Alabama Marine Construction Contractor Examination

According to OSHA 29 CFR 1926.106, employees working over or near water where a drowning hazard exists must be provided with which of the following?

• AOnly a throwable ring buoy
• BU.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets or buoyant work vests
• CAny brightly colored foam cushion
• DA safety harness without flotation

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.106, which additional rescue provision is required at waterfront construction sites where drowning hazards exist?

• AA life-saving skiff must be immediately available
• BOnly a telephone within one mile of the site
• CA helicopter standby contract
• DA minimum of three divers on duty at all times

According to OSHA 29 CFR 1926.603, pile-driving equipment operating from barges or floats must comply with which related standard?

• AOnly highway traffic control standards
• BThe marine operations requirements of 1926.605
• CNFPA 70 only
• DOnly the residential building code

OSHA 29 CFR 1926.603 requires overhead protection for pile-driver operators that is equivalent in strength to which of the following?

• A1/4-inch plywood
• B2-inch planking or solid material of equivalent strength
• CPlastic sheeting only
• DChicken wire mesh

When employees work 6 feet or more above water on an unprotected edge, OSHA construction fall-protection rules generally require which of the following?

• ANo protection if the water is shallow
• BGuardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems
• COnly verbal warnings from a supervisor
• DOnly hard hats

Which practice best reduces the risk of struck-by injuries during pile driving?

• AAllowing workers to stand under the hammer during driving
• BKeeping unauthorized personnel clear of the leads and swing radius and using tag lines on…
• CRemoving all hard hats to improve hearing
• DDisabling hammer brakes to speed production

Before beginning excavation or pile installation near buried utilities on an Alabama marine project, the contractor should first do which of the following?

• AGuess utility locations from old photographs
• BContact Alabama 811 (One Call) and wait for marks as required by law
• CDig with a large excavator without notification
• DOnly notify utilities after hitting a line

Which environmental control is commonly used during marine pile driving and dredging-related work to limit suspended sediment spread?

• ASilt curtains or turbidity barriers
• BOpen burning of spoils
• CDischarging wash water directly into wetlands without controls
• DRemoving all boom containment after each tide

When working from a barge deck during marine construction, which condition most improves worker safety?

• ALeaving hatch openings unmarked and unguarded
• BKeeping decks free of excessive trip hazards, providing secure access, and guarding openi…
• CStoring loose pipe and cable in walkways
• DOperating without any gangway handrails

Which statement best describes hearing protection needs around operating diesel pile hammers?

• ADiesel hammers are always quiet enough that PPE is unnecessary
• BImpact pile driving typically produces high noise levels requiring hearing protection and…
• COnly crane operators need hearing protection
• DHearing protection is required only at night

A crane is lifting sheet piles on a floating barge. Which practice is most important for load control?

• AAllow free swinging of the load without tag lines
• BUse tag lines and a designated signal person; account for barge list and dynamic loading
• CExceed the crane’s rated capacity because water softens impacts
• DIgnore wind because barges are always stable

Which PPE combination is most appropriate for a worker cutting steel sheet piles on a barge?

• ASandals, no eye protection, and cotton gloves only
• BHard hat, safety glasses/face protection as needed, gloves, steel-toe boots, hearing prot…
• COnly a reflective vest
• DLoose clothing with no hand protection

What is the primary function of a cofferdam in marine construction?

• ATo permanently replace all piles
• BTo exclude water (and sometimes earth) from a work area so construction can proceed in th…
• CTo increase tidal range
• DTo eliminate the need for concrete

In a braced sheet-pile cofferdam, horizontal members that transfer load from the sheets to the struts are called:

• AWales
• BBatter piles
• CDeadmen only
• DTremie pipes

Which steel sheet-pile profile is commonly selected when high section modulus and bending resistance are needed for bulkheads?

• AOnly flat web sheets with no interlocks
• BZ-shaped or U-shaped interlocking sheet piles designed for wall bending
• CRound bar stock without interlocks
• DWood lath strips

What is the main structural purpose of a bulkhead or seawall along a shoreline?

• ATo increase the height of every tide
• BTo retain earth and resist wave/soil pressures along the waterfront
• CTo serve only as a navigation light foundation
• DTo replace all dredging forever

An anchored steel sheet-pile bulkhead typically resists outward movement using which system?

• AOnly gravity from the sheets alone with no anchors
• BTie rods connected to deadmen or anchor piles landward of the wall
• CUnreinforced foam blocks seaward of the wall
• DFloating buoys tied to the wales

What distinguishes a pier from a bulkhead in typical marine construction terminology?

• AA pier is a structure extending over water to support berthing or access, often on piles;…
• BThey are identical terms with no difference
• CA bulkhead always floats while a pier never does
• DA pier is only used on dry land highways

Which pile type is a steel H-pile best known for in marine foundations?

• AOnly decorative non-structural use
• BDriven structural foundation pile with high axial and bending capacity and good driving t…
• CExclusive use as handrail posts
• DUse only above the waterline

Timber piles used in marine environments are often protected from marine borers and decay by which method?

• ALeaving the wood untreated in seawater
• BPressure treatment with appropriate preservatives and/or wrapping/wrapping systems as spe…
• CPainting only the top 6 inches with latex house paint
• DCoating with vegetable oil only

Which hammer type is commonly used for driving steel sheet piles in cohesive or granular soils with reduced noise compared to heavy impact driving?

• AVibratory pile hammer
• BOnly a sledgehammer
• CA paint mixer
• DAn unguided free fall of the sheets without equipment

A diesel pile hammer develops driving energy primarily from which action?

