Texas State Laws and Rules for Electricians 2013 
In today's business world, it is easy to become so wrapped up in your everyday work that you forget some of the basic rules and regulations that govern your profession. This interactive online course discusses Title 8, Occupations Code, Chapter 1305 of the Texas Statutes, and 16 Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 73 of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. These two codes contain important information regarding the regulation, licensing, and conduct standards for Texas Electricians. By reviewing this information on a regular basis, you will stay abreast of changes and amendments to the Texas State Laws and Rules as they pertain to this profession.
Florida Engineers Laws and Rules V.12
In today's business world, it is easy to become so wrapped up in your everyday work that you forget some of the basic rules and regulations that govern your profession. By reviewing the most recent essential information contained in Florida Laws & Rules for Engineers, Section 471 of the Florida Statutes and Chapters 61G15 – 18 to 37 of the Florida Administrative Code on a regular basis, you will stay abreast of changes and amendments to the Florida Statutes and the Rules of the Board as they pertain to Florida engineers.
Florida: Building Inspector's Laws & Rules
This informative course thoroughly explores the state of Florida's rules and regulations for building code administrators, building code inspectors and plans examiners. Requirements from Chapter 61G19 of the Florida Building Code Administrators and Inspectors Board are presented as well as a look at Chapter 468 from the Florida Statues which discusses similar state regulations. The information provided will keep any interested building professional informed on the latest licensing, penalty, certification, and education specifications for the state of Florida.
Changes in the PMBOK Guide 5th Edition
Supporting Agile frameworks… more processes… a new knowledge area… alignment with ANSI… alignment with ISO 21500… 119 more pages… new PMP exam… different planning actions…
The new edition of the most popular project management standard, the PMBOK Guide, is now publicly available, and you might have heard of its changes and wonder how you should update your knowledge and how it affects your day to day project management efforts. Well, this simple and short course provides you with everything you may need to know about the changes. It easily and clearly explains their real meanings and describes the ways by which they are connected to each other by going deeply into their root causes.
The Ultimate Project Manager
Chapter 1: Today’s Project Manager
Project management in the design industry is changing at a furious pace. Projects are increasing in complexity, and project managers in design firms are confronting an overwhelming volume of project information. Project teams are expanding and becoming more integrated as the walls between design and construction disintegrate. New communication and technology tools are allowing project teams to become more mobile and more global. New software solutions and project delivery methods are transforming the ways that projects are managed, designed, and built. On top of it all, clients are demanding even faster timelines and stricter adherence to budgets.
With design firms and project managers operating on an entirely new playing field from just a few years ago, PSMJ has revised The Ultimate Project Management course series to guide you through the A/E industry’s new project management landscape.
In the first course of this series, we will take an in-depth look at what it means to be a project manager in today’s high-stress, fast paced business climate. We will examine the duties and responsibilities of a typical project manager and review the traits that make them successful. We will explore the resources and elements that should be included in a project management training program.
Chapter 2: Marketing And Proposals
Project managers are also proposal managers. In this course you will learn to treat the proposal process as a project. We will cover selecting quality clients using a client pre‐proposal evaluation form. You’ll get instruction in making the “go/no go” decision reasons to turn down a project. We’ll show you how to manage the proposal just like a project through use of proposal manager’s checklists. You’ll learn how to prepare for the first proposal meeting, choose support staff, meet with clients during the proposal phase, and define scope of services. We’ll pull together the entire proposal and identify the difference between good and bad proposals, and how to avoid proposal pitfalls. You’ll also learn how to improve your presentations and complete a post‐award analysis.
Chapter 3: The Contract Agreement
This third course in the The Ultimate Project Management series discusses important information regarding contract agreements, and illustrates what project managers need to know to successfully negotiate contracts. We will examine contract basics, including contract sections and appropriate terms, in addition to negotiating rules and ways to manage risk. The purpose of this course is to provide project managers with a solid understanding of contract agreements and tools necessary to negotiate profitable projects.
Chapter 4: The Project Management Plan
The purpose of this course is to provide you will the skills required to develop and administer an efficient project management plan. You will learn the major elements and concepts of a project management plan, and how to use those to effectively develop and administer a project management plan that meets your client’s needs. Above all, you will understand how effective project management planning can not only help your project succeed, but your business too.
Chapter 5: The Project Schedule
Price, cost, budgets, estimates, fees, revenues, etc.—there always seems to be confusion about these terms. Are they the same thing or different? If they are different, what is the difference? These are some of the questions that we will answer in this course. This course will not attempt to make the project manager into an accountant; however, a basic understanding of these terms is vital to establishing the project budget. Assuming that the PM has completed the planning and scheduling phase, it is now time to align the project budget to the tasks in the project management plan.
Chapter 6: The Project Budget
Price, cost, budgets, estimates, fees, revenues, etc.—there always seems to be confusion about these terms. Are they the same thing or different? If they are different, what is the difference? These are some of the questions that we will answer in this course. This course will not attempt to make the project manager into an accountant; however, a basic understanding of these terms is vital to establishing the project budget. Assuming that the PM has completed the planning and scheduling phase, it is now time to align the project budget to the tasks in the project management plan.
