Engineering Tools, Calculators, and Charts

Scheduling Days / Weeks Out

Project Management

Easily determine lead times based on order or submittal dates.

Scheduling Calculator

Margin & Markup

Project Management

Margin and markup are frequently confused. Don’t make that error with this easy to use tool.

Margin and Markup Calculator

Unit Conversion

General Use

Convert almost any unit of measurement you can think of.

Unit conversion

Engineering Education

Ductile Metals

Ductile metals are metals that can undergo significant plastic deformation under tensile stress before failure. Ductility is an important consideration in engineering and manufacturing, as it describes a material’s suitability…

Tipping Angle

The tipping angle of a load is an important consideration when dealing with the rotational equilibrium of machines or structures. In this article, we will learn more about the applicability…

Flexible Metals

Generally, the term ‘flexible’ is not technically accurate for describing the characteristics of metals. Rather, a flexible metal is one that combines two key metallic attributes, which are malleability and…

Surface Finish Symbols

Surface finish symbols characterize the overall texture of a surface. Often, this characterization is in terms of only the surface roughness. But an in-depth description covers other parameters such as…

Disadvantages of Concrete Construction

Concrete construction is everywhere, however, it does come with disadvantages. These disadvantages include low strength, high weight, and high costs. In this article, we review the disadvantages of concrete as…

Most Reactive Metal Group

The most reactive metal group on the periodic table is the alkali metals. In this article, we review why that is true and the use of these metals in laboratory…

Minor Losses in Pipes

Minor losses in pipes stem from a divergence in flow direction, diameter change, and the presence of disturbances. They do not include frictional (major) losses, which are the result of…

Battery Room

A battery room provides a suitable storage location for keeping batteries protected and isolated. These batteries may serve as a backup energy source or part of an uninterrupted power system….

Scientific vs Engineering Notation – A Fight to the Death

A fight to the death? A bit dramatic perhaps. 🙂 Engineering and scientific notation are both ways to simplify very large or small numbers so that they are easier to…

Hz vs dB

Hz and dB, which represent Hertz and decibels respectively, are units that characterize sound waves. Both units are key in fields such as acoustics, quantum mechanics, and wave mechanics. In…

Cracking Moment

The cracking of concrete occurs due to several reasons. These reasons include excessive deflection, plastic shrinkage, severe corrosion of steel rebar, etc. However, the concept of cracking moment deals with…

Steel Microstructure – Types, Microstructure, and Heat Treatment

Steel microstructure is the fine structure of its constituents that is made visible by magnification over 25 times. It is a function of the carbon content and the transformations that…

Chamfer Callout

A chamfer is a slope at the edge of a part and a chamfer callout refers to how to dimension chamfers on drawings. Generally, chamfers serve to remove burs and…

Union vs Coupling – Differences, Frequently Asked Questions

Pipe unions and couplings are both types of pipe fittings that join different parts of a flow system. However, a union makes it easy to separate and reassemble the joint…

Turndown Slab

A turndown slab is one that has edges which are thicker than other parts of the slab. They are popular in concrete construction because of their durability and serve as…

Single-phase vs Three-phase

Single-phase and three-phase configurations are currently the most common AC power supply systems in use. Because each system has advantages over the other in certain applications, it is necessary to…

What is the Engineer of Record?

A professional engineer who seals drawings, reports, or papers for a project is the Engineer of Record or EoR. The seal signifies that an EoR developed, coordinated, or prepared drawings,…

Moment Connection – Types, vs. Shear, Uses in Steel Construction

In structural engineering, a moment connection refers to a joint that allows the transfer of bending moment forces between a column and a beam or between any other two adjoining…

IP68 vs. IP69 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. IP68 provides protection against extended immersion up to 1 meter, whereas…

Eccentric Load – Definition & Mechanics, Examples, Footings

An eccentric load is one that acts on a structural member at any point other than the member’s centroid. In this article, we will review the definition and mechanics of…

Placing a Dowel Rebar into Existing Concrete

Dowel rebar is frequently employed in new construction projects and rehabilitation ones like slab replacement. Certain applications require the addition of a dowel rebar into existing concrete. You must understand…

Pipeline Header – Purpose, Design, and Calculation

A pipeline header connects flowlines from several different sources into a single gathering line. In this article, you will learn the purpose of a pipeline header, important factors in its…

