Mississippi Marine Construction Examination

On a Biloxi marina pile-driving job, employees work from a barge deck over open water where a drowning hazard exists. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.106 requires those employees to be provided with which of the following?

• AAny brightly colored foam seat cushion from the workboat
• BU.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets or buoyant work vests
• CA safety harness with no flotation device
• DOnly a throwable cushion kept in the crane cab

At a Gulfport wharf reconstruction site with a drowning hazard, OSHA 1926.106 requires ring buoys that meet which combination of line length and spacing?

• AAt least 50 feet of line, spaced not more than 300 feet apart
• BAt least 75 feet of line, spaced not more than 150 feet apart
• CAt least 90 feet of line, spaced not more than 200 feet apart
• DAt least 120 feet of line, spaced not more than 400 feet apart

OSHA 29 CFR 1926.106 requires which rescue craft provision at locations where employees work over or adjacent to water?

• AAt least one lifesaving skiff immediately available
• BA Coast Guard cutter standing by within 5 miles
• CTwo commercial dive teams on 30-minute call
• DOnly a cell phone with the harbor master's number

Under OSHA 1926.106, when must buoyant work vests or life preservers be inspected for defects that would reduce strength or buoyancy?

• AOnly at the start of the project
• BOnly after a worker falls in the water
• COnce each calendar year
• DPrior to and after each use

OSHA 29 CFR 1926.603 requires stop blocks on pile-driver leads for which primary purpose?

• ATo mark the required pile cutoff elevation
• BTo prevent the hammer from being raised against the head block
• CTo lock the barge spuds in the raised position
• DTo keep the crane boom from swinging over water

While a loft worker sets a pile cushion under a raised diesel hammer, OSHA 1926.603 requires which protection in the leads?

• AA timber wedge driven between the barge deck and the leads
• BA tag line held by a worker standing under the ram
• CA blocking device capable of safely supporting the hammer weight, placed in the leads und…
• DOnly a verbal 'all clear' from the crane operator

OSHA 1926.603 requires pile-driver operator overhead protection that will not obscure vision and that is equivalent in strength to which of the following?

• A1/4-inch tempered hardboard
• BWindow screen or expanded metal lath
• C6-mil polyethylene sheeting
• D2-inch planking or other solid material of equivalent strength

A steam hose serving a steam pile hammer must be secured to the hammer so that a broken joint cannot whip. OSHA 1926.603 requires that attachment to be which of the following?

• ADuct tape wrapped over the union
• BAn adequate length of at least 1/4-inch-diameter chain or cable
• CA single strand of tie wire
• DA nylon zip-tie rated for weather exposure

According to OSHA 1926.603, steam-line controls on a pile hammer must consist of which arrangement?

• AA single globe valve at the boiler only
• BTwo shutoff valves, one of which is a quick-acting lever type within easy reach of the ha…
• CA pressure-relief valve with no shutoff
• DA thermostat mounted on the leads

During pile driving, OSHA 1926.603 requires engineers and winchmen to accept signals from whom?

• AAnyone on the barge deck who waves
• BOnly the designated signalmen
• CThe first worker who makes eye contact
• DThe boat captain exclusively, even when that person is not signaling the hammer

A 60-foot prestressed concrete pile is being hoisted into the leads on a Pascagoula pier job. OSHA 1926.603 requires which practice?

• AEmployees may steady the pile by standing in the leads under the point
• BAll employees shall be kept clear while the piling is hoisted into the leads
• CTwo workers must ride the pile to guide it into the helmet
• DThe loft worker must hold the hoist line with a gloved hand

A crew must cut off driven timber piles while the pile driver remains on the same dock alignment. The longest pile on the job is 40 feet. OSHA 1926.603 requires pile-driving operations to be suspended unless the cutting is located at least how far from the driver?

