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Punchlist
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 510 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BT | | Describes Me: | Time for another go at BP |
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Posted: Wed Jun 11th, 2008 04:08 pm |
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Okay, so I took the GS exam yesterday, 6/10. It was a toughie. I studied for almost 60 hours for it, pretty much non-stop, reading Ballast, Kaplan, using ArchiFlash flashcards and using the Kaplan "Q&A" book to put the studying to the test, so to speak. Other materials included Ching's VDA and BCI books (very good for reviewing soil properties, foundation types and concrete props) as well as Allen & Iano's 'Studio Companion'. That's a good one for marrying one building type to a structural system. Why wouldn't I use flat plate, two-way slab in an airplane hangar?? It also has a nice list to show you quickly what structural system works best for a given span or occupancy type.
The exam reference section is invaluable. So, to those who say that it's usless, served no purpose, was out of their favorite M&M's, etc., well then you either got a totally different one than I did or, you weren't looking in the right place. I got at least three answers straight from it. However, you have to know how to use it and where to look. The answer doesn't simply jump in your lap and give you a hug. There's a menu on the lefthand side that lists typical nomenclature, beam diagrams and formulas for every beam condition imaginable, properties (shapes, sizes, favorite movies) of columns and beams, bolts and connections.
No need to really memorize formulas, people. You should know how to recognize what components are needed to solve a problem, but the actual formula is given to you via the Reference Section once you match up your beam and loading condition with one of the ones given to you. It's freakin' brilliant. "Okay, this question wants me to calculate a beam that has 6 Elvis-impersonators sitting somewhere between the left end and the middle, has a uniform load of 90 micrograms per unit length and it's overhanging on one end. How the F would I know how to tackle this?!?! Funny. The menu on the left describes this condition. Minus the Elvis-impersonators of course." Voila. And lookie there. It even shows you what the shear and moment diagrams might look like.
You should know the basic 6 or so formulae from Dr. T's "cheat sheet". It wouldn't kill you to know Eff = Pee over A, would it?
My advice to you, people, is to grab your 'Manual of Steel Construction' (mine is Ninth Edition from back when 'Starsky & Hutch' was on prime-time TV) and thumb through it. DEFINITELY acquaint yourselves with the few pages on "Beam Diagrams and Formulas". No need to commit it to memory. Just familiarize (man, that word is WAY too hard to type) yourself with the fact that not all beams are created equal. Some are uniformly loaded, some have concentrated loads just slighty off-center, yada yada. Would it kill you to thumb through it during commercial breaks while you watch yet another repeat of 'House'? The fall season, people. I need it. It's against the law in my house to study while the Red Sox are on or while the Celtics are playing post-season.
Understanding the mechanics of structural forces and stresses is key here, folks. When you see the word "shear", your mind's eye should immediately call to attention the components of shear. How is it different than bending or moment? where would it wreak havoc in a beam? Also, what are the ingredients in the recipe for calculating shear? "Hmm....Well, there's an E-A-R in 'shear'. Weird. There's also an E-A-R in the word 'area'. Are they related somehow?" Yup. Three-vee divided by two-A (as in "area") = the unit shear (little eff, little vee)
But, what about "Section Modulus"? How would you know to link it to stress? Easy. Who put the 'S' in 'stress'? In other words, how it the section modulus always identified in an equation? Capital S perhaps? The same rule applies for 'Moment of Inertia". That's always shown as "I" in equations. And you can link it to "stiffness" because the first vowel in "stiffness" is anyone? Anyone? I also see an "I" in "deflection", but only if you were to pronounce it phonetically: "difflection". Either that, or like a redneck. 
This test isn't all about calculations. However, a good part of it is really understanding how structures twist, tweak, bend, break, crack, squeak and whine. See these things in your head like you were trying to put together something with half of the directions missing. Ikea anyone? 
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SOFIA MARRERO
Member
| Joined: | Thu Oct 25th, 2007 |
| Location: | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Posts: | 187 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, BD/MM, CD, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, BD/MM, CD, BT | | Describes Me: | ....studying for MEC!!!! |
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Posted: Wed Jun 11th, 2008 05:26 pm |
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Punchlist:
It's always so nice to read your postings...it really energizes me to keep movin on. I just found out TODAY that I pass Materials & Methods...so I'm pretty happy today  .