Equivalent Fluid Pressure – Background, Calculation, and Design

Equivalent fluid pressure (EFP) is a simplification of the lateral loading that the soil exerts on an earth-retaining wall. Moreover, the equivalent fluid refers to a hypothetical fluid, having a…

Hydrogen Induced Stress Cracking

Hydrogen induced stress cracking refers to cracking in steel due to the buildup of hydrogen molecules in its microstructure. In this article, you will learn more about hydrogen induced stress…

Ordinate Dimensioning

Ordinate dimensioning refers to measuring elements on a drawing according to their perpendicular distance from a fixed point or “datum”. This is one of the methods of dimensioning in design,…

Propane vs Butane

Propane and butane are both forms of gases that are popular as fuel for commercial and residential use. This is largely because they are clean sources of energy compared to…

Butt Weld vs Socket Weld

During the construction of various structures, there are different methods of interfacing pipe flanges, fittings, and other connecting parts. Out of these methods, using a butt weld or socket weld…

Hydraulic Conductivity

Hydraulic conductivity is an important concept in the fields of hydrology and hydrogeology. Also, it is a key parameter utilized by geotechnical engineers for soil and other material analysis. In…

2-Phase vs 3-Phase

2-phase and 3-phase electricity are common configurations of transmitting power from one location to another. Although they are both alternating current systems, each of them have features that are suitable…

Propane vs Propylene

Propane and propylene are both fuel gases that serve in a variety of applications. Propane is a constituent of natural gas with a chemical formula C3H8. Whereas propylene is a…

GD&T

GD&T, stands for geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, and is a system of symbols and standards that designers use to communicate to manufacturers through engineering drawings. Moreover, GD&T defines engineering tolerancing…

K Bracing – Design Example, vs X Bracing and Earthquakes

K bracing is one of the common types of bracing systems. In this article, you will learn what k bracing is, review a design example, compare k bracing vs x…

Stepped Footing

A stepped footing provides extreme support to structures on non-flat terrains as well as a flat surface for construction. In this article, you will review the purpose of stepped footings,…

The Concrete Strength Curve

The concrete strength curve plots the strength of concrete versus cure time. In this article, you will learn the importance of the concrete strength curve, understand how to read it,…

Slot Dimensioning – Basics, ASME Y14.5M

Proper dimensioning of a slot helps to provide size control when designing a part or equipment. In this article, we will review the basics of slot dimensioning, recommendations from ASME…

Class I Div 2 – Conditions and Requirements

Class I, Div 2 is a hazardous area classification according to the National Electrical Code (NEC). Also, the National Fire Protection Association and Underwriters Laboratories utilize the same classification. Class…

Mylar Plans – Overview, Alternatives, Submittal Process

Mylar plans refer to polyester films that serve in documenting building designs or other design drawings. In this article, we discuss Mylar plans, how to create them, alternatives to using…

Source Control Drawing

A source control drawing provides manufacturing detail for a single-sourced item. In this article, you will learn what unique attributes a source control drawing contains, the applicability of ASME y14.24,…

Specific Heat of Gold – In Various Units, FAQs

The specific heat of gold measures the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of gold in a solid state by one degree Celsius. This article provides the particular…

Coefficient of Friction – Meaning, Calculation, Values

Coefficient of friction is a dimensionless number that represents the ratio between the friction force and normal force acting on a body. In this article, you will learn the meaning…

Retaining Wall Footing

A retaining wall footing is an underground concrete structure that provides support to the wall and the soil behind it. In addition, it ensures proper distribution of the weight of…

Three Phase Wire Color Code

Electrical wire color code for three-phase applications provides a standard means of identifying individual wires. Three-phase supply uses either four or five wires. The configuration uses three live lines, a…

What is Pump Head?

What is pump head? Understanding this question provides a fundamental understanding of force flow systems. It refers to the height that a pump can raise fluid up to and its…

IP66 vs. IP68 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to designate an enclosure’s level of ingress protection. Devices with an IP68 rating offer protection against immersion in liquid up…

Attemperator – Working Principle, vs. Desuperheater

An attemperator is a coil of pipe that usually lies downstream of a steam turbine or boiler. Its basic function is to regulate the temperature of steam by either running…

Butt Weld vs Fillet Weld

A butt weld joins two pieces that are on the same plane vs a fillet weld that joins workpieces that are perpendicular or at an angle. To a layperson, they…

IP67 vs. IP65 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. An IP65-rated enclosure protects against low-pressure water jets from any direction,…