• A20 feet (one-half the longest pile)
• B40 feet (the length of the longest pile)
• C80 feet (twice the length of the longest pile)
• D200 feet regardless of pile length

A pickup will be driven from a pier apron onto a material barge. OSHA 1926.605 requires vehicle ramps used for barge access to meet which set of conditions?

• AOf adequate strength, provided with side boards, well maintained, and properly secured
• BMade of unsecured 2×12 planks with no side boards
• CAny steel plate laid loosely across the gap
• DA single 12-inch-wide timber with no edge protection

When a Jacob's ladder is used for access to a work barge, OSHA 1926.605 requires which construction and use practice?

• AA single-rung rope ladder left slack in the water
• BA double-rung or flat-tread ladder that is well maintained, properly secured, and either…
• CAny aluminum attic ladder lashed with one guy
• DA chain with timber cleats spaced 3 feet apart

OSHA 1926.605 requires which lifesaving equipment in the vicinity of each barge in use, and which flotation rule for employees on unguarded barge decks?

• AA 16-inch throw cushion with 25 feet of line, and no flotation required on deck
• BA 24-inch ring with 50 feet of line, and life jackets only after sunset
• CA U.S. Coast Guard-approved 30-inch lifering with at least 90 feet of line plus a ladder…
• DOnly a first-aid kit and a fire extinguisher

Under the Mississippi State Board of Contractors marine-construction classification, which scope statement correctly describes the work authorized by that specialty?

• AInterior lath, plaster, and stucco systems only
• BConstruction, erection, installation, maintenance, or repair of marine facilities includi…
• COn-shore commercial building framing and drywall only
• DHighway asphalt paving outside the coastal zone only

In marine-structure terminology used on contractor exams, which statement best distinguishes a pier from a wharf?

• AA pier typically projects from the shore into the water, while a wharf typically lies rou…
• BA pier is always floating and a wharf is always a rubble mound
• CA pier is only used for recreational boats and a wharf is only used for pipelines
• DThe two terms are reserved exclusively for dry-dock gates

Which description correctly matches the three common shoreline-protection structures used in Mississippi marine work?

• AA bulkhead is a sloped stone blanket, a seawall is a buried deadman, and a revetment is a…
• BA bulkhead is a vertical soil-retaining wall at the water's edge, a seawall is a coastal…
• CAll three terms mean a timber finger pier
• DA bulkhead is a boat-lift beam, a seawall is a pile cap, and a revetment is a fender pile

A timber dock pile driven into deep Gulf Coast clay never reaches a hard bearing stratum. How does that pile principally carry vertical load?

• AAs an end-bearing pile on rock
• BAs a friction (skin-friction) pile developing resistance along the embedded shaft
• CAs a tension-only cable stay
• DBy floating on the water surface

Untreated timber piles in Mississippi coastal water are most vulnerable to which long-term durability problem?

• AMarine borers such as shipworms (Teredo) and gribbles (Limnoria)
• BAlkali-silica reaction of the cellulose
• CChloride pitting of the wood grain identical to steel corrosion
• DSulfate attack that converts lignin into gypsum

A designation HP 12×53 on a steel marine pile means which of the following?

• AThe pile is 12 meters long and weighs 53 kilograms
• BThe section is approximately 12 inches deep and weighs 53 pounds per linear foot
• CThe pile has a 12-inch-diameter pipe wall 0.53 inches thick
• DThe hammer energy must be 12,000 foot-pounds at 53 blows per minute

Closed-end steel pipe piles for a harbor structure are most often filled after driving for which reason?

• ATo make the pile float higher in the water
• BTo increase structural capacity and stiffness, commonly with concrete, and to limit inter…
• CTo satisfy a requirement that all marine piles be timber
• DTo reduce the driven length by half

Why are prestressed concrete piles commonly specified for Mississippi commercial piers instead of ordinary reinforced (nonprestressed) precast piles?

