definition, columns are axially loaded compression members used to carry vertical loads down through a structure and into foundations. Unlike axially loaded tension members, the effects of instability (buckling) must also be considered when designing columns. The course focuses on the fundamentals of analysis and design of steel columns; other materials are not discussed. The course begins at a basic mechanics of materials level of column analysis and builds into design procedures using the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) steel design manuals. Procedures for column design and base plate design are covered.
Design procedures are presented using both Allowable Stress Design (ASD) and Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) procedures. Design equations and summary tables are included in the course content, so it is not required to have a copy of the design manuals for this course. Examples within the course use wide flange shapes, so it is helpful to have access to property tables for wide flange shapes. Such tables are available online if you do not have AISC design manuals.
Knowledge of basic concepts of axial stress (load divided by area) is required for this course. Any mechanics of materials textbook can be referenced for additional coverage. This course does build on the concept of axial stress to develop equations for long and intermediate columns, so prior knowledge of columns is not required.
253-A Practical Design Guide for Welded Connections, Part 1 - Basic Concepts and Weld Symbols.
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Welded connections are used in many mechanical and structural applications. Fundamental knowledge of how to design welded connections is critical for engineers. This course provides a thorough, but easy to understand, approach that explains the essential details of weld analysis and design. The material presented in this course is at an introductory level, covering what every engineer should know about welded connections, and no prior understanding of welded connections is required. However, a general understanding of mechanics of materials (primarily basic stress and torsion) is helpful for this course.
This course is divided into 2 parts.Part 1 of this course largely focuses on the foundational knowledge of welding symbols. It is critical for engineers and designers to understand the proper use of welding symbols because they serve as communication between the designer and the fabricator.
Part 2 covers topics on the analysis and design of welded joints. The section covers the two main types of welded connections, fillet welds and groove welds, as they make up nearly 95% of all welded joints used in mechanical applications. Direct loading applications and eccentrically loaded applications are covered.
254-A Practical Design Guide for Welded Connections, Part 2 - Analysis and Design
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Welded connections are used in many mechanical and structural applications. Fundamental knowledge of how to design welded connections is critical for engineers. This course provides a thorough, but easy to understand, approach that explains the essential details of weld analysis and design. The material presented in this course is at an introductory level, covering what every engineer should know about welded connections, and no prior understanding of welded connections is required. However, a general understanding of mechanics of materials (primarily basic stress and torsion) is helpful for this course.
This course is divided into 2 parts. Part 1 of this course largely focuses on the foundational knowledge of welding symbols. It is critical for engineers and designers to understand the proper use of welding symbols because they serve as communication between the designer and the fabricator.
Part 2 covers topics on the analysis and design of welded joints. The section covers the two main types of welded connections, fillet welds and groove welds, as they make up nearly 95% of all welded joints used in mechanical applications. Direct loading applications and eccentrically loaded applications are covered.
258-An Introduction to the Analysis and Design of Bolted Connections
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Bolted connections are used in many mechanical and structural applications. Fundamental knowledge of how to design bolted connections is critical for engineers. This introductory course provides a systematic and easy to understand approach that explains the essential details of the analysis and design of common bolted connections. The material presented in this course is at an introductory level, covering what every engineer should know about bolted connections, and no prior understanding of bolted connections is required. However, a general understanding of mechanics of materials (primarily basic stress and torsion) is helpful for this course.
The course covers basic terminology associated with threaded fasteners and the different styles of threaded fasteners. The different screw thread systems are covered along with the associated tolerance classes. Common materials used for threaded fasteners are discussed along with available coatings to improve corrosion resistance. SAE grades, structural grades, and metric classes are discussed. Bolt strength properties, such as proof load and tensile strength, are discussed and compared.
The general design procedure is explained for direct loading and eccentrically loaded connections. The direct loading applications focus on lap joints, with a general discussion of butt joints. Topics on eccentrically loaded connections focus on connections with bolts subjected to eccentric shear.
307-Combined Stress and Mohr's Circle
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Stress analysis is a fundamental part of engineering. Loading that causes a single type of stress include simple axial loads, torsional load, and bending loads. In practice, however, it is common to encounter combined loading where the basic equations of shear, torsion, and bending do not apply.
It is critical that engineers understand stresses caused by different combined loading conditions and be able to determine the location of maximum stress. This course covers stresses caused by common types of combined loading. Some combinations, such as combined bending and axial loading, are solved using superposition methods. Other complex combinations, combining normal and shearing stresses, are solved using Mohr's circle. Concepts are illustrated by using common applications in examples.
Statics concepts, such as rigid body equilibrium, will be used in this course and on exam questions. Topics from mechanics of materials, such as simple stress and beam moment, are used throughout the course and exam.
315-Introduction to Electrical Theory and DC Circuits
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
It is important for any engineer to have a fundamental knowledge of electrical circuits. This course provides an introduction to electrical theory and DC circuits. The content can be used to introduce yourself to these topics or can serve as a general review. No previous knowledge of electrical theory is required for this course.
Many applicational example problems are provided for general theory and for DC circuits. Circuits are analyzed in several arrangements including series, parallel, and a combination of series and parallel arrangements. Basic problems are presented first that cover key electrical concepts such as Coulomb's law, resistance, Ohm's law, and power. Series and parallel arrangements are discussed based on developing equivalent resistance for the circuit. More complex analysis tools like voltage divider rule, current divider rule, and Kirchoff's laws are also used.
348-An Overview of Computer Aided Design and Finite Element Analysis
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
NOTE: This is a course in Computer Aided Design (CAD) for professional engineers, not a course in the related subject of Computer Aided Drafting.
Computer aided design (CAD) is the use of computer software to assist the design engineer in the overall creation and analysis of parts and assemblies. Finite element analysis (FEA) is a numerical method used to determine approximate solutions of physical problems. Proper use and integration of CAD and FEA can greatly improve efficiency of the design process.
This course provides a general overview of methods and applications of computer aided design and finite element analysis to expose the reader to the many design features of solid modeling software. The intent of the course is to explain ways computer aided design can improve the overall design process and allow for easier design changes. The course will explain how to properly use computer aided design and finite element analysis methods to optimization designs and have greater confidence in how a design will function. General knowledge of solid modeling software is helpful for this course but not required. Though this course discusses the general concepts of solid modeling, the course does not teach concepts of computer aided drafting. General understanding of the equations of stress and strain would be beneficial for understanding the applications of FEA.
