Utah Professional Engineer Continuing Education (30 Hours)

This course covers the following topics:

ADA Paths: 

In September of 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice published the “2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design,” a comprehensive set of standards about designing buildings to facilitate their use by the handicapped. The publication contained two parts, one establishing accessibility laws for facilities built with public funds, and one providing guidelines for public buildings built by private entities. Since that time, numerous model codes, building codes and published standards have been released, based in part or in whole on those standards, creating some confusion as to what exactly is required. 

The standards themselves have been grouped into nine categories of information, roughly following the path used to gain access to and use facilities. This section of the course, broken into three parts, is an overview of the original guidelines and their intent.

• The first part begins with the creation of the standards and their applicability as regulations. The rest then focuses on additional standards addressing accessible parking facilities and accessible building entryways. It covers making it possible for the disabled to get parked and get inside our structures. 
• The second part focuses on simplifying the central third of the standards, which address accessible routes and pathways through facilities, definitive requirements for specific spaces typically found inside facilities and equipment and hardware especially designed for, or easier to use by the handicapped. In short, in this portion we address making it possible for the disabled to move through a building and use the equipment and hardware found inside. 
• The last portion will address the final third of the standards, dealing with communication equipment designed for the disabled, best choices in building finishes to enable use by those with mobility aids and the design of recreational facilities to make them available for continued enjoyment by the handicapped. In short, this portion will cover the details of living safely, communicating safely and having fun the same way, despite being handicapped.

Hopefully, the resulting information will be of use in designing public accommodations and commercial facilities, making them readily accessible to, and usable by individuals with disabilities. 

Getting Decked - And Choosing How That Happens:

This module teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• The evolving use of different materials to construct usable outdoor surfaces
• Strengths and weaknesses of each available outdoor surface option
• Different coating options, used to cover and protect outdoor wood surfaces
• Strengths and weaknesses of different coating materials used to protect wood surfaces
• New surfacing options that have been developed to overcome decking material limitations
• How surfacing materials are being combined to minimize weaknesses and maximize strengths

Unwanted sound impacts and affects inhabitants of our created spaces. If it is not already, controlling noise will quickly become a mandated concern for designers. Attesting to increasing regulatory focus on noise, is a recent proliferation of standards, guidelines, and codes regarding acoustics. 

Very soon, many of these guidelines will no longer be mere suggestions. Most concerns covered in these standards, can be addressed with a basic understanding on how sound travels and is reflected, blocked, absorbed, or transmitted by materials and assemblies chosen in designing envelopes.  

Acoustic design is best addressed in an incremental fashion. This portion of the course was written to do just that. Fundamentals are first covered, including basic principles regarding sound, how its energy moves through matter, how its path and intensity can be altered, and how success in the manipulation of sound is measured. Known design strategies are discussed for controlling sound moving; from exterior to interior spaces, from interior spaces to adjacent spaces, within interior spaces, through structural components, and through building systems. Design considerations are outlined for numerous common building functions. Finally, acoustic codes and guidelines in existence now, are listed for consideration.

Less Power to You:

Decisions to improve energy efficiency stem from multiple sources. Enforceable energy codes dictate some choices in new construction. Budget concerns will determine the difference between the best life-cycle cost choices and what can actually be afforded. Home energy audits identify existing points of energy loss and suggest areas of potential improvement. Becoming aware of very old and emerging technologies for energy efficiency, is enough to get the wheels turning for some. A desire to improve the environment is motivation for many. Whatever the reason, the decision to help conserve our natural resources is a good investment in the future.

Many steps that can be taken, both during the design process and after structures are completed, to reduce the use of energy. These include passive steps like insulating and tightening the building envelope. In line with this is installing more efficient doors, windows and skylights which are normally holes in those envelopes. In the design phases, choices can be made while positioning buildings on site, to strategically allow or preclude solar gain, admit or deny natural ventilation and maximize or minimize shade as needed for different seasons. After all has been accomplished that can be done to passively minimize energy use, active technologies can be installed to recapture energy or generate power for internal use or storage.

Whatever the reason behind them, this portion of the course encourages and examines the impact of decisions and methods to conserve energy. Because all such actions ultimately result in a desirable preservation of natural resources. 

Starting From the Bottom:

When a floor collapses or when mold appears on it, we can be sure of one thing. Such problems likely began when poor choices were made selecting materials, from the level of the grade to the level of the finished floor. Like the problems they spawn, choices made in proper or improper floor design, begin at the bottom and work their way upward.

This portion of the course takes a systematic look at decisions made in choosing specific components of construction, from the ground to the top of the first finished floor. Those choices need to be sound and dependable, since the top of that floor is the base upon which the rest of the enclosure will rest. 

This design process includes; an analysis of water attacking the structure, why specific foundation options are selected, what framing members will support the floor, how vapor drive will be controlled, what insulation will be installed to isolate climates, the subflooring that will be the primary barrier between the inside atmosphere and any space below, and the underlayment and finish flooring that will be placed above. 

