FLORIDA BOARD OF PROFESSIONAL
ENGINEERS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
STRUCTURAL EXAM WITH ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS,
PLUS EXPLAINED RATIONALES/EXPERT
VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED 100% PASS
2026/LATEST UPDATE/INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Load Path in a Multistory Steel Building
A four-story steel-framed building has a reinforced concrete roof slab
supported by composite steel beams. The beams frame into steel girders,
the girders are supported by columns, and the columns transfer loads to
reinforced concrete spread footings. Under gravity loading, which
sequence most accurately represents the primary load path?
A. Slab → columns → beams → girders → foundations → soil
B. Slab → beams → girders → columns → foundations → soil
C. Slab → girders → beams → columns → foundations → soil
D. Slab → foundations → beams → columns → soil
Answer: B. Slab → beams → girders → columns → foundations →
soil
Rationale: The gravity load travels from the floor or roof slab into the
supporting beams, from the beams into girders, from the girders into
columns, and from the columns into the foundations. The foundations
then distribute the resulting forces to the supporting soil. Correct
identification of the load path is fundamental to structural design
because every element must safely transfer the forces imposed on it to
the ground.
1
,2. Factored Axial Compression
A steel column carries a dead load of 180 kips and a live load of 240
kips. Using a strength-design gravity load combination of 1.2D + 1.6L,
what is the required factored axial compression?
A. 420 kips
B. 504 kips
C. 600 kips
D. 648 kips
Answer: C. 600 kips
Rationale: The factored load is Pᵤ = 1.2D + 1.6L = 1.2(180) + 1.6(240)
= 216 + 384 = 600 kips. The distinction between service-level loads and
factored loads is critical in strength design.
3. Simply Supported Beam Reaction
A simply supported beam is 30 ft long and carries a uniformly
distributed load of 2.0 kip/ft over its entire span. What is the reaction at
each support?
A. 15 kips
B. 20 kips
C. 30 kips
D. 60 kips
Answer: C. 30 kips
Rationale: The total load is wL = 2(30) = 60 kips. Because the loading
and geometry are symmetric, each support carries one-half of the total
load: Rₐ = Rᵦ = 60/2 = 30 kips.
4. Maximum Moment in a Simply Supported Beam
2
,A simply supported beam spans 24 ft and carries a uniform load of 3
kip/ft over the entire span. What is the maximum positive bending
moment?
A. 144 kip-ft
B. 192 kip-ft
C. 216 kip-ft
D. 432 kip-ft
Answer: C. 216 kip-ft
Rationale: For a simply supported beam carrying a uniform load over
the full span, Mmax = wL²/8. Therefore, Mmax = 3(24²)/8 = 3(576)/8 =
216 kip-ft. The maximum moment occurs at midspan.
5. Shear Force Near a Beam Support
A simply supported beam carries a uniform load over its entire span.
Where does the maximum magnitude of internal shear generally occur?
A. At midspan
B. At the quarter points
C. Immediately adjacent to the supports
D. At the point of maximum deflection
Answer: C. Immediately adjacent to the supports
Rationale: For a uniformly loaded simply supported beam, the shear
diagram begins at the positive support reaction and decreases linearly
toward zero at midspan. Thus, the largest absolute shear occurs
adjacent to the supports. Maximum bending moment, by contrast,
occurs at midspan.
6. Elastic Flexural Stress
3
, A rectangular steel beam has a section modulus of 20 in³ and is
subjected to a bending moment of 300 kip-in. What is the maximum
elastic bending stress?
A. 10 ksi
B. 15 ksi
C. 20 ksi
D. 30 ksi
Answer: B. 15 ksi
Rationale: The elastic flexural stress is calculated using f = M/S. Thus
f = 300/20 = 15 ksi. Section modulus is particularly useful because it
directly relates applied bending moment to extreme-fiber bending
stress.
7. Beam Deflection
For a simply supported beam subjected to a uniform load over its entire
span, which parameter has the strongest effect on elastic deflection?
A. Span only
B. Load only
C. Modulus of elasticity only
D. Load, span, modulus of elasticity, and moment of inertia
Answer: D. Load, span, modulus of elasticity, and moment of inertia
Rationale: Deflection depends on the magnitude and distribution of
load and on member stiffness. For a uniformly loaded simply
supported beam, the maximum elastic deflection is proportional to
wL⁴/(EI). The fourth-power dependence on span means that relatively
small increases in span can produce very large increases in deflection.