The information provided in this course is not limited to any single software package. This course does not focus on teaching any single solid modeling software package and does not provide step-by-step tutorials of CAD or FEA. Information is presented in a way to develop concepts of computer aided design and finite element analysis that can be applied to any solid modeling software. Illustrative examples of CAD procedures are given using Solidworks and Inventor, though the concepts would apply to any software package. The same software packages are used to illustrate the concepts of FEA, yet the concepts can be transferred to other FEA software.
280-Intro to Thermodynamic Cycles Part 1 - 1st Law and Gas Power Cycle
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The focus of this course is to introduce some of the most common thermodynamic cycles. The course is divided into three parts. Part 1 of the course provides a quick overview of the first law for both closed and open systems and discusses gas power cycles. Part 2 covers vapor cycles and part 3 of this course covers the second law of thermodynamics along with refrigeration cycles.
Part 1 is intended to cover the preliminary concepts and theories required to analyze gas power cycles. The course begins with basic concepts of thermodynamics; with a brief coverage of topics such as the laws of thermodynamics, processes and cycles, properties of a pure substance, heat capacity, and the ideal gas law. The first law of thermodynamics is covered for both closed systems and open systems. Gas power cycles are covered with a focus on the Otto cycle and the diesel cycle using air-standard analysis.
This course is at an introductory level, and no prior knowledge of thermodynamics is required.
260-Introduction to Manufacturing Methods for Metals Part 1-Casting and Forging Methods
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Many engineers work in areas related to product design. In product design it is very important to understand the manufacturability of parts. The cost of a part is greatly influenced by the method of production, so engineers need to have a good knowledge of the available methods. Engineers need to do product design so that the product will function properly, but they also need to design the part for the particular manufacturing method utilized. In other words, the engineer should design the part with a specific manufacturing process in mind.
This course provides a general overview of manufacturing processes related to metals. Focus is placed on comparing the advantages and disadvantages of different methods to help engineers determine which method to use for a specific product. The manufacturing methods covered in part 1 of this course are casting and forging. No previous knowledge of manufacturing methods is required for this course.
303-Pressure Vessels - Thin and Thick-Walled Stress Analysis
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Pressure vessels are very common in industry with examples such as pipes, water towers, hydraulic cylinders, and boilers. It is important for engineers to understand stresses developed in pressure vessels when subjected to internal or external pressure loads. This course provides a general introduction to understanding stresses in thin-walled and thick-walled pressure vessels. Though some theory is provided, the course focuses on applications of stress equations. Failure theories are discussed for brittle and ductile materials. The failure theories are used to discuss design of pressure vessels.
A general understanding of mechanics of materials is required for this course. Equations of stress and strain are used to develop equations for pressure vessels. Concepts of principal stresses are used for failure theories.
This course covers the basic stress analysis of pressure vessels and does not cover specific design codes for pressure vessels due to the vast types of applications. The reader should consult any appropriate codes, such as ASME Code Section VIII, for more details.
295-Review of Engineering Dynamics, Part 1: Kinematics of Particles and Rigid Bodies
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
It is common in engineering analysis and design to deal with systems in motion. Dynamics is the study of systems in motion. This course discusses the essential topics that every engineer should know about the field of engineering dynamics. Example problems are provided throughout the course, and the focus primarily on topics relating to engineering applications. Part 1 of the course will focus on kinematics of particles and rigid bodies, while part 2 will cover kinetics of particles and rigid bodies.
Dynamics can be a difficult topic. Most of the confusion stems from the idea that there are many ways to solve any given dynamics problem. This course will outline a systematic approach to solving dynamics problems. Following the step-by-step process presented in this course will help you to quickly determine the appropriate equations to use for any problem relating to engineering dynamics.
It is helpful to have a very basic understanding of derivatives, especially simple derivatives of polynomials. A review section is provided in the course to cover the essential calculus topics for the course.
062-Switchmode Buck Power Converter Using Voltage-Mode Control
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course covers a methodology for designing a Switch-Mode Buck power converter employing a voltage-mode feedback control approach. The Buck power conversion topology is introduced and considerations for selecting inductor and capacitor components essential for efficient energy transfer are discussed.
Topologies for two states of switching are shown and a state-space averaged model is produced. A small-signal model linear model is produced to examine potential stability issues. Zero-Order Hold (ZOH) effects of the discrete-time nature of switching within the control loop are included. Pole-Zero (PZ) compensators necessary to stabilize the open-loop characteristics of converters with disparate switching frequencies are designed.
The Pulse-Width Modulator (PWM) is introduced it into the feedback loop. Both feedforward and feedback capabilities are added to the PWM and contrasted.
067-Switchmode Buck Power Converter Using Current-Mode Control
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The Switchmode Buck converter is used widely for high efficiency conversion of DC power available at a higher voltage and delivered to a load at a lower voltage. This course develops models of the Buck converter with current-mode control. Basic operation, a practical set of examples, and large/small signal models are discussed. The considerations for feedback regulation and load-current limiting control of the converter are introduced.
The selection of appropriate inductor and capacitor values are discussed, considering the frequency of operation and other design parameters. A constant-frequency Pulse-Width Modulator (PWM) controller is employed for pulse-by-pulse peak-current control. And a method for constructive use of inductor parasitics is employed for current monitoring. We introduce the peak-threshold current control in the open-loop model to illustrate a current-limit function, and then develop that control into the pulse-by-pulse current-mode control for voltage feedback. We develop the feedback conditions for frequency-domain, small-signal, stability in the open-loop model and include a Pole-Zero (PZ) compensator for good margins. We introduce the Zero-Order-Hold (ZOH) effects of the inherent sampling caused by cycle-by-cycle control and include those effects in the (PZ) compensator. The loop is closed and a "soft-start" capability added to avoid current-limiting during startup. Line and load regulation is shown for the example as well as transient load recovery. Finally, the need for "Slope Compensation" in some designs is discussed and a means for adding it is shown.