I understand you wanted to take GS & LF the same day.... did you do it? LEt me know...your comments are ALWAYS very helpful and appreciated.
Hope everythings is Great with your Little One  and thanks for the input!!
SCM
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Nanky
Member
| Joined: | Sat May 3rd, 2008 |
| Location: | USA |
| Posts: | 29 |
| Exams Taken: | LF, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | LF, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | ARCHIT****, Motivated to make ARE a part of HISTORY!!! |
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Posted: Sun Jun 15th, 2008 02:31 am |
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Punchlist, I really appriciated your input here. Sounds like you had a pretty good handle on the material.
I am taking the exam on the 30th, in Massachusetts. I have David's stuff and Ching's Disctionary. I will get my hand somhow on a steel manual, per your recommendation. Do you recommend any other stuff?
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gcpickering
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jul 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | New York USA |
| Posts: | 65 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | better late than never |
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Posted: Tue Jun 17th, 2008 06:52 pm |
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love the post - I took GS in the end of may and came back w/ a fail - marginal performance in CODES - I've read ballast, kaplan and took the thaddus seminar in boston (but have never actually had a structures course..) anyway, i will get the Ching books, have the steel manual and can find my way around it - what do you suggest as a code reference book? thanks and congratulations! (Go Red Sox Sox!)
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Punchlist
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 510 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BT | | Describes Me: | Time for another go at BP |
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Posted: Wed Jun 18th, 2008 02:50 pm |
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Sofia, great job on the BD/M&M test! It can be a bit intimidating, so well done. And the litte one is great. She's teething again and has been miserable for the last few, but she's a trooper.
Nanky, if you can get your mitts on the Kaplan 'Questions & Answers' book, then do it. It's great for putting that final coat of polish on your studying. It really helps you identify what you know like the back of your hand vs. where you need to spend a little extra time reviewing. Try not to memorize too much. For me, it was all about picturing in my mind how and where a concrete beam would crack or how a steel truss would transfer force through its members. Try borrowing somebody's Steel Manual from work if you can. Every architect should have one anyway.
I was fine with the materials I listed before. No need to stuff your brain like a pillow when you don't need to. It's all about sniffing out the elements being sought after in a question just like you were a cook. Can you identify the missing ingredient? Pretend chef Gordon Ramsey is hand-feeding you the questions. Would you wanna tell that guy, "Uh, I dunno, chef!"?? 
I'm sorry about your fail, gcp. Hey, I coulda failed this one for all I know. I ain't countin' my chickens just yet. Stick to the beam diagrams located at the end of the 'Beams' (duh) section of the Steel Manual. I wish I could suggest something regarding codes. I don't recall getting thrown against the wall with too many code questions. I'd say to stick to the basics of "Dead + Live + Snow + 1/2Wind bla bla bla" and know when you can reduce live load numbers (more than 150sf AND not a place of Assembly AND if the load is less than 100psf, etc.) Don't even pretend you're gonna memorize an entire page of live load tables. Just know the essentials. If you see a number repeated in Kaplan AND in Ballast AND ArchiFlash, such as when a live load can be reduced, it's probably not a bad idea to toss that in your back pocket.
The Ching books rock. BD/M&M woulda been WAY more easier if you'd already been familiar with these!! "Proctor Test: Soil density yada yada" "Belled Caisson: deep foundation system that does this, that and the other" "Reinforced masonry: built like a brick sh!t house" I'd probably lean a tad more towards his "Dictionary" for GS: all the bells with just enough whistles. Do a quick side-by-side with "Bldg. Const." just for that extra edge, though.
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gcpickering
Member
| Joined: | Mon Jul 2nd, 2007 |
| Location: | New York USA |
| Posts: | 65 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | better late than never |
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Posted: Wed Jun 18th, 2008 04:25 pm |
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thanks for the feedback - i'll study the live,dead,snow stuff again - don't have it totally down (mostly because i find it totally boring, but totally necessary!). Not sure how i managed to pass BD/MM - but i did - that's why i'm so stumped w/ structures.