8. Increasing Beam Depth
4
ENGINEERS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
STRUCTURAL EXAM WITH ACTUAL
QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS,
PLUS EXPLAINED RATIONALES/EXPERT
VERIFIED FOR GUARANTEED 100% PASS
2026/LATEST UPDATE/INSTANT
DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Load Path in a Multistory Steel Building
A four-story steel-framed building has a reinforced concrete roof slab
supported by composite steel beams. The beams frame into steel girders,
the girders are supported by columns, and the columns transfer loads to
reinforced concrete spread footings. Under gravity loading, which
sequence most accurately represents the primary load path?
A. Slab → columns → beams → girders → foundations → soil
B. Slab → beams → girders → columns → foundations → soil
C. Slab → girders → beams → columns → foundations → soil
D. Slab → foundations → beams → columns → soil
Answer: B. Slab → beams → girders → columns → foundations →
soil
Rationale: The gravity load travels from the floor or roof slab into the
supporting beams, from the beams into girders, from the girders into
columns, and from the columns into the foundations. The foundations
then distribute the resulting forces to the supporting soil. Correct
identification of the load path is fundamental to structural design
because every element must safely transfer the forces imposed on it to
the ground.
1
,2. Factored Axial Compression
A steel column carries a dead load of 180 kips and a live load of 240
kips. Using a strength-design gravity load combination of 1.2D + 1.6L,
what is the required factored axial compression?
A. 420 kips
B. 504 kips
C. 600 kips
D. 648 kips
Answer: C. 600 kips
Rationale: The factored load is Pᵤ = 1.2D + 1.6L = 1.2(180) + 1.6(240)
= 216 + 384 = 600 kips. The distinction between service-level loads and
factored loads is critical in strength design.
3. Simply Supported Beam Reaction
A simply supported beam is 30 ft long and carries a uniformly
distributed load of 2.0 kip/ft over its entire span. What is the reaction at
each support?
A. 15 kips
B. 20 kips
C. 30 kips
D. 60 kips
Answer: C. 30 kips
Rationale: The total load is wL = 2(30) = 60 kips. Because the loading
and geometry are symmetric, each support carries one-half of the total
load: Rₐ = Rᵦ = 60/2 = 30 kips.
4. Maximum Moment in a Simply Supported Beam
2
,A simply supported beam spans 24 ft and carries a uniform load of 3
kip/ft over the entire span. What is the maximum positive bending
moment?
A. 144 kip-ft
B. 192 kip-ft
C. 216 kip-ft
D. 432 kip-ft
Answer: C. 216 kip-ft
Rationale: For a simply supported beam carrying a uniform load over
the full span, Mmax = wL²/8. Therefore, Mmax = 3(24²)/8 = 3(576)/8 =
216 kip-ft. The maximum moment occurs at midspan.
5. Shear Force Near a Beam Support
A simply supported beam carries a uniform load over its entire span.
Where does the maximum magnitude of internal shear generally occur?
A. At midspan
B. At the quarter points
C. Immediately adjacent to the supports
D. At the point of maximum deflection
Answer: C. Immediately adjacent to the supports
Rationale: For a uniformly loaded simply supported beam, the shear
diagram begins at the positive support reaction and decreases linearly
toward zero at midspan. Thus, the largest absolute shear occurs
adjacent to the supports. Maximum bending moment, by contrast,
occurs at midspan.
6. Elastic Flexural Stress
3
, A rectangular steel beam has a section modulus of 20 in³ and is
subjected to a bending moment of 300 kip-in. What is the maximum
elastic bending stress?
A. 10 ksi
B. 15 ksi
C. 20 ksi
D. 30 ksi
Answer: B. 15 ksi
Rationale: The elastic flexural stress is calculated using f = M/S. Thus
f = 300/20 = 15 ksi. Section modulus is particularly useful because it
directly relates applied bending moment to extreme-fiber bending
stress.
7. Beam Deflection
For a simply supported beam subjected to a uniform load over its entire
span, which parameter has the strongest effect on elastic deflection?
A. Span only
B. Load only
C. Modulus of elasticity only
D. Load, span, modulus of elasticity, and moment of inertia
Answer: D. Load, span, modulus of elasticity, and moment of inertia
Rationale: Deflection depends on the magnitude and distribution of
load and on member stiffness. For a uniformly loaded simply
supported beam, the maximum elastic deflection is proportional to
wL⁴/(EI). The fourth-power dependence on span means that relatively
small increases in span can produce very large increases in deflection.
8. Increasing Beam Depth
4
