New York Geotechnical and Ethics 18 PDH Discount Package 3

This online engineering PDH course provides basic information on hydraulic performance of shallow foundations for the support of vertical-wall bridge abutments.

Scour at the base of bridge abutments during floods is a common cause of bridge failure in the United States. Shallow abutment foundations located at or near the channel banks are considered more vulnerable than other foundations because they are closer to the streambed and can significantly constrict flood flows. These types of abutments are frequently implemented for single-span bridges, and scour countermeasures are often integrated into the design to avoid placing the foundation below local scour depth.

Therefore, to protect small single-span bridge abutments built on shallow foundations from scour damage, methods for countermeasure design are needed that consider the abutment foundation and scour countermeasures as an integrated component of the bridge. The research study described in this course is designed to provide a complete picture of the flow field and local bed shear stresses on heterogeneous bed roughness in the bridge opening.

This online engineering PDH course provides information on scour in cohesive soils and presents a study through which an erosion testing device that simulates open channel flow on a small scale was developed and tested. In addition, a recommended design approach is provided that can be used for estimating scour for a range of cohesive soils.

Scour in cohesive soils has been a challenge for engineers and designers. Unlike noncohesive soils, practical measurement techniques and well accepted guidance on the scourability of cohesive soils are severely lacking.

This course focuses on two main objectives. The first is to demonstrate a new ex situ erosion testing device (ESTD) that can mimic the near-bed flow of open channels to erode cohesive soils within a specified range of shear stresses. The second objective is to develop a method for estimating the critical shear stress and erosion rates for a limited range of cohesive soils in the context of the Hydraulic Engineering Circular 18 scour framework.

This online engineering PDH course presents essential roles and responsibilities of the tunnel staff, normal operating procedures, and emergency response guidelines for vehicle collisions, fires, explosions, floods and earthquakes.

Operating requirements vary among tunnel facilities because of the traffic level, the feasibility of alternative routes, accessibility to existing utilities, availability of emergency responders, and other conditions specific to each tunnel. Functional systems within the tunnel must be integrated with operational procedures to include the mechanical equipment, electrical components, lighting fixtures, fire and life safety systems, signs and security equipment installed within the tunnel.

This engineering online PDH course will provide an overview on effective maintenance considerations of tunnel systems and the associated components.

An effective maintenance program helps reduce costs, decrease the number of tunnel closures, increase public safety, and ensure adequate levels of service. To maximize efficient use of resources and minimize costs, maintenance programs should be optimized. When large-scale repairs and upgrades are implemented, these projects are typically referred to as tunnel rehabilitation.

In this online engineering PDH course, ten case studies of actual enforcement actions taken by a state licensing board are presented. The cases have been selected to be representative of situations likely to exist in many states.  Board procedures and the types of enforcement actions available are shown by a variety of cases ranging from a geotechnical engineer who produced (within one hour and without visiting the site) a soils report, to an engineer who was unable to document his PDH's during a board audit.  The importance of being very careful about when to put "P.E." after one's name on a document also will become apparent.

Codes of ethics for engineers typically describe standards for professional behavior. The enforcement of those ethical standards that are inscribed into law lies with the licensing boards of state governments.

This 1 PDH online course is intended primarily for all engineers seeking to deepen their understanding of what constitutes ethical and professional engineering behavior and how such behavior is enforced by the licensing board.