What is the Torsion Constant?
In structural steel design, the Torsion Constant, J, represents the ability of the steel beam to resist torsion, i.e. twisting. It's units are mm4 or inches4. Equation The bending resistance formula, in which the torsional constant is used, is: $$\theta = \frac{T\cdot L}{G\cdot J}$$ Where: θ = Angle of Twist....
Jubail 2 is the World’s Largest Industrial Project
Jubail 2 is considered by many to be the world's largest civil engineering project. It consists of an 83 km2 industrial development started in 2005 in the city of Jubail, 490 km northeast of Riyadh. The current population of Jubail is 380,000. The new development, when complete, is likely to....
How to Plan Project Quality
In the engineering business, project quality is important. I've seen many projects that did everything right, but derailed based on one single issue the project team overlooked. Don't let that happen to you. The Project Management Institute (PMI) identifies project quality planning as the first of three steps to effective....
How to Implement Document Control
For engineering projects, document control is a big deal. Nobody has time to rework a design or report because a reviewer received the wrong copy, or document versioning wasn't kept up to date. At Roseke Engineering, besides using ProjectEngineer to manage our projects, we have a physical document control system....
How to Implement the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle
The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, also called the Deming Cycle, is an important project management tool. How can this tool be used in a typical engineering project? Plan This step involves identifying and analyzing the problem. Planning is consistently underrated in most engineering projects. I've been involved with multi-billion dollar oil....
Project Quality Management
For us engineers, quality is a big deal. Industry standard quality control dictates that most documents and designs require a "second stamp" i.e. a reviewer who takes as much responsibility as the designer. But what does a true project quality management plan look like? In this article, I will talk....
Volunteer Opportunities for Engineers
Many engineers wish to give back to their profession, and one of the most noble ways is to volunteer your time overseas. I have done this multiple times, and I intend to do it again. Here I will give you some options for how to do it and what it....
How to Calculate the Centroid
The centroid of an area is the geometrical center, i.e. the average of all of the points in an area. It is always the same, regardless of how you turn the shape. It is also the center of gravity of a three dimensional object. Basic Shapes The centroids of common....
How to Determine Soil Compressive Strength with a Pocket Penetrometer
A pocket penetrometer is a fantastic little invention which geotechnical engineers and technologists find very handy. It is a small handheld gauge which contains a telescoping rod which can be pushed into the soil. The distance the rod goes into the soil corresponds to a compressive strength on the dial.....
The Standard Penetration Test (SPT)
The Standard Penetration Test is an in-situ test that is useful in site exploration and foundation design. It produces an N-value, which represents the number of blows of a standardized sampler driven into the soil a standardized distance. How the Test Works The sampler is 51 mm O.D. (outside diameter)....
