Earthwork
15-25%of exam
Soil & Aggregate TypesProctor CompactionField Density TestingEmbankment & SubgradeErosion & Sediment Control
Asphalt Pavement Construction
10-20%of exam
HMA Materials & JMFRice Test & DensityPlacement & RollingYield Calculation
Concrete Structure Construction
15-25%of exam
Mix & MaterialsSlump, Air & YieldCylinders & CuringRebar, Forms & Piles
Drainage
9-19%of exam
Pipe & BeddingHaunching & BackfillSlope CalculationDrainage Structures
Utilities & Incidental Construction
6-16%of exam
Utility Locate ColorsGuardrail (MGS)ADA Curb RampsRestoration
Site Layout & Controls
5-15%of exam
Stationing & StakesLeveling (HI Method)Percent SlopeSurface Tolerance
Responsibilities
5-15%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- NICET HCI Level II
- Credential
- Associate Engineering Technician
- Questions
- 164
- Time
- 270 min
- Fee
- $315
- Pass
- Scaled 500 of 700
- Delivery
- Pearson VUE, in-person
- References
- FP-24 only (no MUTCD)
- Blueprint
- Dec 3 2025 draft
Proctor Effort Mnemonic
Bigger hammer, more layers, higher max density
T99: 5.5 lb, 3 layersT180: 10 lb, 5 layersMore effort equals T180
T99 vs T180 Proctor
T99 (Standard)
- 5.5 lb hammer, 12 in
- 3 layers, 25 blows
- Embankment reference effort
T180 (Modified)
- 10 lb hammer, 18 in
- 5 layers, 25 blows
- Base/subgrade reference effort
Heavier effort raises max density
Field Density Test Picker
- Need fast in-place result→Nuclear gauge (T310)(Daily standard count required)
- No gauge access available→Sand cone (T191)(Calibrated sand volume)
- Checking base or subgrade→Reference T180 (Modified)(Higher effort, lower OMC)
- Checking general embankment fill→Reference T99 (Standard)(Lower effort baseline)
- Lift fails density spec→Rework, then retest same spot(Never test a new spot)
- Result marginal at target→Compare vs written spec range(Never eyeball a pass)
Soil & Aggregate ID
- Gravel
- Retained on No.4 sieve
- Sand
- No.4 to No.200 sieve
- Silt
- Fine, low plasticity
- Clay
- Fine, plastic when wet
- A-1 to A-3
- Best subgrade soils
- A-6 / A-7
- Worst subgrade, clayey
Embankment vs Subgrade
Embankment
- General bulk fill lifts
- ~8 in loose lift
- 90-95% T99 target
Subgrade
- Final layer under pavement
- Proof-rolled before paving
- 95-100% T99/T180 target
Bulk fill vs finish layer
Excavation Protective System Picker
- Excavation 5 ft or deeper→Protective system required(Unless stable rock)
- Open area, room to slope→Sloping or benching(Default 1.5H:1V, no data)
- Narrow trench, walls stay→Shoring(Aluminum hydraulic or timber)
- Utility trench, tight ROW→Shielding (trench box)(Protects workers inside box)
- No soil classification done→Competent person classifies first(Type A, B, or C)
Proctor Compaction (T99/T180)
- T99 hammer
- 5.5 lb, 12 in drop
- T99 layers
- 3 layers, 25 blows
- T180 hammer
- 10 lb, 18 in drop
- T180 layers
- 5 layers, 25 blows
- OMC
- Moisture at peak density
- Dry density
- Wet density ÷ (1+w)
- One-point check
- Uses family of curves
Nuclear Gauge vs Sand Cone
Nuclear Gauge (T310)
- Fast, nondestructive reading
- Daily standard count needed
- Licensed operator required
Sand Cone (T191)
- Destructive test hole
- Calibrated sand fills hole
- No license needed
Speed vs no radioactive source
Field Density & Acceptance
- T310
- Nuclear gauge method
- T191
- Sand cone method
- %Compaction
- Field ÷ lab max ×100
- Embankment target
- 90-95% of T99
- Subgrade target
- 95-100% of T99/T180
- Base target
- 95-100% of T180
- Moisture window
- ±2% of optimum
Embankment & Subgrade Build
- Loose lift
- ~8 in (6 in compacted)
- Benching
- Steps cut into slopes
- Proof roll
- 15+ ton tandem truck
- Fail sign
- Rut over 1 in
- Undercut
- Remove, replace soft spot
- Avg end area
- (A1+A2)÷2 × L÷27
Erosion & Sediment Control
- Silt fence key-in
- 6 in min trench depth
- Sediment trigger
- 1/3-1/2 fence height
- Check dam spacing
- Toe meets next crest
- Inlet protection removal
- After area stabilized
- Final stabilization
- ~70% vegetative density
- BMP rule
- Temporary until permanent cover
HMA Roller Sequence
Break, knead, finish: steel, rubber, steel
Breakdown: steel, hottest matIntermediate: rubber, kneads voidsFinish: steel, removes marks
Prime Coat vs Tack Coat
Prime Coat
- Applied to granular base
- Applied once per project
- Cures 24-48 hours
Tack Coat
