Student Corner

Introduction
This exam is referred to as the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) exam that is conducted to measure a minimum amount of proficiency in a certain discipline of engineering. This exam is taken by those who have concluded four years in a particular discipline of engineering and have attained professional work experience in that field. The format of the exam is such that it comprises 80 questions and the time given to attend those questions in pencil-and-paper format. At present, such exams are offered in pencil-and-paper format, but some PE exams are directed year-round with the help of computer-based testing.

This exam is conducted in two halves, i.e., the first half comprises questions from all five regions of civil engineering and the second half comprises questions from any one area of practice. The instructions and level of this exam are modified 6 months before the exam administration. The notification for this exam to be conducted in April will be posted in November, and for October, it will be posted in May. When you have to fill out the form for this exam, you will be required to select an afternoon module, based on which scoring will be done. Given below are the five specializations in Civil Engineering:
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Introduction
Damp Proof Course or DPC is the protective layer applied to prevent the rising of moisture to the walls from the ground due to capillary action. It is usually 2.5 cm thick with a ratio of rich cement concrete 1:1.5:3 or 2 cm thick with cement mortar 1:2 mixed with standard waterproofing material. It is provided from the plinth level to the entire width of the plinth wall, and the quantities are calculated in square meters (length x breadth). Usually, DPC is not provided at the sills of doors and verandah openings, for which deductions are made. In most cases, 1 kg of cem-seal, Impermo, or another definitive waterproofing compound is used per bag of cement.

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Introduction
Construction is usually used to refer to any project in the field. Building a road, for example, is a type of construction. On the other hand, building typically refers to the construction of a structure such as a home or business. The same concept can be applied to the process’s output. The construction of a team could range from a skyscraper to a parking lot.

On the other hand, a building is almost always a closed structure with walls and a roof. Furthermore, many engineers will use the term construction to refer to the entire project, from design to completion. Building refers only to the phase of actually erecting the structure in this framework.

In short, construction is typically a broader term than building. Drafting, measurement, and other tools used in the overall project are examples of construction tools. While basic construction tools are essentially the same, more advanced items may cover a broader range of tasks.

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What is Vibrator?
On construction sites, vibrators apply to compact concrete. Concrete vibrators come in many different shapes and sizes. Some Concrete Vibrators are smaller, more efficient, and run on battery power, whereas others are much larger and rely on power lines for power. In vibration, compacting is caused by a reduction in internal friction between various concrete particles due to particle oscillation, resulting in a dense and compact concrete mass. Vibrators work for concrete compaction in the roads, trains, and buildings. It compacts fresh concrete by removing trapped air and excess moisture. Its function is to hold the concrete in place in the formwork. And to ensure proper concrete consolidation and the avoidance of product flaws. Vibration frequencies range from 2800 to 15000 pm.

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GIS and remote sensing techniques have become essential and powerful tools for tackling civil engineering problems. Remote sensing data frequently correlates spatial data with their properties, making it beneficial in this discipline. Remote sensing can be used to extract several themes such as geology, terrain, drainage, and hydrology. Integrating the following topics aids in the speedier resolution of civil engineering challenges. Sanitation, urban growth, new road alignment, and irrigation project design are all areas where remote sensing technology is commonly used. GIS and remote sensing data are commonly used to construct models that integrate socioeconomic, demographic, and natural resource information.
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What is AI:
It is the art and science of creating intelligent machines, particularly intelligent computer programmes. It resembles the task of using computers to understand human intelligence. Basically, Artificial Intelligence refers to the intelligence displayed by machines. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has grown extremely prevalent in today’s world. It is the simulation of human intelligence in computers that have been programmed to learn and mimic human actions. These machines can learn from their mistakes and do activities that are similar to those performed by humans.

AI in Civil Engineering:
Deep learning technologies have been effectively employed in a variety of industries for many years, including civil engineering. Indeed, with the emergence of complex constructions such as skyscrapers, machine learning techniques grabbed centre stage in the sector a long time ago. We are seeing the application and growth of AI in the construction industry more than ever before, with intelligent algorithms, big data, and deep learning machines transforming productivity performance.

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A passive solar building is one that is designed and constructed by taking use of the factors found in the surrounding environment, particularly the sun’s movement. If planned and built according to a few passive solar building criteria, passive solar structures will be warm in the cold winters and cool in the hot summers. The sun’s thermal energy is used to both warm and cool the structure in a passive solar design, which is built and placed to shelter the sun during the hotter summer months.

A well-designed passive solar home reduces heating and cooling loads first through energy-efficiency technologies, then uses solar energy to partially or entirely meet those reduced demands. Because modern homes have low heating loads, it’s critical to avoid oversizing south-facing glass and ensuring that it’s adequately shaded in the spring and fall to minimise overheating and increasing cooling loads.
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Introduction:
For home decor purposes, wall paint is a must-have item. It keeps your home in good shape while also giving it a nice appearance. Painting your walls is an important task that should be completed on a regular basis. When it comes to choosing paints for your home, there’s a lot more to consider than just colour. Furthermore, several types of home paint can be utilized to create a variety of effects while also preserving your walls. There are so many different varieties of house paint that it can be difficult to know where to start when starting a new painting project.

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3D printed concrete is an emerging technology that has many advantages like reduced labour cost, less emission of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, reduced cost, less time consuming, ease of use, ability to change properties as per desire and many more. A case study on building houses using 3D printed concrete and conventional concrete brought into light that cost is effectively reduced using 3D printed concrete which is beneficial for people having low income or for refugees who have nowhere to go and construct houses affordably. Many types of 3D printing can be observed out of which the perfect method is selected based on various criteria. Some admixtures can also be added for better strength and workability that will facilitate ease of extrusion through the nozzle. Compaction or vibration is seen absent here as the process is completely automatic. However, some labours may be needed to move the 3D printed elements from one place to another. Other properties like bond strength, compressive strength and flexural strength are also taken into account for monitoring the effects of standoff distance as well as printing speed on tensile bond strength. Apart from this, some future projects are also expected that can produce homes on other planet and can open an array of opportunities.

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Introduction
Mineral admixtures are not chemically generated and are sourced from other substances. Mineral admixtures include fly ash, blast furnace slag, and silica fume. They have numerous roles in the concrete mix and improve the concrete’s varied qualities. As we all know, we seldom build anything without using concrete additives on the construction site in order to enhance the qualities. The usage of pozzolanic or mineral admixtures can be traced back to the early days of concrete construction. Mineral admixtures change the characteristics of both fresh and cured concrete. Mineral admixtures are sometimes known as concrete additives or extra cementing materials. They have a hydraulic or pozzolanic effect on the hardened concrete’s nature. Natural pozzolans (such as the volcanic ash used in Roman concrete), fly ash, and silica fumes are examples of cementitious materials. They can be used separately or in conjunction with Portland cement or mixed cement.
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