Radial Force – Calculation, Formula, and Variation

Generally, the radial force is the force acting perpendicular to the axis of rotation of an object. It acts in a straight line and describes the influence of exertions on…

IP66 vs IP67 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. IP66-rated objects are water resistant against powerful jets, whereas IP67 protects…

Thermal Diffusivity – Value in Materials, vs. Thermal Conductivity

Thermal diffusivity is a value that characterizes the rate of heat diffusion through a material. It is of great importance in the field of thermodynamics and its value is key…

Damping Coefficient – Calculation, Values, FAQ

Damping coefficient is a material property that measures the ability to absorb energy from a system after loading. For example, a basketball has a low coefficient because it bounces back,…

Hazen-Williams vs Darcy-Weisbach

Both Hazen-Williams and Darcy-Weisbach equations compute head loss due to friction in a pipe. Hazen-Williams coefficient is a function of only the pipe roughness vs Darcy-Weisbach which considers internal roughness,…

Beam Pocket

A beam pocket provides a recessed space that holds the end of an intersecting beam in a wall or column. Beam pockets are crucial in the design and construction of…

IP44 vs. IP54 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. An IP44 rating protects from solid particles that are over 1mm…

IP67 vs. IP68 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. With an IP67 rating, it can be fully submerged in fresh…

IP44 vs. IP45 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. The IP44 rating protects against water splashing from any angle vs…

IP55 vs. IP57 – Differences and Application

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. IP55 protects vs a nozzle spray from any direction, whereas IP57…

IP45 vs. IP65 – Differences and Application

A 2-digit suffix is used by the IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system to identify the level of ingress protection for enclosures. The IP65 certification indicates the device has the highest…

Bullheading a Tee – Process, Applicable Codes, Pressure Loss

Bullheading a tee refers to designing a pipe fitting in a manner where the branch pipe connection is of a larger diameter than the run connections. In this article, you…

IP56 vs IP66 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. IP56 protects against dust that may harm equipment vs IP66 which…

IP55 vs. IP56 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. IP55 and IP 56 both provide partial protection against dust that…

Refraction vs Diffraction – Examples, Differences, FAQs

Refraction refers to the change in direction of a wave, while diffraction is the spreading of waves. Moreover, they are important concepts in the field of physics with a variety…

IP65 vs IP68 – Differences and Applications

The IP (Ingress Protection) enclosure system uses a 2-digit suffix to describe the degree of ingress protection for enclosures. IP68 offers protection against submersion in water that is up to…

CH3CH2CH2CH2OH Boiling Point

The CH3CH2CH2CH2OH boiling point, or 1-Butanol, is 243.9°F (117.7°C). In this article, you will learn about the CH3CH2CH2CH2OH boiling point, its proper name, its Lewis structure, and whether it’s polar or…

Pipe Obvert Elevation – Implication, Calculation, and Applications

Pipe obvert elevation is the vertical distance between the inside-top of a pipe and any datum. Moreover, the term ‘obvert’ means to turn. The obvert measurement mirrors the pipe invert,…

Aircraft Static Port – How To Identify, Function, Blockage, and Alternate

An aircraft static port allows for the measurement of the outside air pressure. In addition, it constitutes the pitot-static system, which is a range of pressure-sensitive instruments that measure key…

ASD Load Combinations, Differences vs. LRFD

ASD (Allowable Stress Design) is a design procedure or philosophy, also referred to as service load design or working stress design (WSD). Moreover, it entails ensuring that the service load…

Diesel Boiling Point – Blends, Weather, and Pressure Effects

At atmospheric pressure, diesel has an initial boiling point of 392°F (200°C) and a final boiling point of 662°F (350°C). This wide range is due to its variety of blends…

Power Dissipation – Process, Formula, Applications

Power dissipation refers to the process by which an electrical or electronic device loses or wastes energy via heat production while performing its primary action. Moreover, it is important to…

Crude Oil Boiling Point – What You Need to Know

Unlike other materials with a single boiling point, such as water and turpentine, composite liquids like crude oil boil across a more comprehensive temperature range. Thousands of different compounds and…

How to Label a Bar Graph, in MATLAB, in R, and in Python

A bar graph refers to a graph or chart that represents categorical data using rectangular bars. Moreover, the height or length of these bars is proportional to the values they…

Motor Oil Boiling Point – Types and Impact

At atmospheric pressure, motor oil has a lower end boiling point of 250°F and up to 700°F. This wide range is due to the variety of different blends of motor…

Soil Boring – Methods, Log, vs. Test Pit

Soil boring refers to the drilling of the soil for the exploration of soil samples at various depths. Depending on the method in use, the process yields both disturbed and…

Quiescent Current – Calculation, Formula, vs. Other Types

Quiescent current is a very important parameter in battery-powered applications. This particularly holds true for products that are often on standby. In this article, you will learn the meaning of…

Is Physics Hard?