- Applied to existing/HMA lift
- Applied at every lift
- Must break brown to black
Base bond vs lift bond
HMA Delivery Ticket Check
- Mix ID doesn't match JMF→Reject the load(Wrong design, don't place)
- Temp below placement minimum→Reject or verify with probe(Heat loss during haul)
- Ticket missing or unsigned→Reject, hold for paperwork
- Ticket matches JMF and temp→Accept into paver hopper
- Mat cools below ~175-185°F→Stop rolling that area(More rolling won't help)
HMA Materials, JMF & Coats
- Aggregate share
- 92-96% of HMA weight
- PG XX-YY
- Hot / cold temp grade
- JMF
- Approved single mix reference
- Tack coat rate
- 0.03-0.10 gal per SY
- Tack break
- Brown fades to black
- Prime cure time
- 24-48 hours typical
- Dense-graded HMA
- Standard travel-lane mix
- SMA / OGFC
- Rut-resist / friction course
Rice Test & Density Acceptance
- Gmm (Rice)
- Zero-air-voids max gravity
- T209 vacuum
- ~30 mmHg, 15±2 min
- %Gmm formula
- Core Gsb ÷ Gmm ×100
- Core method
- T166, destructive sample
- Gauge method
- T355, daily calibration
- Typical min %Gmm
- Low-to-mid 90s
HMA Placement & Rolling
- Plant temp range
- ~275-325°F typical
- Compaction cutoff
- ~175-185°F, too stiff
- Breakdown roll
- Steel, right behind paver
- Intermediate roll
- Pneumatic, kneads the mat
- Finish roll
- Steel, removes roller marks
- Joint overlap
- 1-2 in, hot side
Concrete Fresh Test Trio
Slump workability, air durability, yield accuracy
Slump: consistency, not strengthAir: freeze-thaw protectionYield: batching accuracy check
Air-Entrained vs Non-Entrained
Air-Entrained
- Admixture adds microbubbles
- ~4-8% target air content
- Freeze-thaw protection
Non-Entrained
- No air admixture used
- Entrapped air only
- Not for exposed pavement
Durability need drives choice
Concrete Fresh-Property Test Picker
- Check workability, consistency→Slump test (C143)(Not a strength proxy)
- Check freeze-thaw durability→Air content (C231 pressure)(~4-8% typical target)
- Aggregate is highly porous→Volumetric method (C173)(Pressure method invalid here)
- Check batching accuracy→Unit weight / yield (C138)(Flags under-yield error)
- Check 28-day acceptance→Cylinder compressive break (C39)
Concrete Mix & Materials
- Type I cement
- General use
- Type II cement
- Sulfate resistant
- Type III cement
- High early strength
- Type IV cement
- Low heat, mass concrete
- Type V cement
- High sulfate resistance
- w/c ratio
- Lower w/c = stronger
- Severe-exposure w/c cap
- ~0.40-0.45 max
Driven Pile vs Drilled Shaft
Driven Pile
- Hammered to depth
- Blow count / PDA check
- Brooming signals over-driving
Drilled Shaft
- Augered or drilled hole
- Tip cleanliness is critical
- Tremie if wet or cased
Capacity check method differs
Slump, Air Content & Yield
- Slump cone
- 8x4x12 in, 3 layers
- Slump meaning
- Workability, not strength
- Air method
- C231 pressure meter
- Air target range
- ~4-8% by agg size
- Unit weight
- Batch weight ÷ volume
- Design yield
- 27 cubic ft per CY
Cylinders, Strength & Curing
- Cylinder size
- 6x12 in (or 4x8)
- Rod consolidation
- Slump over 3 in
- Initial cure
- 60-80°F, up to 48 hrs
- Break ages
- 7-day and 28-day
- 7-day ratio
- ~60-75% of 28-day
- Min cure period
- 7 days or 70% f'c
- Cold weather rule
- Below 40°F, needs 500 psi
Rebar, Forms, Piles & Shafts
- Grade 60 bar
- 60,000 psi min yield
- Class B splice
- 1.3x dev length, default
- Cover, cast on earth
- 3 in minimum
- Cover, formed/weather
- 2 in for #6+
- Formwork strip
- Strength-based, not calendar
- Driven pile check
- Blow count or PDA
- Drilled shaft key risk
- Tip cleanliness matters most
Pipe, Bedding & Backfill
- Bedding
- Uniform support, full barrel
- Haunching
- Compact up to spring line
- Point load
- Rock or void under pipe
- Initial backfill
- Both sides, lifts together
- Cover before traffic
- ~12 in over crown
- Backfall
- Low spot mid-run defect
Drainage Slope & Structures
- Slope formula
- Drop ÷ length ×100
- Too-flat risk
- Ponding, sediment buildup
- Too-steep risk
- Scour, eroded outlet
- Catch basin
- Sump traps sediment
- Manhole placement
- Junctions, bends, long runs
Utility Locate Color Code
Red electric, yellow gas, blue water, orange comm
Red: electricYellow: gas/oil/steamOrange: communicationBlue: potable waterGreen: sewer/drain
Utility Locate Colors (APWA)
- Red
- Electric power, cable