071-Switchmode Boost Power Converter Using Voltage-Mode Control
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The Switchmode Boost converter is used widely for high efficiency conversion of DC power available at a lower voltage and delivered to a load at a higher voltage. This course develops models of the Boost converter with voltage-mode control. Basic operation, a practical of example, and large/small signal models are discussed. The considerations for feedback regulation and feedforward control of the converter are introduced.
The selection of appropriate inductor and capacitor values are discussed, considering the frequency of operation and other design parameters. A constant-frequency Pulse-Width Modulator (PWM) controller is employed. We develop the feedback conditions for frequency-domain, small-signal, stability in the open-loop model and include a Pole-Zero (PZ) compensator for good margins. We introduce the Zero-Order-Hold (ZOH) effects of the inherent sampling caused by cycle-by-cycle control and include those effects in the (PZ) compensator. The loop is closed and a "soft-start" capability added to high inrush currents during startup. Line and load regulation are shown for the example as well as transient load recovery. The material covered should enable a working engineer to construct a stable Boost converter using voltage control.
072-Switchmode Boost Power Converter Using Current-Mode Control
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The Switchmode Boost converter is used widely for high efficiency conversion of DC power available at a lower voltage and delivered to a load at a higher voltage. This course develops models of the Boost converter with current-mode control. Basic operation, a practical of example, and large/small signal models are discussed. The considerations for control of the converter are introduced.
The selection of appropriate inductor and capacitor values are discussed, considering the frequency of operation and other design parameters. A constant-frequency Pulse-Width Modulator (PWM) controller is employed. We develop the feedback conditions for frequency-domain, small-signal, stability in the open-loop model and include a Pole-Zero (PZ) compensator for good margins. We introduce the Zero-Order-Hold (ZOH) effects of the inherent sampling caused by cycle-by-cycle control and include those effects in the (PZ) compensator. Current-limit control is introduced and used as the basis for the introduction of cycle-by-cycle current-mode control. The loop is closed and a "soft-start" capability added to high inrush currents during startup. Line and load regulation are shown for the example as well as transient load recovery. The need for "Slope Compensation" is introduced and explained and an example shown contrasting behavior with and without it. The material covered should enable a working engineer to construct a stable Boost converter using current-mode control.
043-Introduction to the Design of Wood Trusses
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Metal plated wood trusses have become very popular for wood frame construction, especially in the home building industry. The purpose of this document is to provide an introduction to the most significant concepts relating to the design, manufacture, and erection of metal plated wood trusses and their application to residential and light commercial construction. This course is intended for professionals who are involved in building design or construction or otherwise interested in the topic of metal plated wood trusses.
The course initially covers commonly used definitions in the truss industry along with descriptions of the most common truss shapes. Responsibilities of the various individuals and companies involved in the process of producing and installing the trusses are then reviewed. The important topics of truss bracing, issues involving girder trusses, and the practical limits for wood trusses are discussed next. The course concludes with a discussion of software and truss optimization.
219-Repair Techniques for Wood Trusses, Part 1: Simple Repair Concepts
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Metal plated wood trusses are engineered products that are manufactured in a controlled environment and are now used extensively in the woodframe construction industry. Wood trusses provide the architect or building designer greater flexibility in the design of the structure than conventional framed (stick-built) construction. The design is not as limiting with regard to bearing wall locations which enables longer spans and greater ability to shape complicated roof and ceiling profiles. These pre-manufactured wood trusses facilitate a quicker construction schedule and an overall lower cost.
Wood, a renewable resource, has a great deal of manufacturing flexibility. Wood members are easily formed into standard framing sizes, cut into appropriate lengths with odd angles if necessary, and attached to form the wood structure. However, wood is more susceptible than steel or concrete to damage due to internal defects, handling issues, and long term deterioration. Design or manufacturing errors, shipping damage, miscommunication, and change orders are possible causes for the inadequacy of a wood truss for a specific application and therefore a repair or modification of the pre-manufactured wood truss is required. The purpose of this document is to address various repair techniques that could be used to correct damage to the wood members or metal plates, reinforce trusses that do not meet the required specified design loads, or adjust the truss profile or member location to meet other design requirements.
This course is the second part in a three part series which consists of a total of 11 chapters between all three parts. Chapters 1 through 3 provide an introduction to the terms, concepts, and process involved in truss repairs. Chapters 4 through 11 contain actual truss repairs to provide instruction through the use of example. These chapters are broken down as follows:
- Part 1: Introduction and Simple Repair Concepts — Five Chapters.
- Chapter 1 — Definitions
- Chapter 2 — Repair Design Concepts
- Chapter 3 — Wood Truss Repair Connections
- Chapter 4 — Member Damage and Defects
- Chapter 5 — Plate Damage
- Part 2: Moderate Truss Repairs - Four Chapters
- Chapter 6 — Manufacturing Errors
- Chapter 7 - Stubs and Extensions
- Chapter 8 — Minor Modifications
- Chapter 9 — Major Modifications
- Part 3: Complex Truss Repairs - Two Chapters — Current Part
- Chapter 10 — Volume Ceiling Changes
- Chapter 11 — Girders and Truss Loading
It is highly recommended to complete Parts 1 and 2 before attempting Part 3. The techniques developed in the earlier chapters provide a good basis for the complex truss repairs presented in Part 3.
266-Repair Techniques for Wood Trusses, Part 2: Moderate Truss Repairs
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Metal plated wood trusses are engineered products that are manufactured in a controlled environment and are now used extensively in the wood frame construction industry. Wood trusses provide the architect
or building designer greater flexibility in the design of the structure than conventional framed (stick-built) construction. The design is not as limiting with regard to bearing wall locations which enables
longer spans and greater ability to shape complicated roof and ceiling profiles. These pre-manufactured wood trusses facilitate a quicker construction schedule and an overall lower cost.
Wood, a renewable resource, has a great deal of manufacturing flexibility. Wood members are easily formed into standard framing sizes, cut into appropriate lengths with odd angles if necessary, and attached
to form the wood structure. However, wood is more susceptible than steel or concrete to damage due to internal defects, handling issues, and long term deterioration. Design or manufacturing errors, shipping damage,
miscommunication, and change orders are possible causes for the inadequacy of a wood truss for a specific application and therefore a repair or modification of the pre-manufactured wood truss is required. The purpose of this document is to address various repair techniques that could be used to correct damage to the wood members or metal plates, reinforce trusses that do not meet the required specified design loads, or adjust the
truss profile or member location to meet other design requirements.