Chapter 7: Leading The Project Team
The project team is made up of experienced individuals who need to work together toward successful completion of a project. This course gives you, the project manager, the processes, methods, and tools to build and lead your project team. You will get instruction in:
- Selecting the team
- Ensuring maximum productivity
- Maintaining project records
- Managing design consultants
- Delegating to and motivating your team
Chapter 8: Managing Client Relationships
In the design industry, business is built around good service...and good service depends on good relationships. This eighth course in The Ultimate Project Manager series discusses the importance of establishing and maintaining good client relationships. Keys to a successful client relationship will be discussed, in addition to ways to create a positive impression and provide a great client experience.
Chapter 9: Developing Effective Communications
Effective communication goes a long way in building rapport with your co-workers and clients and informing all project stakeholders involved of a project’s direction and progress. The purpose of this course is to teach you about the various communication methods that can be used in your work place. In this course you will learn about the three most common types of communication (i.e., verbal, written, and body language) and how to use communication to send messages, conduct meetings, and monitor a project’s progress.
Chapter 10: The Project Startup
A successful project is the result of many factors, but a well-organized project manager is one of them. The purpose of this course is to teach you the project management skills that are essential to starting a project off on a positive note. In this course you will learn how to start project meetings with your co-works and the client and how to record and manage documents and files for others to use and in your project manager’s notebook. Refer the course’s Resources to access downloadable samples and checklists that you can immediately use in your profession.
Chapter 11: Managing Your Time
Your time is your most valuable personal asset. It’s one of the few things that can’t be purchased. By definition there is also a limited amount—no matter who you are, there are only 24 hours in a day. Therefore, how you allocate this limited personal resource will determine your success in both your personal and professional life. In this course, we will take a look at some of the ways that you can better manage your time by examining effective ways to handle meetings, interruptions, and your own schedule.
Chapter 12: Managing Project Studies And Reports
Because many design firms are consulting with clients using studies and reports, rather than designing; you, as a project manager, may find yourself managing project studies and reports. In this course you will get guidance in comparing design and study projects. We’ll give you specialized instruction in planning and managing the study project as well as focused direction in the report preparation process. We’ll also cover engineering calculations, technical or peer reviews, and final activities including oral presentations.
Chapter 13: Managing Design And Construction Phases
Typically, design projects are divided into three phases: preliminary design, production design and bidding, and construction. Each phase requires project planning to maintain control and ensure the project is completed on time and on budget. The purpose of this thirteenth course in The Ultimate Project Manager series is to provide a practical guideline for each phase of production. Design development and required documentation is covered, in addition to the production design process and the project construction phase.
Chapter 14: Managing Project Quality
Have you produced projects that did not meet you or your client’s expectations, despite having a skilled team and rigid project management plan? This could have been because quality was not accounted for early on in the project. The purpose of this course is to show you methods and tools you can use to implement and improve the quality of your projects.
You will learn
- How to build quality into your project
- How to estimate the annual costs of a substandard project to determine the how much you should spend on meeting quality expectations
- How to work within quality assurance programs and manage the quality control process
- How to review the quality of your project, allowing you to improve the quality of your project
- And How to prepare for design changes that can unexpectedly show up
Chapter 15: Managing Project Risks
The process of identifying and managing the various types of project risks has become especially important in today’s business environment, where all parties jump to legal action as the first step in resolving any dispute. Unfortunately, the design firm, your organization, is in the center of almost every dispute. The purpose of this course is to provide you with the methods and tools you will need to identify, manage, and mitigate risks in your projects.
In this course you will learn about three fundamental elements that limit a firm’s liability for project risks:
- Identifying all potential types of risk that could impact the project
- Assigning the management of each type of risk to the party who is best suited to manage/control the risk
- Implementing a risk management plan to manage and/or mitigate the risk elements of each risk assigned to the design firm
Chapter 16: Project Financial Management
Every design firm is in the business of providing professional consulting services to its clients. To be successful and remain in this business, however, its projects must be profitable (i.e., the revenue must exceed all costs including overhead and profit expectations). In addition, clients must receive invoices in a timely manner, and your firm must receive payment for the completed work within the time specified in the contract.
A PM is assigned to each project, not only to manage the project team and to ensure that the project budget is met, but also to ensure:
- The client receives invoices for the scope of services
- Payments are received from the client within the contract payment period
- The project achieves its “as-sold” financial results with no write-offs
In a nutshell, the PM is responsible for the project’s financial management in two primary areas: cash flow and profitability.
This means the PM must be familiar with the monthly financial reporting cycles and have the ability to plan, track, and evaluate the fiscal performance of a project. He or she must understand how the project’s total gross revenue relates to the project direct labor and project expenses, including consultants. Plus, the PM must also understand how the planned and actual project performance contributes to the overall profitability of the firm. In this course we will look at all these responsibilities and concepts in detail.