- Yellow
- Gas, oil, steam
- Orange
- Communication, signal lines
- Blue
- Potable water
- Green
- Sewer, drain lines
- Purple
- Reclaimed water, irrigation
- White
- Proposed excavation limits
- Pink
- Temp survey, unidentified
Guardrail & ADA Curb Ramps
- MGS rail height
- 31 in top of rail
- Old rail standard
- 27 in, now replaced
- Ramp running slope
- 1:12 (8.33%) max
- Ramp cross slope
- 1:48 (~2%) max
- Side flare limit
- 1:10 maximum
- Detectable warning
- Truncated domes required
Sidewalks, Signs & Restoration
- Curb/gutter check
- Line, grade, cross slope
- Sidewalk joints
- Match flatwork spec rules
- Restoration item
- Seeding and mulching
- Sign height, urban
- 7 ft min, curb
- Sign height, rural
- 5 ft min, no curb
Stationing, Offsets & Stakes
- 1 station
- 100 linear feet
- Offset direction
- Face increasing stationing
- Hub-and-tack
- Exact point, 0.01 ft
- Guard stake
- Carries station, offset, cut/fill
- Cut
- Existing higher, remove material
- Fill
- Existing lower, add material
Leveling & Slope Calculation
- HI
- Known elevation + backsight
- Unknown elevation
- HI minus foresight
- % Slope
- Rise ÷ run ×100
- Cross slope target
- ~2% typical lane
- Ditch min slope
- ~0.5-1%
- Elevation precision
- Nearest 0.01 ft
TTC Zone Order
Warn, Turn, Work, Return: the four TTC areas
Advance warning: alerts driversTransition: taper redirects pathActivity: work + buffer spaceTermination: back to normal
Acceptance vs Verification (IA)
Acceptance Sampling
- Set testing frequency
- Compared to spec limits
- Decides contractor pay
Verification (IA) Sampling
- Audits the testing system
- Split-sample comparison
- Does not decide pay
Pays contractor vs trusts tester
MUTCD TTC Zone Sequence
- Driver approaching the work→Advance warning area(Signs alert road users)
- Redirecting traffic out of path→Transition area / taper(Speed plus offset driven)
- Work is actually happening→Activity area(Work, traffic, buffer space)
- Returning drivers to normal lanes→Termination area(Downstream taper, END sign)
MUTCD TTC Zone Terms
- Advance warning area
- Alerts drivers ahead
- Transition area
- Taper redirects path
- Activity area
- Work, traffic, buffer space
- Buffer space
- Clear vehicle recovery zone
- Termination area
- Returns to normal path
- Taper length
- Speed + offset judgment
Documentation & Payment
- Daily diary
- Every calendar day, no exceptions
- Nonconformance record
- Factual, dated, located, cited
- Force account log
- Signed by both parties daily
- Acceptance sampling
- Decides contractor pay
- IA/verification sampling
- Checks test system, not pay
- Payment eligibility
- Measured AND accepted
Safety & OSHA Excavation
- Minimum PPE
- Hard hat, hi-vis, boots
- Hi-vis Class 3
- Over 50 mph or night
- 5-ft rule
- Protective system required
- Competent person
- Classifies soil, inspects daily
- Spoil setback
- 2 ft from trench edge
- Egress rule
- Within 25 ft, 4 ft+ deep
- Default max slope
- 1.5H:1V, no soil data
Common Traps
Slump vs Strength
Slump = workability only ≠ Strength = 28-day break
Prime vs Tack Surface
Prime = granular base ≠ Tack = existing pavement/lift
Acceptance vs IA Testing
Acceptance testing decides pay ≠ IA testing checks testers
Means/Methods vs Result
Inspector verifies the result ≠ Contractor owns means/methods
Embankment vs Subgrade Target
Embankment targets 90-95% T99 ≠ Subgrade targets 95-100%
Retest Location Rule
Retest the failed spot ≠ Never a new easy spot
Nuclear Gauge vs Sand Cone
Gauge needs daily count ≠ Cone needs no license
Addendum vs Change Order
Addendum = before contract award ≠ Change order = after award
Last Minute
- 1.T99: 5.5 lb hammer, 3 layers
- 2.T180: 10 lb hammer, 5 layers
- 3.Compaction% = field ÷ lab max
- 4.Tack coat breaks brown to black
- 5.Cold mat: rolling can't add density
- 6.Slump tests workability, never strength
- 7.Air target: roughly 4-8% by size
- 8.7-day and 28-day cylinder breaks
- 9.OSHA: protection required at 5 ft
- 10.TTC order: warning, transition, activity, termination
- 11.APWA colors: red, yellow, blue, orange
- 12.MGS guardrail: 31 in top-of-rail
- 13.ADA ramp caps at 8.33% slope
- 14.Retest failed spots, never new ones
- 15.Force account log signed same day
- 16.Inspector authority comes from contract only
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