Is physics hard? Yes. It often is considered as a weed-out class for engineering majors. Physics is a topic that covers the motion and behavior of objects as they relate…

IFC Drawings – Meaning, vs. Other Types, Revision

IFC drawings, also called Issued For Construction drawings, are approved drawings from which a product can be built. In this article, you will learn the meaning of IFC drawings, compare…

Re-entrant Corner – Problems, Conditions, Design & Repair Solutions

A re-entrant corner is an internal corner of a concrete slab. Depending on prevalent conditions, such a corner may be subject to cracking and often requires some reinforcement. In this…

Tolerance Analysis – Common Types, in Manufacturing and Product Design

Tolerance analysis entails all processes in determining the variation in size of mechanical parts, and its consequent effects on assemblies. Moreover, this study provides insight into the effects of dimensional…

Engineering Stress vs True Stress – Concepts, Curve, & Applications

Engineering stress and true stress are common ways of measuring load application over a cross-sectional area. Moreover, these concepts serve in highlighting the stress-strain relationship in a structure or member…

Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) – Eurocode, & Offshore Lifting

Dynamic amplification factor (DAF) or dynamic increase factor (DIF) refers to the ratio of the dynamic response of a structure to its static response. Moreover, the value of this ratio,…

Minor Loss Coefficient – How to Determine and Reduce

The minor loss coefficient measures a fluid’s energy loss in a pipe due to the presence of fittings, valves, and other impediments. Moreover, in industry, the letter ‘K’ represents this…

Brake Horsepower (BHP), vs WHP, vs Torque, Pumps & Compressors

Brake horsepower refers to the horsepower at the output shaft of an engine, motor, or turbine., Its value is less than what is indicated on the device due to losses…

Axial Force – Calculation and Formula, Diagram, vs Other Forces

Axial force refers to a load whose line of action runs along the length of a structure or perpendicular to the structure’s cross-section. Moreover, the line of force goes through…

Specific Heat of Ice – In Various Units, vs. Water, Ice’s Thermal Properties

The specific heat of ice measures the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of a particular substance in a particular form by one degree Celsius. This article provides…

Angle of Deflection – Definition, Formula, & Applications

Deflection angle is an important concept in several fields including surveying, photogrammetry, and use of radars. Understanding this concept is critical to predicting and modeling the movement of objects in…

Linear vs. Lineal, Uses, vs. Board Feet

Linear refers to a straight line or lines vs. lineal, which means descended in a direct line from an ancestor. Both terms have use in manufacturing and distribution. In this…

What is ASME?

The article answers many common questions about ASME. Questions include: What exactly is ASME? What is ASME Certification, and why is it important? What is ASME code, and what does…

Chain Dimensioning – What it is, vs. Datum Dimensioning, in Software

Chain dimensioning provides a measurement standard for engineering and other technical drawings. It is common to refer to it as point-to-point dimensioning. In this article you will learn what chain…

Belt Creep – Definition, Cause, vs. Slip, How to Reduce

Belt creep occurs in a belt-drive transmission when the drive such as a pulley, moves slightly faster than the belt. In this article, you will learn the definition of belt…

Hydraulic Gradient – Implication, Formula, Use, and Applications

Hydraulic gradient refers to the change in water level per unit distance along the direction of maximum head decrease. Simply put, it is the rate of change in total head…

Doubler Plates – Application and Design

A doubler plate refers to a small piece of plate that is attached to a larger area, to provide strengthening in that location. In engineering, it is common to refer…

Structurally Sound: Definition, Use in Buildings and Bridges

Definition Structurally sound means free from defects, flaws decay, and deterioration to the extent that structures or buildings accomplish their design. In terms of public infrastructures, structurally sound buildings lack…

What is Saturated Liquid?