• AOnly hydraulic fluid pressure with no ram movement
• BCombustion that lifts and drops (or accelerates) a ram to impact the pile
• CSolar panels on the leads
• DCompressed helium stored in the pile tip

What is the purpose of a pile cushion (or drive cap cushion) between the hammer and a concrete pile?

• ATo increase concrete abrasion for better bond
• BTo distribute impact and reduce tensile/spalling damage to the pile head during driving
• CTo permanently glue the hammer to the pile
• DTo eliminate the need for leads

Pile “refusal” during driving generally means which of the following?

• AThe pile is advancing rapidly with almost no resistance
• BDriving resistance reaches a specified limit (e.g., blows per inch) beyond which further…
• CThe hammer has run out of fuel only
• DThe pile has not yet been delivered to the site

Which tool is used to maintain pile alignment and guide the hammer during driving?

• APile leads (leaders)
• BA floating boom only with no guides
• CA survey rod alone
• DA concrete vibrator

A batter pile is driven at an inclination primarily to resist which type of loading?

• AOnly vertical dead load with no lateral component
• BLateral loads such as berthing, wind, wave, or earth forces
• COnly temperature change in steel rails
• DOnly live load from pedestrians indoors

Which steel pile shape is commonly used for open-ended or closed-ended tubular marine foundation piles?

• APipe piles (cylindrical steel piles)
• BOnly thin aluminum downspouts
• CCardboard tubes as permanent foundations
• DGlass bottles

What is a primary advantage of precast prestressed concrete piles in marine construction?

• AThey cannot be damaged under any driving condition
• BFactory quality control, high durability potential, and known section properties for pier…
• CThey require no geotechnical investigation ever
• DThey float permanently without support

Jetting is sometimes used during pile installation to:

• AIncrease soil resistance artificially before driving starts
• BLoosen or fluidize soil at the pile tip or along the shaft to aid penetration
• CCure concrete faster
• DReplace all hammers permanently

A fender pile or fender system on a pier is primarily intended to:

• AIncrease cargo crane rated capacity
• BAbsorb berthing energy and protect the structure and vessel from impact damage
• CReplace mooring lines completely
• DServe as the only foundation for the pier deck

Which statement best describes a dolphin in marine construction?

• AA marine mammal used to guide barges
• BA standalone pile cluster or structure used for mooring or breasting vessels
• CA type of concrete admixture
• DA small hand tool for cutting rebar

When splicing steel H-piles or pipe piles during driving, the splice must primarily provide which performance?

• AOnly cosmetic matching of paint color
• BStrength and alignment continuity adequate for driving stresses and service loads per des…
• CA weak point intended to break at mid-depth
• DElectrical insulation from seawater only

Cellular cofferdams made of interlocking flat sheet piles rely primarily on which mechanism for stability?

• AOnly temporary scaffolding on the water surface
• BInternal fill and the membrane/interlock action of the cells resisting lateral pressures
• CHelium inflation of each sheet
• DMagnetic attraction between sheets

During sheet-pile installation, maintaining interlock engagement is critical primarily because:

• AIt ensures a continuous soil/water barrier and structural wall behavior
• BIt only affects paint adhesion
• CIt is required solely for shipping labels
• DIt reduces the need for any design calculations forever

A template or falsework frame used in marine pile driving is primarily used to:

• AIncrease concrete slump
• BHold piles in correct position and spacing during driving
• CReplace all survey control
• DHeat the hammer fuel

Which condition most commonly requires careful control of driving stresses in prestressed concrete piles?

• ADriving with excessive hammer energy or inadequate cushioning
• BStoring piles on level dunnage
• CUsing correct pickup points for handling
• DKeeping piles clean before installation

Scour around marine piles and bulkhead toes is a concern primarily because it can:

• AImprove pile embedment automatically
• BRemove supporting soil and reduce foundation or wall stability
• CEliminate the need for armor stone forever
• DIncrease concrete compressive strength

Which material is commonly used for sacrificial corrosion protection of steel marine piles or bulkhead components?

• AZinc or aluminum anodes (cathodic protection) and/or protective coatings
• BUntreated paper wrap only
• CFresh water sprinkling only
• DSugar solutions

The splash zone on a marine structure is especially aggressive for corrosion because it is:

• AAlways fully buried in anaerobic clay
• BAlternately wet and dry with high oxygen and salt exposure
• CCompletely dry at all times
• DProtected by constant burial below the mudline

Which equipment configuration is typical for driving piles from floating plant?

• ACrane or dedicated driver on a barge with leads, hammer, and template control
• BOnly hand-held jacks on a kayak
• CA single ladder with no barge
• DA forklift operating underwater without a vessel

Spuds on a construction barge are primarily used to:

• ACook crew meals
• BPenetrate the bottom and hold the barge in position during operations
• CIncrease the crane’s theoretical capacity without charts
• DReplace all anchors and lines in every sea state without engineering

Which factor most directly affects the selection of hammer energy for a given pile?

• AOnly the color of the pile paint
• BPile material/section, required capacity, soil resistance, and allowable driving stresses
• CThe brand of the survey instrument
• DThe lunch schedule of the crew

Dynamic pile testing (e.g., PDA) during driving is used primarily to:

• AMeasure driving stresses and estimate capacity/integrity without waiting solely for stati…
• BReplace all concrete cylinder tests on superstructure pours
• CDetermine only the air temperature
• DPaint the piles automatically

A static pile load test is performed primarily to:

• AVerify axial capacity and load-settlement behavior under controlled loading
• BMeasure only the paint dry film thickness
• CCalibrate a concrete mixer
• DDetermine barge freeboard only

Which best describes a wharf in common marine construction usage?

• AA shore-parallel structure for berthing and cargo handling, often pile-supported
• BA type of diesel hammer fuel
• CA small hand float for painting only
• DAn inland desert roadway