This course is the second part in a three part series which consists of a total of 11 chapters between all three parts. Chapters 1 through 3 provide an introduction to the terms, concepts, and process involved in
truss repairs. Chapters 4 through 11 contain actual truss repairs to provide instruction through the use of example. These chapters are broken down as follows:
Part 1: Introduction and Simple Repair Concepts — Five Chapters:
- Chapter 1 — Definitions
- Chapter 2 — Repair Design Concepts
- Chapter 3 — Wood Truss Repair Connections
- Chapter 4 — Member Damage and Defects
- Chapter 5 — Plate Damage
Part 2: Moderate Truss Repairs - Four Chapters:
- Chapter 6 — Manufacturing Errors
- Chapter 7 — Stubs and Extensions
- Chapter 8 — Minor Modifications
- Chapter 9 — Major Modifications
Part 3: Complex Truss Repairs - Two Chapters — Current Part:
- Chapter 10 — Volume Ceiling Changes
- Chapter 11 — Girders and Truss Loading.
It is highly recommended to complete Parts 1 and 2 before attempting Part 3. The techniques developed in the earlier chapters provide a good basis for the complex truss repairs presented in Part 3.
296-Repair Techniques for Wood Trusses, Part 3: Complex Truss Repairs
5 List: $112.50
Sale: $35.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Metal plated wood trusses are engineered products that are manufactured in a controlled environment and are now used extensively in the wood frame construction industry. Wood trusses provide the architect or building designer greater flexibility in the design of the structure than conventional framed (stick-built) construction. The design is not as limiting with regard to bearing wall locations which enables longer spans and greater ability to shape complicated roof and ceiling profiles. These pre-manufactured wood trusses facilitate a quicker construction schedule and an overall lower cost.
Wood, a renewable resource, has a great deal of manufacturing flexibility. Wood members are easily formed into standard framing sizes, cut into appropriate lengths with odd angles if necessary, and attached to form the wood structure. However, wood is more susceptible than steel or concrete to damage due to internal defects, handling issues, and long term deterioration. Design or manufacturing errors, shipping damage, miscommunication, and change orders are possible causes for the inadequacy of a wood truss for a specific application and therefore a repair or modification of the pre-manufactured wood truss is required. The purpose of this document is to address various repair techniques that could be used to correct damage to the wood members or metal plates, reinforce trusses that do not meet the required specified design loads, or adjust the truss profile or member location to meet other design requirements.
This course is the second part in a three part series which consists of a total of 11 chapters between all three parts. Chapters 1 through 3 provide an introduction to the terms, concepts, and process involved in truss repairs. Chapters 4 through 11 contain actual truss repairs to provide instruction through the use of example. These chapters are broken down as follows:
Part 1: Introduction and Simple Repair Concepts — Five Chapters
- Chapter 1 — Definitions
- Chapter 2 — Repair Design Concepts
- Chapter 3 — Wood Truss Repair Connections
- Chapter 4 — Member Damage and Defects
- Chapter 5 — Plate Damage
Part 2: Moderate Truss Repairs - Four Chapters
- Chapter 6 — Manufacturing Errors
- Chapter 7 — Stubs and Extensions
- Chapter 8 — Minor Modifications
- Chapter 9 — Major Modifications
Part 3: Complex Truss Repairs - Two Chapters — Current Part
- Chapter 10 — Volume Ceiling Changes
- Chapter 11 — Girders and Truss Loading.
It is highly recommended to complete Parts 1 and 2 before attempting Part 3. The techniques developed in the earlier chapters provide a good basis for the complex truss repairs presented in Part 3
131-An Introduction to Pavement Construction - Part 1 - Concrete
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
A brief introduction to concrete pavement construction covering pavement types, ingredients and mix designs, pavement uses, methods of paving, paving equipment, and recent changes in the industry and their benefits.
After completion the reader should have a basic understanding of the standard methods of concrete paving and the associated equipment needed. Additionally, which construction methods and equipment choices are more suitable for specific pavement types and applications. Lastly, what latest technological, social, and economic factors are changing the traditional perception of concrete pavement and are making concrete pavement a more desirable choice to alternate paving types.
From better understanding of the construction methods, engineers can account for better access and staging areas, and more efficient paving designs to suit a construction method that is advantageous to the project.
262-An Introduction to Pavement Construction - Part 2 - Asphalt
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
A brief introduction to asphalt pavement construction covering pavement types, ingredients and mix designs, pavement uses, methods of paving, paving equipment, and recent changes in the industry and their benefits.
After completion, the reader should have a basic understanding of the standard methods of asphalt paving and the associated equipment needed. Additionally, which construction methods and equipment choices are more suitable for specific pavement types and applications. Lastly, what latest technological, social, and economic factors are changing the traditional perception of asphalt pavement and are making asphalt pavement a more desirable choice to alternate paving types.
From better understanding of the construction methods, engineers can account for better access and staging areas, and more efficient paving designs to suit a construction method that is advantageous to the project.
052-Introduction to Piping Engineering
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Every industrial plant has numerous piping systems that must function reliably and safely. Piping systems are often easy to ignore or take lightly. However, industry around the world continuously experiences pipe failures, sometimes with catastrophic results. Plant personnel expect piping systems that operate safely, and plant owners need piping systems that are reliable.
This course introduces the engineers, to the fundamental considerations, the evaluation criteria and the primary solutions in the design of piping systems. The types of common failure modes are described, with the general approaches to determining if a piping system design is adequate for operation. Pipe support types are described, and their normal applications. This is not a pipe stress analysis course, but is much broader in context and only briefly introduces pipe stress analysis.
This course is intended for those who interface with piping design, maintenance and operation, and those who may be starting to work in piping engineering. There are three related courses by Mr. May on the Suncam syllabus titled:
- Building Mechanical Integrity Programs Into New Plants
- Pipe Support Failures
- Life Cycle Mechanical Integrity of Piping Systems
096-Building Mechanical Integrity Programs into New Plants
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Mechanical Integrity (MI) is the process of assuring equipment is in satisfactory condition to safely and reliably perform its intended purpose. MI is more than a set of inspection programs, as it should have an affect on design basis of the plant, operational procedures and maintenance procedures.