Oh well - sometimes i know more than i think i do, but most of the time it's the other way around! I've been doing this since 1999, passing one a year (life and family keep getting in the way!) and i really want to finish up the last 2 before the end of 2008 (and 3.1...)
This forum has been a terrific help and i'm so glad for everyone's good advise -it's definitely helpful and confidence building. Thanks -
I'm working on BT now - test next thursday - look for my posts on that forum for vignette feedbacks. Then i'll be back to structures for the next (and hopefully FINAL) go round.
Again - thanks to all for the help
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Punchlist
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 510 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BT | | Describes Me: | Time for another go at BP |
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Posted: Wed Jun 18th, 2008 05:30 pm |
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GCP, glad to be of help. Speaking of BT, do a search of my post-BT run-down. You might find it useful. Then again, ya might not. Check it out anyway.
BT is all about pretending like you're an ER doctor and a gunshot victim just came through the doors. It ain't about makin' it look pretty. Just keep him alive long enough for the surgeons to work their magic. Knowhuttamean? If your ramp won't work running north-south, snap it in two and run it east-west. Stuff like that. Options!! Keep 'em wide open!
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mgilman
Member
| Joined: | Wed Jan 23rd, 2008 |
| Location: | ARCHITE_ _, LEED AP, New York USA |
| Posts: | 683 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | Looking forward to getting a Pass letter in the mail ... |
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Posted: Wed Jun 18th, 2008 05:52 pm |
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| Is there a similar reference sheet out there, for comparison to the exam's - ie. is the one on the exam like Thaddeus' or Mitalksi's or from a particular book?
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wanja
Member
| Joined: | Wed Dec 20th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houston, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 45 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, SP, BP | | Describes Me: | A*R*C*H*I*T |
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Posted: Wed Jun 25th, 2008 07:03 pm |
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wow punch. i think you've watching too many episodes of House!
but insightful none-the-less.
i find that the ching books are milk and the ballast were my reading glasses.
cross your fingers...its time for round 2
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Punchlist
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 510 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BT | | Describes Me: | Time for another go at BP |
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Posted: Thu Jun 26th, 2008 10:20 pm |
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| I just got that beautiful document that says in no uncertain terms: PASS!!
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mgilman
Member
| Joined: | Wed Jan 23rd, 2008 |
| Location: | ARCHITE_ _, LEED AP, New York USA |
| Posts: | 683 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | Looking forward to getting a Pass letter in the mail ... |
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Posted: Thu Jun 26th, 2008 10:30 pm |
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| Way to go!!! You are an inspiration! Thanks for all the helpful hints at the start of this post, too. Enjoy your weekend ahead!
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timon
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | Nevada City, California USA |
| Posts: | 3 |
| Exams Taken: | PD | | Exams Passed: | PD | | Describes Me: | |
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Posted: Mon Jun 30th, 2008 02:55 pm |
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Congrats Punch!
I hope I get the same results. I took GS last Friday....have no clue as to the result.
I wish I had browsed through the Forum more. Reading this thread this morning tells me that. I will if I have to take it again. I'm on towards LF next in 3 weeks.
Oh, congrats on the Celtics win! It's funny that Boston has become a dynasty in the Big 3.
Last edited on Mon Jun 30th, 2008 08:41 pm by timon
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Punchlist
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 510 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BT | | Describes Me: | Time for another go at BP |
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Posted: Mon Jun 30th, 2008 03:24 pm |
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Timon, these forums are freakin' liquid gold. It's extremely beneficial to pick the brains of others, toss out suggestions, learn from others' successes AND mistakes. When you take your BP exam, for instance, for the love of God and all that's holy, check the "Nine Deadly Doors". That's what I call the nine required egress doors. I think that's how I blew BP: one of my last, big moves was to slide and rotate a stairwell and in doing so, the doors that I'd previously inserted, disappeared. The computer spots this immediately, as it should, as having a dead end corridor. "Okay, guy, you led people to your stairs, but now what are they supposed to do? Pull a MacGiver and cut a hole through your CMU, two hour-rated shaft??" That's what they call a "fatal error". And all because of a stupid quirk in the NCARB software. 