A saturated liquid is a fluid that is about to boil. It has reached a state where any decrease in pressure without a temperature change would initiate boiling. In this…

Bilateral Tolerance

Bilateral tolerance is one of the primary three tolerances that occur most often on working drawings. A bilateral tolerance exists when a variation from the desired dimension is shown as occurring…

Stamped Drawings – Purpose, Process, and Alternatives

To obtain appropriate permitting and meet required specifications, many construction projects require stamped drawings. Stamped drawings bear the seal of a Professional Engineer. They may take the form of a…

Cheapest Metals – From Least to Most Expensive + Indices

Often classic material characteristics such ductility, hardness, fatigue strength, and yield strength aren’t the primary driver of material selection. Sometimes, an engineer or designer simply wants the cheapest metal available….

PLC Cabinet – Types, Layout, Wiring, and Components

PLC is short for Programmable Logic Controller. PLC cabinet refers to the housing that contains a control system, which automates various industrial processes. In addition, the cabinet protects its components…

Venturi Meter vs. Orifice Meter – Differences, Applications, & Alternatives

Venturi and orifice meters are devices that reduce the pressure of a moving stream to measure its average velocity, volumetric flow rate, or mass flow rate. The continuity equation and…

Running Torque – Definition, vs Holding, Prevailing, Breakway Torque

Running torque refers to the amount of torque a device needs to maintain the constant angular velocity of a rotating part once in operation. Knowing this value provides important operating…

Vortex Breaker – Formation, Effects on Flow, Design, and Applications

A vortex refers to the rotation of a fluid’s core while draining from a vessel. Moreover, engineers use vortex breakers to prevent the formation of vortices due to their effect…

Residual Pressure

Residual pressure is a concept common with water supply systems. It refers to the pressure remaining in a pipe during flow conditions. This contrasts with static pressure, which is the…

Engine Load – Definition, Calculation, vs. RPM, at Idle

An engine load determines the demand put on an engine’s capacity to produce power. Moreover, the load provides specification guidance to manufacturers as they design engines to ensure that they…

Pipe Invert Elevation

Pipe invert elevation is the vertical distance between the inside-bottom of a pipe and a given benchmark. Moreover, the term ‘invert’ stems from the resemblance of the pipe bottom to…

Gasoline Boiling Point – Blends, Pressure, and Weather Considerations

At atmospheric pressure, gasoline has an initial boiling point of 95 °F (35 °C) and a final boiling point of 395 °F (200 °C). This wide range is due to…

Is Statics a Hard Class?

Statics is a class that deals with the application of Newtonian physics and serves as an entry point into engineering mechanics. Typically, mechanical and civil engineers take the class as…

Isentropic

Isentropic is a term that describes a process during which the entropy of the system remains constant. In thermodynamics, isentropic refers to an idealized process, where work transfers of a…

What is the Clausius Inequality?

To understand what the Clausius Inequality is, one must first look at a thermodynamic system, which exchanges heat with its environment. The Clausius Inequality relates the change in entropy of…

Helical Spring Constant – Formula, K Factor, Parameters, and Applications

The helical spring constant, more commonly referred to as the k value, provides key information about a spring’s stiffness capacity. A greater k value is indicative of a greater restoration…

Is Heat a State Function?

Is heat a state function? The answer is no. Heat is the energy transferred between the system and the surroundings during a process. The amount that transfers does depend on how the…

Is Thermal Energy Potential or Kinetic?

Thermal energy refers to the energy that a body or system has due to the movement of its particles. So, is thermal energy potential or kinetic? The answer lies in…

Tapcon vs Wedge Anchor – Applications and Installation

Tapcon and wedge anchors are pre-installed mechanical anchors that attach structural objects to concrete structures. However, the wedge anchor suits heavier-duty applications, vs the Tapcon anchor that typically serve lighter…

Examples of Porous Materials

A porous substance contains pores, voids, or holes on purpose. In this article, you’ll learn examples of porous materials, the benefits of porous materials, and determine how to reduce porosity….