The most effective method to implement MI is to define the goals in the Conceptual Design phase, and to develop strategies to reduce the Risk of Failure, and to reduce the Consequences of Failure. With this basis, a body of knowledge is available during the design, construction, commissioning, operational and maintenance phases of a plant to assist technical personnel in accurately assessing the condition of the equipment during the operational phase.
This course describes the necessary processes and approaches to define the end goals, and to assure the goals are achieved. By taking this course, the student should understand:
- History of MI implementation
- Reasons that MI should be implemented during the Conceptual Design phase
- Available technical resources
- Driving Factors for MI implementation
- Problem areas to be avoided
- Implementation strategies
167-Pipe Support Failures
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The stability and integrity of industrial piping systems are dependent upon the proper design, installation and maintenance of the pipe supports. Numerous photos of pipe support failures, and some pipe support successes are presented to illustrate what should exist, and the result when a pipe support deteriorates and fails.
This course provides examples of the primary pipe support design types in industrial facilities, such as rigid rods, sliding supports, guides, sway struts, snubbers, anchors, variable spring hangers and constant support hangers. Photos are shown of each type of support and the types of failures often observed, such as this shattered spring. 
Guidelines for proper design to avoid the common failures are provided.
This course is intended for those who work in industrial facilities to make them aware of the types of damage they might observe when in a plant, and for those on the design side who work in piping engineering or interface with piping engineering to understand the importance of pipe supports, and the design constraints that need to be planned for from the beginning of design.
The Piping Engineering curriculum by Mr. May includes:
- Introduction to Piping Engineering
- Building Mechanical Integrity Into a Plant Design
- Life Cycle Mechanical Integrity of Piping Systems
168-Life Cycle Mechanical Integrity Of Piping Systems
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The long term mechanical integrity of piping systems is critical to ensuring safety of personnel, and the reliability of a plant. Pipe failures do occur at many facilities, and most failures can be avoided by proper periodic visual observation of the pipe and pipe supports; and Non Destructive Examination (NDE) focused on certain piping systems and locations.
This course describes the methods, checklists and examples of performing visual observations. When finished, the student will understand why the variable spring hanger in the photo is a concern. 
The course also shows a method to set up a long term NDE monitoring system, and guides to evaluating the results. Guidelines for developing Short Term and Long Term Recommendations are also provided to maintain the Mechanical Integrity of piping systems over decades.
This course is intended for those who work in industrial facilities to make them aware of a system they could set up, or maintain; for management who should be focused on reliability and safety issues; and for engineers designing plants to set up appropriate programs during the design and construction phases of the project.
The Piping Engineering curriculum by Mr. May includes:
- Introduction to Piping Engineering
- Building Mechanical Integrity Into the Plant Design
- Pipe Support Failures
428-Creating Effective Teamwork In Project Management
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
New Course
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Almost all companies espouse the desire to have efficient project teams, but often the teams are not effective. There are many reasons for these failures, including management culture, ineffective leadership, contracts that diminish teamwork, and even not recognizing who the project team really is.
Several real-life examples are described to illustrate the positive and negative teaming situations. Some of the major mistakes are created by asking the wrong questions, failing to listen carefully to others, and cutting off communications when discussions are most needed. These examples are based upon experiences building and maintaining large petrochem, power and pulp & paper facilities. But the principles apply equally well to software development, facility operations, construction companies, in-house development projects, or any project that requires people to work together to develop an end product.
This course provides the most important individual principles for teaming effectively, which most people want to do, and then describes the management requirements to create an environment conducive to teaming. The remainder of the course assumes the company, project management and the project personnel want an effective team, then describes the concrete actions individuals, and management must do to allow the teaming to occur.
This course is intended for individuals to recognize their responsibilities to work as a team, and managers to see how they can be Effective Team Creators, and not Team Destroyers.
275-What Every Engineer Should Know About Engineering Probability and Statistics I
5 List: $112.50
Sale: $35.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The concept of probabilistic design is quite pervasive across the engineering disciplines because of its implication on engineering design decisions. Typically, assumptions and simplification of
engineering and other related natural processes are often idealistic and do not consider uncertainties inherent in those processes and phenomenon (be they mechanical, chemical, electrical, biological,
etc). There is also the tendency to assume that the situation is either deterministic or qualitative or both. Under certain circumstances such assumptions may suffice. However, in the realm
of engineering design, such assumptions and simplifications are not acceptable as uncertainties are unavoidable in almost all engineering analyses and design activities. Thus, any recommendations that are
formulated without proper identification and assessment of the inherent risks and uncertainties would not only be invalid but would paint a wrong picture of the situation under consideration.
The purpose of this course therefore is to present the fundamental concepts of probability and statistics from the perspective of engineering practice. As part of the learning objective, the course would demonstrate:
- The role of probability and statistics in engineering design decisions, and
- The concepts of variability
Additionally, the student will be able to:
- Develop an appreciation of the notion of events, the sample space and the real line.
- Understand the notion of enumeration and counting techniques that are applicable in probability and statistics analyses.
- Explore the meaning of density and mass functions with respect to their relationship to random variables.
- Discover some of the common discrete and continuous distributions that are employed in describing engineering problem situations and scenarios
276-What Every Engineer Should Know About Engineering Probability and Statistics II
5 List: $112.50
Sale: $35.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The concept of probabilistic design is quite pervasive across all engineering disciplines because of its implication on engineering design decisions. Quite often because of the complexity of the processes and the difficulty in explicating the inherent relationships, assumptions about engineering and other related natural processes are simplified and so do not consider uncertainties inherent in those processes and phenomenon. Safety factors and safety margins have often been employed to overcome the need for probabilistic designs. Under certain circumstances such assumptions may suffice. However, in the realm of engineering design, such assumptions and simplifications may not be acceptable as uncertainties are unavoidable in almost all engineering analyses and design activities. Therefore any recommendation developed without proper identification and assessment of the inherent risks and uncertainties would not only be invalid but would paint an unrealistic and unrepresentative picture and thus could jeopardize public safety.