• APrestressed piles cannot be damaged by a hammer
• BPrestress keeps the concrete in compression, improving cracking resistance during handlin…
• CPrestressed piles never require a helmet or cushion
• DOrdinary reinforced piles are illegal on all U.S. waterways

Interlocking steel sheet piles are the usual choice for a temporary cofferdam or a permanent bulkhead primarily because they do which of the following?

• AForm a continuous wall that can retain soil and reduce water seepage through the interloc…
• BDevelop the highest end-bearing on rock of any pile type
• CEliminate the need for wales, tie rods, or bracing
• DAre driven only with a drop hammer and never with a vibratory hammer

In Peurifoy's treatment of pile-driving equipment, a drop hammer drives a pile by which action?

• AA ram is hoisted and then allowed to fall freely onto the pile
• BA rotating cam continuously vibrates the pile at high frequency
• CA high-pressure water jet is the only driving force
• DA hydraulic jack pulls the pile downward from a deadman

A single-acting air or steam pile hammer differs from a drop hammer primarily in which way?

• AThe ram is raised by air or steam, then falls by gravity onto the pile
• BAir or steam accelerates the ram both upward and downward on every stroke
• CThe hammer has no ram and works only by vibration
• DThe hammer can operate only underwater

An open-end (single-acting) diesel pile hammer develops its blow primarily by which sequence?

• AA pump continuously sprays water into the combustion chamber
• BThe ram falls, compresses air and diesel fuel in the cylinder, ignition throws the ram ba…
• CAn electric motor spins eccentric weights with no combustion
• DA steam boiler on the barge supplies all ram energy

A vibratory pile driver is generally most effective in which soil condition, and least appropriate in which condition?

• AMost effective in loose to medium granular soils; least appropriate for seating a pile on…
• BMost effective on sound rock; least appropriate in clean sand
• CMost effective only in frozen ground; never used in sand
• DEqually effective in all soils, including refusal on bedrock

What is the primary function of pile-driver leads?

• ATo store spare helmets on the barge deck
• BTo guide the hammer and the pile so the blow stays aligned with the pile axis
• CTo replace the need for a crane or skid rig
• DTo measure concrete slump at the pile head

In a pile-driving system, the helmet (drive cap) is used primarily to do which of the following?

• AIncrease the water-cement ratio of a concrete pile
• BFit the pile head and distribute the hammer blow into the pile
• CReplace the need for leads
• DMeasure final set with a survey rod

A plywood or hardwood pile cushion is placed between the helmet and a prestressed concrete pile primarily to do which of the following?

• AIncrease the steel yield strength of the strands
• BSoften the peak driving stress so the pile head is less likely to spall
• CKeep the pile from developing any skin friction
• DEliminate the need to record blow counts

Using the Engineering News formula for a drop hammer, Q = 2WH / (S + 1), find the allowable pile load. The ram weighs 4,000 lb, the fall is 10 ft, and the average final set is 1.0 inch per blow. What is Q?

• A20,000 lb
• B40,000 lb
• C80,000 lb
• D8,000 lb

Using the Engineering News formula for a single-acting steam or air hammer, Q = 2WH / (S + 0.1), find the allowable pile load. The ram weighs 5,000 lb, the stroke is 3.0 ft, and the average final set is 0.40 inch per blow. What is Q?

• A15,000 lb
• B30,000 lb
• C60,000 lb
• D150,000 lb

In the common contractor-exam form of the Engineering News formula, Q = 2WH / (S + C), what values of C are used for a drop hammer and for a single-acting steam or air hammer when S is in inches?

• AC = 0.01 for both hammer types
• BC = 1.0 for a drop hammer and C = 0.1 for a single-acting steam or air hammer
• CC = 10 for a drop hammer and C = 5 for a steam hammer
• DC = 0.1 for a drop hammer and C = 1.0 for a steam hammer

A driving criterion states 'refusal = 8 blows per inch.' If the last inch of penetration took 8 blows, what is the set S to use in a dynamic formula, and what does refusal generally mean?

