FE Civil Practice Question Solution included after investigation
CASE E-041 Β· FE

The Two Cables That Each Carried 10 kN

A 10 kN load was shared by two cables, but each cable still carried 10 kN of tension.

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Case E-041 engineering failure visual
HOW THIS WORKS

Think like
a real engineer.

Follow the investigation process used in the field β€” in five guided steps.

1

Inspect

Review the problem, diagram, and evidence.

2

Commit

Choose your hypothesis.

3

Prove

Run calculations and test your idea.

4

Fix

Select and validate a safe correction.

5

Sign Off

See the full debrief and key takeaways.

Case Brief

SAME PRINCIPLES. HIGHER STANDARDS.
PROBLEM STATEMENT

A 10 kN load hangs from two identical cables arranged symmetrically, each cable making 30Β° above the horizontal. A field note states each cable carries 5 kN because the load is shared equally. Determine the actual cable tension, identify the component error, and choose a geometry change that reduces the cable force.

Statics Civil Design Verification Root Cause Analysis Safe Correction
E-041
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CASE CLOSED Β· ENGINEERING VERDICT

What actually failed β€” and what should change.

What failed

Cable tension was confused with the cable's vertical component.

What was assumed

Equal load sharing meant each tension was half the load.

Corrected model

Resolve each inclined force and enforce Ξ£Fx=0 and Ξ£Fy=0.

QUICK ANSWER

For two symmetric cables at 30Β° above horizontal supporting 10 kN, vertical equilibrium gives 2T sin30Β°=10. Since sin30Β°=0.5, each cable tension is 10 kN even though each cable contributes only 5 kN vertically.

ENGINEERING TAKEAWAY

Share the required force components, not the tension magnitudes. Resolve each cable force along the equilibrium axes.

CASE QUESTIONS

Questions this case should settle.

Why is cable tension larger than half the supported load?

Only the vertical component of an inclined cable tension supports the load.

How does a steeper cable angle affect tension?

For the same vertical load, a steeper angle above horizontal increases the vertical component per unit tension and reduces required tension.

NEXT FE PRACTICE QUESTION

The Truss Diagonal That Carried More Than the Support Reaction

Statics Β· 5–10 min

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WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

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Each case is designed to build the judgment, analysis, and confidence you need for engineering exams β€” and beyond.

  • Apply core engineering concepts to real-world problems
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  • Strengthen exam-ready thinking through realistic scenarios
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