This second course in the series focuses on an important area of engineering analyses and design, namely Statistical Inference. Statistical Inference is about how we analyze data and use the information to make decisions about a given engineering problem. The process of explicating the complexities of the data to yield information that would eventually be used to make design or mission decisions is known as inference or more appropriately Statistical Inference. If we examine the relationship between the population and the sample (as we did in the first course) we note that there is sort of a symbiotic (parent-population, offspring-sample) relationship between the two. Probability deals with the population with its parameters (parent values) while Statistical Inference deals with the sample and its statistic (values computed from the sample and used to estimate the population or universe parameters). The following areas would be covered in the course but not necessarily in the order shown:
- The Point Estimates for the Mean and the variance.
- The Central Limit Theorem (CLT) and its role in estimating parameters of a population.
- Sampling distributions for means and variances with variance both known and unknown
- Sampling distribution for two means & two variances with variance known and unknown
- Point Estimator, Interval Estimators and Tests of Hypothesis
- Error of estimation and the effect on sample size (n).
- Type I and Type II errors and the effect on ample size n
- Confidence Intervals for one means and one variances
- Confidence Intervals for two means and two variances
Due to the nature of the materials, a significant number of numerical examples have been included to provide better insight into the materials presented. At the end, the engineer should feel well equipped to explore the important area of Statistical Inference and what it offers with regards to Engineering design decisions.
283-What Every Engineer Should Know About the Design and Analysis of Engineering Experiments I
5 List: $112.50
Sale: $35.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Design of experiment is an activity that every Engineer should take very seriously. Engineers are called upon every day to make decisions regarding programs, processes and systems that have
significant implications on the safety and well-being of society, be they chemical processes, the environment, infrastructure, machinery and equipment, and others. And while Engineers are known for sound
and fact based judgment, those laudable qualities and characteristics may not be enough and may not serve them well in certain circumstances. This is especially true when they are called upon to make decisions
regarding variables and factors whose underlying distributions are stochastic and thus have uncertain, albeit questionable, predictability. Handling these situations requires an understanding of
the formal schemes and structures necessary to deal with variability, bias, and randomness.
This is the first of a two-course sequence in this subject area. As the prerequisite to the second course, it provides the Engineer with the rudimentary, but necessary, toolkit
needed to plan, design and analyze basic engineering experiments and to make recommendations about design and operational decisions. It sets the stage for the second course, where more robust and higher
level designs are explored, including Factorial designs, Fractional designs, Nested designs, Confounding schemes and Regression Analysis. The second course also addresses a fundamental problem of design,
namely cost and resource utilization, and also the all important issue of missing values. While the two courses are not strictly about mathematics and statistics, they do utilize those subject matters to
further elucidate how to plan, design, and analyze engineering experiments. Some of the areas covered in this course include:
- The Role of Experiments in the Engineering Design Process
- The Role of Statistics and Probability in Engineering Design
- Purpose and Nature of Planned Experiments
- Important Issues in Planned Experiments
- The Effects of Changes in the Independent Variables
- The Effect of Noise in An Experiment
- Restrictions on Randomization
- Single Factor Experiments including Model Analysis
- Randomized Block Designs
- Latin and Other Designs
- Incomplete Block Designs
285-What Every Engineer Should Know About the Design and Analysis of Engineering Experiments II
5 List: $112.50
Sale: $35.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Design of experiment is an activity that every Engineer should take very seriously. Engineers are called upon everyday to make decisions regarding programs, processes and systems that have significant implications on the safety and well being of society, be they chemical processes, the environment, infrastructure, machinery and equipment,
and others. Engineers are known for sound and fact based judgment but while those qualities and characteristics are laudable, they may not be enough and may not serve them well. This is especially true when they are called upon to make decisions regarding variables and factors whose
underlying distributions are stochastic and thus have uncertain and questionable predictability. Handling these situations requires an understanding of the formal schemes and structures necessary to deal with variability, bias, and randomness.
This second course, in the two-course sequence, focuses on some of the more practical issues that engineers encounter during the design and analysis of experiments. This course focuses on more robust and higher level designs such as Factorial designs, Confounding Schemes Fractional
designs, Fixed and Random factors, Expected Mean Squares, Nested or Hierarchical designs, and Regression Analysis. The course also addresses, with realistic examples, some of the common problem in design of experiments, namely, missing data or missing values. It also provides practical justification for confounding, which arises due to the physical limitation as it relates to acquiring all the needed data.
It addresses the issue of cost and resource utilization where fractional factorial designs are used because the cost to run full higher order designs is prohibitive. The course has a very practical bent and while there are theoretical foundations undergirding the material, the course itself utilizes basic arithmetic for computation and analysis. Some of the areas covered in the course include:
- The Role of Experiments in the Engineering Design Process
- Missing Values for Randomized Block and Latin Designs
- Factorial Designs for 2f and 3f
- Confounding Schemes for 2f and 3f
- Fractional Factorial Designs for 2f and 3f
- Modeling of Fixed and Random Effects and Expected Mean Square (EMS)
- Nested/Hierarchical Designs
- Regression Analysis
323-What every Engineer should know about Power Engineering fundamentals
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Want to know more about Transformers, and not the kind in the movies? Electrical power is utilized for just about everything in the world. Without electricity, we could not function as a technical society. Electrical equipment can be seen everywhere, be it your house, office, stores or along the roads. What happens when you lose power at your house? Do you every wonder how things are powered up? Ever wonder what the big green humming box is near your offices front door? Do you want to know what a panelboard, circuit breaker, conductor or conduit is? This course will provide some fundamentals of electrical power engineering.
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Understand about the major equipment for electrical power equipment.
- Learn more about residential electrical equipment.
- Learn about conduits and conductors and other electrical equipment seen around construction sites and residential houses
- Learn power equipment names seen in the consulting industry
- Learn what major power equipment looks like
- Learn about electrical construction tips
327-An Introduction to Pond and Lake Dredging
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course is designed to be an introduction into the planning, assessment, design and execution of dredge projects in inland waterways of Ponds and Lakes (coastal waterbodies that are tidally influenced will need to be approached differently). These bodies of water are an incredible resource in our country, they are sources of our drinking water, they provide flood storage and recreational opportunities, and are an integral part of our landscape.