• AS = 8 inches per blow, and refusal means the pile is still running freely
• BS = 0.125 inch per blow, and refusal means penetration has become so small that further d…
• CS = 1.0 inch per blow, and refusal means the helmet has fallen off
• DS = 0 inch, and refusal means the pile must be extracted

Water-jetting is used as a pile-driving aid most appropriately in which situation?

• ATo cut a seating groove in sound rock under an end-bearing pile
• BTo loosen dense sand at the tip so a displacement pile can advance, after which jetting i…
• CTo replace all impact driving in stiff clay
• DTo increase skin friction while the jet is running

Batter piles are driven on an inclination from vertical primarily to resist which loads on a pier or breasting dolphin?

• AOnly the self-weight of the concrete deck
• BLateral loads such as berthing impact, mooring line pull, wind, and wave or current forces
• COnly the buoyancy of the pile
• DOnly the heat of hydration in the pile cap

Piles under a pier cap are often spaced closer than isolated single piles. What is the principal group-effect concern the contractor should understand?

• AClosely spaced piles can have overlapping stress zones, so the group may not carry the si…
• BGroup piles always have exactly twice the capacity of the same piles driven individually
• CGroup spacing has no effect if the piles are timber
• DA pile cap eliminates all interaction among piles

A contractor must place a dry concrete seal and footing at a river-pier location. Which temporary structure is used to exclude water from that work area?

• AA cofferdam
• BA floating dry dock that remains under the finished pier
• CA grout curtain injected after the footing is cast in open water
• DA fender pile cluster

On an anchored steel sheet-pile bulkhead, what is the role of the wale and the tie rod connected to a deadman?

• AThe wale is a vertical king pile, and the tie rod is used only to lift sheets into the le…
• BThe wale is a horizontal beam that collects load from the sheets, and the tie rod carries…
• CThe wale replaces the need for interlocks, and the deadman is a fender
• DThe tie rod is grouted into the sheet-pile interlock as the only waterstop

In harbor work, a dolphin is best described as which of the following?

• AA sloped riprap apron only
• BAn isolated cluster or group of piles used for mooring or breasting a vessel, not carryin…
• CThe concrete topping on a boat ramp
• DA type of marine-borer treatment

Fender piles or energy-absorbing fender units are installed along a berthing face primarily to do which of the following?

• AIncrease the water depth at the berth
• BProtect the pier structure and the vessel by absorbing berthing energy
• CReplace the need for any mooring lines
• DServe as the only vertical foundation for the deck

After a winter flood on a Mississippi river landing, several pier piles show a loss of soil around the waterline and a lowered mudline on the upstream face. What process is this, and why does it matter?

• AIt is beneficial surcharge that always increases pile capacity
• BIt is scour, which can reduce embedment and lateral support and must be repaired or armor…
• CIt is only a cosmetic stain from tannin in the water
• DIt is heat-of-hydration shrinkage of the riverbed

A revetment requires a riprap blanket 120 ft long, 15 ft up the slope face, and 1.5 ft thick. How many cubic yards of riprap are required before waste, and how many cubic yards if 20 percent additional material is added for voids, overlap, and placement loss?

• A67 cy before waste; 80 cy with 20 percent extra
• B100 cy before waste; 120 cy with 20 percent extra
• C180 cy before waste; 216 cy with 20 percent extra
• D2,700 cy before waste; 3,240 cy with 20 percent extra

For graded riprap on a coastal revetment, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers guidance (EM 1110-2-1614) requires the layer thickness to be at least which of the following?

• AOne-half the nominal diameter of the W50 (median) stone
• BEqual to the sand-grain diameter of the bank
• CTwice the nominal diameter of the W50 stone
• DTen times the largest stone diameter, placed as a single particle layer

Why is a geotextile or granular filter placed under riprap on a Mississippi shoreline revetment?

• ATo make the riprap impermeable so no water can pass
• BTo keep fine bank soils from piping out through the voids in the armor stone while still…
• CTo replace the need for a keyed toe
• DTo chemically neutralize salt water