AISC Seismic Design Manual for SE Exam

[JoshH726]

For those who have taken the SE exam, did you find the AISC Seismic Design Manual a necessary or valuable reference for the exam? What was your experience using it? Is it similar to the Construction Manual with design tables followed by the 341 specification? Or is there a better alternative such as 2012 IBC Strucural/Seismic Design Manual Vol 4?

 

[GerryBertier]

Yes. I absolutely used in when I took the exam in April. It is listed under required codes, so I would consider having that reference as a minimum.

 

[KootK]

Seconded. I think it's an essential reference. For study purposes, there's nothing better. For the exam itself, you may need to be able to quickly look up what members are stocky enough to sustain plastic hinge rotations etc.

That being said, my experience was that the SE exam questions were quite a bit simpler and smaller in scope than the examples in the seismic design manual.

The greatest trick that bond stress ever pulled was convincing the world it didn't exist.

 

[TehMightyEngineer]

It's almost mandatory to have the manual IMO.

Best reference for structural steel design under lateral loads. I used it A LOT studying and just as much on the exam. The tables will help speed up your problems if you know how to use them (the examples will show you went they apply). The spec is after the manual, similar to AISC 360 and the steel building manual.

As KootK said, the examples are more in depth than the actual exam. That said, reading through them to get familiar with each system is quite useful. In addition, the examples are a good example of taking loads, combining them, when to apply overstrength factors, and some other general ASCE 7 seismic load calculations that you will likely see on the exam.

Maine EIT, Civil/Structural.

 

[WiSEiwish]

I took the exam in October and did not use it and passed. I did have AISC 341 and AISC 358 that I did use. You can find them as a free download online. You can purchase the hard copy for about $12 from AISC. This includes both 341-10 and 358-10.

It may be a good study reference, but from my personal experience it wasn't very useful. As far as seismic design of steel structures, I had the SDM, AISC 341 and AISC 358 and only opened up the latter two. I didn't have the IBC publication.

Again, this was my personal experience and we are all different.

 

[mwboger]

Yes, definitely bring and use/study this beforehand. Important to note that starting for the next exam, the code reference is for IBC 2012, which means that requires the Seismic Design Manual - Second Edition... My company just purchased a new copy of that and AISC. The SDM is about 1.5 times as thick as previous. Now includes an additional section for diaphragm requirements and examples. Other sections have been renamed and added to also. I've been currently going through examples to sit (again) for the Lateral portion this April.

I will second the sentiment that yes, most problems are more in depth than required on the exam, especially connection design; however, a great deal of it can and should be used IMO.

 

[Archie264]

...is about 1.5 times as thick as previous. Now includes an additional section... Other sections have been renamed and added to also...

No, no, that strains credibility. You don't actually expect us to believe that, do you?