There are numerous influences that affect the quality of our Ponds and Lakes, from development within the watershed, changes in environment and water levels (floods and droughts), and aging infrastructure (both on the inputs and the outlet/control structures). All of these influences may result in diminished water quality, invasive aquatic species, and sedimentation and infill of the waterbody. Dredging is an effective approach to counteract these negative effects on the waterbodies and that's what we will discuss in this course. It is important to note that dredging may help reduce the negative impacts of the past, but it should also be paired with compatible projects to reduce those impacts from the future, including stormwater management treatment strategies, invasive species monitoring, and other strategies, which will not be covered in this course.
329-Mooring Field Layout and Design
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course has been designed to provide a background and broad overview of mooring systems and their components, as well show the design process behind laying out a mooring field. Moorings provide for easy and secure vessel tie up in areas of transient boat users or in locations in which berths or slips are not available. The advantage of a mooring over anchoring the vessel is that the moorings are typically selected based on the harbor bottom sediment types and are weighted and/or secured to better hold and secure various types of vessels in that area. When properly designed and laid out, a mooring field will represent a safer, more manageable harbor area, with less disruption and damage to the seabed, and less chance of damage between vessels.
342-A Guide to Port Redevelopment Assessments
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The purpose of this course to provide a guideline on how to conduct an assessment for a port redevelopment project, specifically looking at the infrastructure and environmental constraints present within the properties to be reviewed. This initial assessment phase should be considered non-invasive, i.e. no sampling of soils, groundwater, and physical buildings and structures, but more of a roadmap for where future investigations should be focused should a site be attractive for redevelopment. The assessment should be used as a tool to analyze the environmental impacts and physical infrastructure present at the site with relation to the potential redevelopment of the Site. A complete redevelopment assessment will go beyond engineering review and include economic assessments (market analysis) and planning assessments, as well as legal reviews. This course will focus on the environmental and infrastructures assessments associated with a port site, since this course is aimed at an engineering audience. Sometimes redevelopment assessments are conducted with a specific new use in mind, which helps narrow the scope of the assessments, other times its conducted with a broader view of what could happen with the site in the future. For the purposes of this course, we will spend the most time looking at the broad view redevelopment aspects, but we will also discuss screening site for a specific end use as well.
Oftentimes ports that have potential for redevelopment are blighted and have fallen past their peak usages, therefore, the environmental impacts dominate the redevelopment options. Environmental limitations are common within properties that have current and historical industrial usage and do not represent a barrier to redevelopment, rather they represent factors and limitations that need to be addressed as part of the redevelopment.
Similarly, the physical infrastructure for sites that are being eyed for redevelopment may have fallen into some level of disrepair or less frequent maintenance. Other times the physical infrastructure on site is in good working order, however your client is anticipating or exploring a market change. In any redevelopment scenario, it’s important to look at the physical infrastructure to see how it has played a role on site in the past, currently, and what role it could play in a redeveloped site.
It is very important however during these initial assessments to highlight what the potential issues could be with respect to both infrastructure and environmental considerations so that your client or the end-user can have a better understanding of what cost considerations could impact the redevelopment of the site and warrant further investigation.
366-Resiliency Strategies for Smaller Scale Sites
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The purpose of this course is to explore different options that are available for helping to make smaller scale sites more resilient and adapted to better handle the larger, more frequent storm events. Resiliency is usually thought of being done at a much larger scale; municipalities and states implementing large scale strategies that are focused at making their target areas more resilient and less susceptible to large storm events or rising sea levels. Those large-scale resiliency projects are often complicated and very expensive; therefore, it doesn’t seem like there is much that can be done on a smaller site. In the course, however we will exam some of the ideas and strategies that are implemented on a large scale and see how they can be scaled down to be viable on a smaller site. We will also review other strategies that can be implemented to make a site better situated to withstand or minimize the impact of a large storm event. It may not be feasible to completely protect a site and its infrastructure by itself, however we will review design strategies and actions that can mitigate or reduce impacts from large storm events, flooding, and sea level rise. There are both physical and operational changes for almost every budgetary range that can be made to make a site more resilient and better protected from rising sea levels, flooding and larger, more frequent storm events.
013-Vibration - Modal Analysis
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This 4-hour continuing education course provides an introduction to modal analysis, the study of the dynamic properties of structures under vibrational excitation. Modal analysis may be applied to describe and model the vibrational behavior of complicated structures such as automobiles, aircraft, or spacecraft, but is equally important for simpler equipment including golf clubs, fans, and washing machines. Regardless of the object's size, shape, or function, the vibration behavior may be characterized by terms such as natural frequency, mode shape, and frequency response function. A primary objective of this course is to explore these concepts in detail.
The course begins with a review of the fundamentals of single and two degree of freedom free and forced vibrations. Through this review, the notation conventions for a description of modal analysis are established. This provides the necessary basis for describing frequency response function measurement and model development. The lesson concludes with a summary of measurement equipment and techniques.
021-Precision Measurement
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to displacement measuring interferometry, which offers high accuracy, range, and resolution for non-contact displacement measurement applications. The heterodyne (or two frequency) Michelson-type interferometer is described. Additionally, a brief review of the fundamentals of light theory, polarization, and interference is provided. Graphical descriptions are included to complement the text. Examples include figures that reinforce concepts in polarization, identify components in displacement measuring interferometers, and detail the function of fiber optics in interferometry. Upon completion of this course, the engineer should possess the basic knowledge required to select and implement displacement measuring interferometry in the desired application.
102-Memories in Computers — Part 1: Overview and DRAM Introduction
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Modern computers include many types of memories, including magnetic hard drives, Flash memories, Static Random Access Memories (SRAM) and Dynamic Random Access Memories (DRAM). The characteristics, advantages and limitations of each of these memory implementations are described and compared. The most important of these memory types is DRAM, and this course takes you inside the DRAM so you can understand how it operates and why it is the largest selling integrated circuit ever invented.
DRAMs were a $38B (USD) business in 2010, and appear in every computer (PC, Mac, tablet, laptop, desktop, server or mainframe) and home gaming console (PlayStation, Xbox or Wii). DRAMs first appeared on the scene in 1970, introduced by a small start-up company called Intel. Today they are a commodity, produced by companies all over the world in essentially interchangeable form.
Both the original DRAM architecture, called the asynchronous DRAM, and the higher speed synchronous version, the SDRAM, are discussed in detail. You will be introduced to the concepts of refreshing, access time, multiplexed addresses, fill frequency, CAS latency and burst length. No math beyond simple arithmetic is required.