Chapter 17: Project Management And Design Technology
Technology can be the project manager’s best friend. In this course we will review some basic concepts of technology systems with extra emphasis on Building Information Modeling (BIM). You’ll get instruction in selecting and testing software and using templates and standard forms. We’ll examine the latest communications tools and the use of project websites. You’ll also receive encouragement in backing up data and creating archives. We’ll also touch on making sales presentations using your computer as well as training the design staff in computer technology.
Chapter 18: Monitoring And Controlling The Project
The control of the project team and the project are the main responsibilities of a project manager. Because so much of the project accountability is in the hands of the project manager, it is essential that these professionals have the required skills to ensure each project is completed successfully. The purpose of this eighteenth course in The Ultimate Project Manager series is to provide detailed project management duties and responsibilities, including monitoring the progress of the project, tracking and analyzing schedules and budgets, and anticipating problems so they can be avoided.
Chapter 19: Project Closeout
Closing out a project can be as difficult, if not more so, than starting a new project. Just like a project which must be carefully and thoroughly planned out, so must the project closeout. The purpose of this course is to guide your through the process and all considerations that should be accomplished in a project closeout. You will learn:
- The importance of having a plan for wrapping up a project
- The different types of analyses and closeouts that need to be completed
- How to acquire and preserve a knowledge management program
- And How to converse with project stakeholders involved in the project closeout.
Chapter 21: A/E Project Management Benchmark Data
As a project manager, you will want to keep up with the constantly changing industry practices and compensation. In this course we will give you the results of surveys so that you will know what’s happening in the industry and how your firm compares to your competition. You’ll get project manager staffing levels, net revenues per project manager ratio, and direct labor hours per project manager ratio. We’ll cover senior project manager and junior project manager compensation. You’ll also get project manager time charges, design firm billing rates, contract forms and terms, design fees as a percentage of construction costs, direct project expense, and a section on electronic data processing.
Design of Reinforced Concrete
Introduction
This course will introduce you to concrete and reinforced concrete. You will get definitions, advantages and disadvantages, and descriptions of the different types of concrete. We’ll examine all the aspects of concrete – its composition, compatibility with steel, weights and strengths, and load types. You will learn to analyze your concrete needs and to identify the solutions.
Flexural Analysis of Beams
In this course you will learn the three progressive stages that occur before a beam collapses and how to calculate the stress of concrete beams at the different stages. In this course, we will cover formulas you can use to calculate a beam’s stress, both in concrete and steel, and when those formulas should be used. We will be utilizing examples to enhance your understanding of each formula’s use and what is occurring at each stage.
Strength Analysis of Beams According to ACI Codes
This course takes a look at strength analysis of beams according to the ACI code. You will be introduces to two different design methods, working-stress design and strength design; with the focus of the course pertaining to strength design. We will take a look at the advantages of strength design and why it has moved to the preferred method. We will examine two methods used for calculating structural safety of a reinforced concrete structure. We will take a look at varying expressions associated with stress load and beam integrity. We will explain the different ACI codes and how they relate to beam strength.
Design of Rectangular Beams and One-Way Slabs
In this course you will receive comprehensive information on rectangular beams and one-way slabs. We will give you load factors, considerations necessary for beam design, limitations of lateral bracing and deep beams, and examples of beam design. We’ll also cover bundled bars, one-way slabs, and reinforcement of cantilever and continuous beams.
Serviceability
Serviceability addresses the issue of performance. In this course you we will examine deflections and cracks. We’ll give you background material on the importance, control, and calculation of deflections. You’ll be instructed in effective moments of inertia, long term deflections, simple-beam deflections, and continuous-beam deflections. We’ll also review types of cracks, control of flexural cracks, aci code, provisions concerning cracks, and miscellaneous cracks.
Bond, Development Lengths, and Splices
In this course we will cover how to properly bond beams for a variety of purposes by calculating the development lengths for the reinforcement bars, which will help to provide extra strength to the beams. Factors affecting your developmental length calculation will also be covered, such as critical sections of a beam. We will also cover how splices can help or hinder your project.
Shear and Diagonal Tension
The objective of today’s reinforced concrete designer is to produce ductile members that provide warning of impending failure. To achieve this goal, the code provides design shear values that have larger safety factors against shear failures than do those provided for bending failures. The failures of reinforced concrete beams in shear are quite different from their failures in bending. Shear failures occur suddenly with little or no advance warning. Therefore, beams are designed to fail in bending under loads that are appreciably smaller than those that would cause shear failures.
This course discusses shear and diagonal tension on reinforced concrete and how different types of reinforcement can help mitigate the damage caused by cracking. Definitions related to concrete construction and reinforcement will be provided, as well as shear design example problems
Two-Way Slabs, Equivalent Frame Method
In this course, we will illustrate how moment distribution can be applied to the analysis of structures consisting of nonprismatic members. We will also explain the difference between the direct design method and the equivalent frame method, and list the properties of slam beams and columns. An example problem using the equivalent frame method will be demonstrated, as well as explanation of the benefits of computer analysis.