Enthalpy vs Entropy – Differences, H-S Chart, and Applications

Enthalpy vs entropy -what’s the difference? All materials contain both of these thermodynamic properties. Enthalpy provides the total amount of internal energy held within a substance. Entropy measures the randomness…

Weld Map

A weld map provides locations of welds on steel structures, pipe, pressure vessels, or specialty industrial equipment. In the fabrication of industrial material, locating different weld joints and seams allows…

Examples of Ductile Materials

Ductile materials break with lots of elongation before failure. In this article, you will learn what ductility means, receive examples of ductile materials, learn about fracture type, and determine how…

Examples of Brittle Materials – Glass, Ceramics, and Special Alloys

Brittle materials break with little or no elongation prior to failure. In this article, you’ll receive examples of brittle materials, learn about fracture type, and determine how to reduce the…

Carnot Cycle – Principles and Calculations

The Carnot cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that represents a theoretical heat engine. The main reason why the cycle can not actually exist is that the concept relies on holding…

Types Of Engineering Fit – Categories And Its Applications

Engineered products frequently must slip or press against each other to deliver their functions. The way products interact is designed as an engineering fit. There are three types of engineering…

The Stirling Cycle – Principles and Calculations

The Stirling cycle is a thermodynamic cycle and a variation of the Carnot cycle. Rather than undergoing isentropic processes, the cycle undergoes isochoric processes. As a truly reversible cycle, it…

Do Electric Cars Have Gears?

Electric cars generally do not have gears as they don’t have multi-speed transmissions. Electric vehicles receive power via an electric motor. The electric motor produces a consistent amount of torque…

Diesel Cycle – Principles, Calculations, and Applications

The diesel cycle is a thermodynamic cycle which undergoes internal combustion. It is similar to the Otto cycle. However, the main difference is that the fuel heats by the compression…

Shop Drawings – Definition, Use, Examples, Software, & Alternatives

Shop drawings, or fabrication drawings, provide fabrication details that a facility or field crew uses to manufacture a part or assembly. In this article, you will learn the definition of…

Damping Ratio

In many engineering applications, damping ratio provides an important dimensionless parameter that describes the decay of oscillations in a system. From a system’s equilibrium, external disturbances may cause displacements in…

Refrigeration Cycle – Principles, Calculations, and Applications

The refrigeration cycle is a specially designed thermodynamic cycle that removes heat from a closed environment to keep the inside cool. Likewise, it provides the exact opposite effect by simply…

Otto Cycle – Principles and Calculations

The Otto cycle is best exemplified by the sparkplug engine. Regularly seen in car engines and lawnmowers, this cycle is versatile in the different jobs it can do as well…

Roof Snow Load Chart & Table Per IBC – United States

General Snow Load Guidance Section 1608 of the International Building Code provides a roof snow load chart and table for the United States. The first paragraph of 1608.1 dictates the…

Helipad Structural Design

The International Building Code (IBC) governs helipad structural design. Section 1607.6 Helipads of the IBC Code provides detailed design guidance. Helipad Live Load Design The uniform live load of a…

Hydraulic Permeability – Definition, Calculations, & Applications

Hydraulic permeability is a unit of measure that describes the mobility and ease by which fluids are able to navigate. It is notated by the letter k in scientific and…

Brayton Cycle – Principles and Calculations

The Brayton cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that utilizes warm air as the working fluid. The cycle sees common use in jet engines, because of the flow of air and…

Germanium Transistor – History, Purpose, and Pin-Out

As civilization grows bigger, technological developments get smaller in size. The discovery of the germanium transistor ushered in a new age of computing. Its technology would become the building blocks…

Rankine Cycle – Principles and Calculations

The Rankine cycle is a thermodynamic cycle that allows uses steam as the working fluid inside of a cycle. This contrasts with most thermodynamic cycles that use air or some…

Thermodynamic Cycles- Principles, Purpose, and Types

Thermodynamic cycles are processes that involve heat and work flowing into and out of a system. These systems usually intake a working fluid and output mechanical work or energy. These…

Hydraulic Diameter – Purpose, Formula, Alternatives, Applications

Hydraulic diameter, DH, is the characteristic length used to determine Reynolds number when dealing with flow in non-circular mediums. Reynolds number may then be of use in determining whether a…

Modulus of Rigidity – Equation, Steel Selection, and Values

The modulus of rigidity is the ratio of shear stress to shear strain. Thus, it measures the ability of the material to withstand distortion. However, the rigidity of the material…

DBTT – Ductile Brittle Transition Temperature

The ductile-brittle transition temperature, often referred to as DBTT, is the temperature at which there is a pronounced decrease in a material’s ability to absorb force without fracturing. At this…

Stagnation Pressure – Uses and Real Life Applications

Stagnation pressure is the fluid pressure that is measured while an initially flowing fluid is fully at rest. The fluid still holds mechanical energy through pressure despite having no movement….