Outline
- Memories in Computers
- DRAM History
- DRAM Architecture and Basic Operation
- Accelerated Access Modes
- Fill Frequency
- SDRAM Architecture and Operation
- SDRAM Operation
- Access Time in SDRAMs
- Data Burst Operation
- Multiple Data Pins
- Multi-Bank Architecture
- Mode Register
- Memory Standardization
111-Memories in Computers — Part 2: DDR SDRAMs
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
As the largest dollar volume portion of the semiconductor industry, memories appear in every computer, printer, home game console and car; as well as a growing number of home appliances. Total memory sales were $124B in 2017, out of $412B worldwide semiconductor sales. DRAM sales alone grew by 77% in 2017, to a total of $72B.
Since the late 1990s, four increasingly capable Double Data Rate (DDR) Synchronous DRAM architectures have evolved.
The first generation, DDR, doubled the rate of information flow to and from the memory device as compared to single-data-rate synchronous DRAMs. To meet the resulting very tight timing requirements, a new circuit called the delay locked loop was introduced.
The second generation, DDR2, added several features to improve device usability. In particular, on-die termination (ODT) improved signal integrity and reduced external component count.
The third generation, DDR3, provided a refined ODT capability and further defined external device timing in terms of clock cycles instead of internal device parameters.
The fourth generation, DDR4, continued increasing storage capacity and improving the rate of data transmission. But it also emphasized reducing power by many architecture modifications and feature additions.
This course discusses the characteristics and advantages of each of those architectures in a clear and concise manner that any technically trained person can understand. You will be introduced to and become familiar with concepts such as CAS latency, burst length, delay locked loops, on-die termination, prefetch, mode registers and redundancy. Memory packaging in dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) is also discussed.
This course builds on, but is independent of, Memories in Computers—Part 1. No math beyond high school algebra is required.
112-Memories in Computers — Part 3: Flash Memory
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
Flash memories will account for $26B in sales in 2010. They are used in all modern digital cameras, camcorders, cell phones, PDAs, music players, home video game machines and computers.
Why is flash so popular? Flash excels in three areas: technical, physical and financial. The technical reasons are (1) nonvolatility–flash memory retains its information for more than 10 years even with no power applied and (2) speed–flash memory is 100 to 1000 times faster than magnetic hard drives. The physical reasons are (1) density–flash memory has 8x as many bits per chip as DRAM, and (2) power–flash memory consumes far less power than magnetic hard drives. In the financial area, flash memory is about 40% of the cost of DRAM on a per bit basis.
Why isn't flash memory used in place of DRAM and magnetic hard drives? Again, there are three areas that hold back flash: reliability, speed and cost. Regarding reliability, flash memories can endure from 5000 to over 100,000 erase/program cycles. That is adequate for many but not all applications. Flash speed is indeed much faster than magnetic hard drives, but programming speed is far slower that DRAMs; much too slow for main memory applications. And flash cost, although lower than DRAMs, is still far above that of magnetic hard drives.
This course discusses all of the above issues, as well as the historical background, physical basis, cell structure, and chip architecture and operation of these omnipresent devices. You will learn and understand hot electron injection, Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, NOR and NAND array structures and operation, multi-level storage and error correction coding. The flash memory market, including applications and major producers, are explored; and two major portions of that market, flash memory cards and solid state drives, are examined in detail.
This course builds on, but is independent of Memories in Computers–Part 1. No high-level math is required.
412-Airport Engineering - Part I - Fundamentals
2 List: $45.00
Sale: $17.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
As essential components of modern travel, airports are networks for private, commercial, and public travelers. These courses offer an overview of airport engineering and design for those who wish to become more familiar with airport projects. The first of three, this course addresses particular topics such as common airport features, the FAA, design considerations, and aircraft classifications. With lots of eye-catching photos, this introductory course will certainly keep you interested and inform you of the factors involved in airport design.
417-Airport Engineering - Part II - Runway & Taxiway Design
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The second of three courses, this training addresses specific engineering elements of runway and taxiway design. This lesson will inform you of the details involved in these critical airport features and familiarize you with federal standards. Upon completion, you will know precise dimensions, grades, and design criteria that will aid in project execution and reinforce your understanding of runways and taxiways. **Bonus material: discover an interesting concept about circular runway design that you never knew existed**
427-Airport Engineering - Part III - Signs & Markings
3 List: $67.50
Sale: $23.95
New Course
Course Objectives: This continuing education course is written specifically for professional engineers with the objective of relating to and enhancing the practice of engineering.
Course Description:
The third course in the series, this training addresses airport signs and markings. This lesson will inform you of the details involved in critical airport communication features and familiarize you with federal standards. Upon completion, you will know the different types of airport signs, sign placement standards, installation requirements, and all about runway and taxiway markings. Safety measures are emphasized and common airport features are discussed.
414-National Electric Code
4 List: $90.00
Sale: $29.95
Course Objectives: This course is meant to provide an overview of the entire NEC with an emphasis on methodologies that are useful for finding the applicable requirements while knowing when coverage is adequate enough to stop researching and commence designing, installing, or upgrading. Although many can benefit, three specific groups are targeted with the following goals.
- Provide a practicing Professional Engineer (PE) with a refresher of the purpose, scope, and application of the NEC.
- Provide a practicing Engineer with the requisite knowledge to adequately review and analyze designs for compliance with code requirements.
- Provide a licensed Electrician with a review of the latest updates and impacts to installation procedures.
Course Description:
This course covers the
entirety of the National Electrical Code with an emphasis on Chapters
1 through 4. The course illuminates the most often used portions of
the Code for an engineer who may not work with the Code daily but is
tasked with ensuring requirements are met during a factory
installation or remodel.
General requirements are
covered along with explanations for the values and restrictions.
Wiring methods are elucidated and methodologies provided; that is,
where to start in one’s search of the code for the apropo
requirements. Equipment explained include motors and their many
requirement with an emphasis on where to start the search to ensure
one is referring to the correct set of requirements for a given
job/installation.
The material provided should
enable the interested engineer an understanding of the more
important, and the most often used, portions of the Code in addition
to the confidence to engage in discussions with inspectors on
application of the Code.