These exams can wear ya down and it's good to know that you're in it with other people. I'm a big believer in contributing as well as perusing. If you found a great study resource or handy little trick, then share with others.
When you study for LF, which I'm assuming you're doing as I type this, make sure you understand the fundamentals of one structural system vs. another, one soil type vs. another, what happens when you have a flexible skin with a flexible steel frame, etc.
And the most important thing (I'm totally gonna pimp myself out here shamelessly), don't forget to add "mana" to those forum members whose opinions and views you find invaluable.
Above all else, contribute, don't just spectate!!
Last edited on Mon Jun 30th, 2008 03:29 pm by Punchlist
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timon
Member
| Joined: | Tue Apr 29th, 2008 |
| Location: | Nevada City, California USA |
| Posts: | 3 |
| Exams Taken: | PD | | Exams Passed: | PD | | Describes Me: | |
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Posted: Mon Jun 30th, 2008 04:00 pm |
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(studying for LF as you rightly wrote)
Alright Punchlist you asked for it.
I found the Kaplan Q & A excellent. To able to know "why" and "why not" to the four choices is invalueable.
My notes from school daze were also a valueable asset (BAC- RISD- BTW)
The Archiflash cards were very helpful as well as the NCARB study guide.
All of these helped, though my mind and body contorted out of fear of having to memorize the formulas, WHICH if I had read your and other's posts BEFORE the exam my fear would've been alleviated.
My real world experience helped more than I expected. Nod to the exam for recognizing that quality.
Thanks again for your energy and contribution to the Forum. I see you are popular entity here, for good reason. Yes, Mana
Oh, The in-exam reference Section was helpful. I'm glad it was there. Imagine if it wasn't
Just downloaded FEMA 454 - LF
Timon
Last edited on Mon Jun 30th, 2008 08:40 pm by timon
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BobTheBuilder
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jul 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Can We Do It? Yes, We Can! |
| Posts: | 375 |
| Exams Taken: | | | Exams Passed: | PD, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | |
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Posted: Tue Jul 8th, 2008 08:59 pm |
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timon wrote: (studying for LF as you rightly wrote)
Alright Punchlist you asked for it.
I found the Kaplan Q & A excellent. To able to know "why" and "why not" to the four choices is invalueable.
My notes from school daze were also a valueable asset (BAC- RISD- BTW)
The Archiflash cards were very helpful as well as the NCARB study guide.
All of these helped, though my mind and body contorted out of fear of having to memorize the formulas, WHICH if I had read your and other's posts BEFORE the exam my fear would've been alleviated.
My real world experience helped more than I expected. Nod to the exam for recognizing that quality.
Thanks again for your energy and contribution to the Forum. I see you are popular entity here, for good reason. Yes, Mana
Oh, The in-exam reference Section was helpful. I'm glad it was there. Imagine if it wasn't
Just downloaded FEMA 454 - LF --Call me dummy.....but where did you dowload FEMA? Thanks!
Timon
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Punchlist
Member
| Joined: | Tue Oct 17th, 2006 |
| Location: | Massachusetts USA |
| Posts: | 510 |
| Exams Taken: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | GS, LF, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BT | | Describes Me: | Time for another go at BP |
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Posted: Tue Jul 8th, 2008 09:11 pm |
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http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=2418
The chapters can be downloaded individually. I'd stick with 2, 4, 5, 8 & 9. 4, 5 & 8 are "must reads" IMHO.
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flats
Member
| Joined: | Tue Jul 10th, 2007 |
| Location: | Cleveland, Ohio USA |
| Posts: | 461 |
| Exams Taken: | PD, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Exams Passed: | PD, ME, BD/MM, CD, SP, BP, BT | | Describes Me: | In Sicily, women are more dangerous than shotguns. |
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Posted: Wed Jul 9th, 2008 06:40 pm |
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Hey Punchlist,
I've read hear and there about the Ballast book as a source for this exam. Some like it, some say skip it because it's way over the top and too deep for the exam. Since you used it, any thoughts? I have Kaplan, and ordered some of the 3.1 reference materials from my local library. I like free books!
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