If we do our job well as designers, that last component will be the only part of everything chosen, to ever need further attention or consideration from our clients.

Drier By Design:

With erosion paths cut into solid rock as solid evidence, water in various forms contains immense power to eat away or destroy whatever is in its path. Whether it takes a year, two hundred or ten thousand, without intervention, water can and will destroy our man-made structures. Once a problem develops that opens a pathway for intrusion, one rainy season can render a building unsuitable for human use.

We have the knowledge and tools to combat such destruction of our structures. We implement counterattacks in the design stage, during construction, and afterwards with proactive maintenance. But the battle against water begins in the design phase.

Moisture resistance principles and methods are discussed in a systematic fashion, as in one building system at a time. Fundamentals are first covered including basic principles of water behavior, and the multiple paths it takes while invading buildings. A thorough knowledge of how destruction begins and escalates, drives the known design principles and material decisions used to stop such migration. Then practical solutions are discussed in detail.

The discussion is needed. The physical price tag for both our structures and their occupants, is too high to allow water free entry into our occupied spaces.

Prototypes and the Art of Reproduction:

In the practice of architectural design, there exists a peculiar niche or genre of work. It lies in the creation and reuse of prototypical plans for clients who need to duplicate their basic facilities elsewhere. To those observing from afar, the work seems mundane and unsatisfying. It is not the stuff from which awards or peer recognition arises. For those involved in the niche, is can make for very long and satisfying working relationships and a recognition of worth by clients, to who’s success the designer directly contributes.

In this portion of the course, we will examine the pros and cons of prototype creation. We will do so from the standpoint of the team of professionals involved in their creation, from the professionals most often involved at individual project locations and from the viewpoint of the building owner. Most often, that will be a company involved in the creation and expansion of franchises. 

In doing so, we will discuss the power of duplication.

Section Quizzes:

At the conclusion of each section quiz, there is a brief 10-question quiz. After answering each question, you have the option to "check" your answer immediately. If you answer the question incorrectly, you will be able to view the correct solution. You also have the option to retry the answer right away.

Once you score a 70% or better, you will be able to proceed to the next module.

When it comes to continuing education, you certainly have plenty of options with fly-by-night providers who don’t even offer a phone number. That can get very frustrating when you're looking for simple technical support. At Leisure's mission is to provide the best experience possible to our customers.

Our course was written by an industry expert, Paul Spite, a registered architect for nearly forty years. After graduating from Ball State University with two degrees, one in Architecture and one in Environmental Design, Paul worked as a construction manager and facility manager, gaining a wide range of practical knowledge about the buildings he designs. Through his passion for teaching, he passes on his knowledge and experience to students in an interesting, easy to understand format.

Upon completion of the course, your certificate is immediately available for download so you can save it for your records.

Don't have time to finish your course(s) in one sitting? Don't worry about it. Our "bookmark" feature will automatically save your progress down to the exact location - so all you have to do is click "resume" when you're ready to continue on.

We didn't take the cheap route; we paid for a professional reader in a studio to provide you with optional audio narration. No computer voice. No echo. Just a soft, pleasant voice to read to you, if you choose.

Our website was built on one foundation: ease of use! We didn't integrate a random course player from a 3rd-party. Instead, our software is custom built to offer you the best user experience possible. To catch a glimpse of our course player, and learn about its benefits, click here.

Access your account and complete your course(s) from any Internet-enabled device, any time, any place.

Some other providers only grant you 30 days access to your course. When you enroll in our continuing education courses, you gain more than enough time to complete your course (4 months, to be exact). However, should you need more time, we'll make it happen! Our world-class customer support team is standing by to ensure your experience is as positive as it can be.

Renewing your professional engineer license can sneak up on you, leaving you to rush to complete your continuing education at the last minute. We have a solution for you... our license management tools! Free with your account, simply add your license expiration date, and choose when you want to be notified. Our system will automatically notify you that your license is coming due for renewal. Choose between email and/or text notification.

You don't need to be a computer expert to use our platform. Our entire site was built with the comprehension that "ease of use" is rule number one. Still, you may decide you want some help, and we are a quick phone call away. We receive a lot of positive feedback for our customer support, so rest assured, you're in good hands.

The Utah Board of Professional Engineers Division of Occupational & Professional Licensing requires that during each two-year period ending on March 31 of each odd numbered year, all licensed professional engineers must complete 30 hours of qualified professional education. The education should be directly related to the ethics, business and technical content aimed at maintaining, improving, or expanding the skills and knowledge relevant to the licensee's professional practice.

Approximately 60 days prior to license expiration date, the DOPL will mail a renewal notice to licensee. Return the completed renewal form, along with $74 renewal fees, to renew your license.

The required hours of professional education for an individual who first becomes licensed during the two-year period shall be decreased in a pro-rata amount equal to any part of that two year period preceding the date on which that individual first became licensed.

If a licensee exceeds the 30 hours of qualified continuing professional education during the two-year period, the licensee may carry forward a maximum of 15 hours into the next two-year period.