Shot Peening – Process, Machines, Applications, and Advantages

Shot peening is a mechanical treatment process in which the surface of a metal object is subject to a stream of very high velocity small spherical balls of metal, glass,…

Prandtl Number – Calculation and Effective Use

The Prandtl Number is an unitless ratio that describes the momentum diffusivity to thermal diffusivity of a liquid. Using a Prandtl number provides the relation of the thickness of the…

Reflectivity

Reflectivity is the property by which an object is able to reflect light or radiation. Optically speaking, it refers to the amount of light that is reflected from incident light…

Graphene

The thinnest material known to man, graphene provides extreme strength, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity on par with copper. As such, this material has made an uproar with the scientific…

Metal Passivation

Metal passivation chemically treats metal to reduce its surface chemical reactivity. Reducing surface chemical reactivity helps inhibit corrosion in metal objects. In this article, you’ll learn about the benefits of…

Metal Pickling: Process and Advantages

In fabrication, metal pickling refers to a metal treatment process that reduces impurities on the surface of a metallic object. The pickling process removes the surface impurities, such as stains,…

Engineering and Manufacturing BOMs

The bills of material, or BOMs, for products or assemblies, allow engineering to design and guide the manufacturing of individual material, parts, or assemblies. A bill of material specifies the…

Molar Absorptivity

Molar absorptivity is the measure of how well an object absorbs radiation that the object is in contact with. Molar absorptivity is integral to Beer-Lambert law which relates absorbance, absorptivity,…

Fracture Toughness

Fracture toughness is a physical property of matter. It describes the resistance of the material to fracture while it has cracks.  It is different than simple toughness which is defined…

Crystal Structures – Composition & Properties

In the realm of material science, the composition of a material and a molecular level affects how a material will react to different forces, temperatures, and changes. Among the different…

HAZOP – Process and Methods

A hazop study is a powerful, systematic, and structured methodology that helps in identifying potential hazards and/or problems with plant operability. Hazop stands for hazard and operability study. The hazop…

Emissivity and Its Impact on Radiant Heat

The material property known as emissivity describes a material’s propensity to radiate energy. Emissivity measurements, sometimes referred to as an e-value, range from 0 to 1. A measurement of 0…

Materials Selection – The Engineering Process

The materials selection process for a component or assembly involves a careful evaluation of the benefits and trade-offs of material properties. In this article, you will learn the properties involved…

Project Engineer – Duties and Salary

A project engineer leads the technical development of an engineering project. Depending on the size and responsibility, he/she may also assume project management duties as well. The project engineer typically…

Pipe Stress Analysis

Pipe stress analysis provides an empirical tool to evaluate how a piping system behaves based on its material, pressure, temperature, fluid, and structure. Pipe stress analysis gives a good estimate…

Electrical Designer – Duties and Salary

An electrical designer works with mechanical designers, engineers, clients, and fabricators to produce design documentation for electrical equipment. Not all industries require a dedicated electrical designer. Equipment that with only…

Mechanical Designer – Duties and Salary

A mechanical designer works with engineers, clients, and fabricators to produce design documents. In this article, you will learn job roles, design packages used, credentials, and potential employers of mechanical…

Pump Cavitation

In many piping systems, pumps are crucial to the proper operation of the system. In some cases, the intended flow characteristics are not met which causes operational issues. Among those…

Smart P&ID

Smart or Intelligent P&IDs are schematic drawings that show the connections and relationships of piping and instrumentation within a piping system. Working in conjunction with stored information such as design…

Fatigue Failure

In the engineering world, most cases of material failure occur as a result of fatigue. Fatigue failure is the fracture that occurs in a material as a result of prolonged…

PFD – Process Flow Diagrams

PFDs, known as process flow diagrams, detail the processes or relationships between the major components in a system from piping to instrumentation. They offer high level guidance on the sequence…

Pipe Spool Drawings

Pipe spool drawings, sometimes referred to as piping isometrics, are shop drawings that provide a 3 dimension view of a piping run to allow shop personnel to fit and weld…

General Arrangement (G/A) Drawings

General Arrangement (G/A) drawings present the overall composition of a plant, skid, building, or piece of equipment. In this article you will learn the process for generating a G/A, how…

Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)

The P&ID, also known as the Piping and Instrumentation Diagram, is an end to end schematic that displays major process details of a system. P&IDs show operating conditions, major equipment,…

5 Ways Equipment Providers Win at the Freight Game

Freight is an often overlooked element of executing large construction projects. Freight is rarely a significant a profit center, but when handled improperly, it can destroy profit margin, infuriate your…