Steel Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams (Second Edition) by Frederick S. Roland

Passing the Civil PE or Structural SE exams requires more than knowing formulas—you need speed, accuracy, and confidence in applying steel design rules under time pressure. That’s why exam-focused resources are so valuable: they don’t just teach the theory, they train you to solve problems the way the exam expects.

Steel Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams (Second Edition) by Frederick S. Roland is one of the most practical books available for engineers preparing for professional licensure. It’s written specifically to help candidates build strong steel design skills aligned with what shows up in PE/SE-style questions.

Quick Overview

Title: Steel Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams (Second Edition)
Author: Frederick S. Roland
Focus: Exam-oriented steel design practice and review
Best for: Civil PE candidates, Structural SE candidates, early-career engineers strengthening steel design
Use cases: Exam preparation, timed practice, steel member design review, connection design basics, problem-solving strategy

What This Book Covers

This book is structured around the knowledge areas that engineers are expected to master for licensure-level steel design. It typically covers topics such as:

• Steel design fundamentals

  • design philosophy and code-based thinking

  • common steel member behavior

• Tension members

  • net section rupture

  • yielding, block shear basics

• Compression members

  • column buckling concepts

  • slenderness and stability checks

• Flexural members (beams)

  • bending capacity

  • lateral torsional buckling concepts

• Beam-columns and combined loading

  • interaction concepts and practical checks

• Connections

  • bolted connection behavior

  • welded joint basics

  • typical connection limit states

• Practical exam-style problem solving

  • step-by-step solutions

  • clear approach under time constraints

This makes it extremely helpful for candidates who want to focus on the most test-relevant steel design skills.

What I Liked Most (Strengths)

1) Designed specifically for PE/SE exam style

Unlike broad steel textbooks, this book is exam-targeted, meaning it teaches you how to:

• identify what the question is really asking

• quickly choose the correct design procedure

• avoid common exam traps

• solve efficiently with the right level of detail

That’s exactly what most candidates need.

2) Strong focus on repeatable workflow

When you’re under exam pressure, you need a clear method you can repeat. This book is useful because it reinforces a structured way to approach steel design problems:

Given → Determine limit states → Apply equations → Check → Select member/connection

3) Great for building speed and confidence

Even engineers who “understand steel” sometimes struggle with the exam because of timing. This book helps you get faster by practicing the same logic in many variations, which improves:

• calculation speed

• accuracy

• familiarity with typical failure modes

What Could Be Better (Limitations)

1) Not a replacement for the main steel design code

This is a study guide, not the complete design standard. You’ll still need your reference codes (and to be comfortable using them) for final checks and deeper detail.

2) More beneficial if you already know the basics

If someone is starting steel design from zero, this book will still help—but you’ll get much more value if you already have basic knowledge of:

• shear and bending behavior

• column buckling concepts

• simple connection components

Who Should Buy This Book?

Highly recommended for:

• engineers preparing for the Civil PE (Structural depth)

• engineers preparing for the Structural SE exam

• graduate engineers improving steel design skills fast

• candidates who need exam-style practice and speed-building material

Less ideal for:

• advanced steel connection specialists (too exam-focused)

• engineers who want purely theoretical steel mechanics or research-level depth

Final Verdict

Steel Design for the Civil PE and Structural SE Exams (Second Edition) is a high-value resource for engineers who want to prepare efficiently and confidently for steel design questions under exam conditions. It’s focused, practical, and built around the real problem-solving mindset needed for PE/SE success.