Personal Viewpoint: “How to maximize your chances of ... · Personal Viewpoint: “How to maximize your ... retaining walls, shear walls etc.) 2) A typical ... • A Method statement

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Personal Viewpoint: “How to maximize your chances of passing the exam”

Esam Al Kelaby, BSc(Hons), M.Phil, C.Eng, MICE, FIStructE

I often wonder if some candidates who sit the exam miss- understand what is required of them and whether they have been guided in the right direction during their preparation. From my many years of marking exam papers, I can sum up the reason for the majority of failures in one sentence,

“Lack of preparation and an understanding of what is required to pass the exam”.

To maximise candidates chances of passing, I will attempt to summarise the minimum requirements that examiners are looking for in each section of the paper.

Section 1a• It is crucial to provide two distinct and viable solutions to question and give them equal weighting as they carry equal proportions of the total marks.• Use sketches and text to illustrate your point. • To establish the viability of each scheme, use well established “rule of thumb” or few calculations if you feel it is critical to your scheme. However you must remember, whatever you provide in this section it is no substitution for the work required in section 2c. • You must not choose a scheme then discard it as non-viable or uneconomical.• When you compare schemes you need to show the merits of each scheme and what it can offer the client. Both schemes must have advantages and disadvantages.• Show functional framing which means showing the geometry of the structure and the principle load bearing elements.• Explain load transfer by showing load path from the point of application to the foundation. This should be done for longitudinal, lateral and vertical load paths using actions and reactions.• Illustrate the stability of each scheme by showing, with the aid of diagrams, the location and type of bracing you are proposing together with arrows indicating how the loads reach these points.

Section 1b• Tests your knowledge of overcoming problems during construction phase or at a late stage in the design process.• Set out your letter in a professional manner.• Explain to the client the technical issues in a non-technical language, but do not assume that the client has no technical knowledge. • You are expected to provide a solution to the problem regardless of cost or complexity.

Section 2c• You need to establish what the principal elements are, list them and then proceed to design them. Don’t waste your time designing minor elements or producing repetitive calculations. • Clear and concise calculations using approximate analysis methods are expected. These should be designed to the appropriate standard of your choice.• You must provide calculations for all principle elements using the worst case scenario for loading. • No extra marks are given for repeated calculations.

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• Remember you are tested in this section on what you know. Making statements does not earn you any marks. Also use sound engineering principles take into consideration end fixity and don’t assume everything is simply supported.

Section 2d• General arrangement drawings are required to a high standard and to scale. Neatness is very important. • Practice this section if you are not used to drawing on a drawing board.• Critical details are left to the candidate to choose. Critical details are those which have a high cost and/or are important for assembling the structure. • To get a pass in this section, you should provide the following as a minimum;

1) Plans showing foundations, floors and roof. It is important to show clearly the location of bracing and key elements. To save time, candidates can produce part plans if appropriate. It is important to show section sizes of the main structural elements (columns, beams, piles, retaining walls, shear walls etc.)2) A typical elevation showing columns spacing, heights, roof profile, bracing etc. 3) One section to show floor zones, transfer structure etc.4) Critical details.5) Drawings should be dimensioned to ensure compliance with the brief.6) Drawings should reflect the scheme in section 1a and the design in section 2c.7) Drawings should be neat and well presented. Use coloured pencils where possible to highlight important elements.

Section 2e• A Method statement is required to illustrate the order in which your structure can be assembled safely, together with a construction programme highlighting sequence and duration of the main activities.• Health and safety issues are important and you should be aware of the safe sequence of construction.

This section is usually attempted badly as candidates run out of time when they get to this section of the paper. Make sure you distribute your time carefully so that you answer all sections of the paper.