Mississippi Municipal Examination

A municipal crew must excavate 1,600 bank cubic yards (BCY) of clay for a sewer interceptor. If the clay has a swell factor of 30%, how many loose cubic yards (LCY) must be hauled?

• A1,120 LCY
• B1,600 LCY
• C2,080 LCY
• D4,800 LCY

A water-main trench is 360 feet long, 4.0 feet wide, and 5.5 feet deep with vertical sides. What is the excavated volume in cubic yards?

• A244 cubic yards
• B293 cubic yards
• C330 cubic yards
• D7,920 cubic yards

A 200-foot sewer trench in Type C soil is 8 feet deep with a 3-foot-wide flat bottom and OSHA maximum slopes of 1½ horizontal to 1 vertical on both sides. What is the excavated volume?

• A178 cubic yards
• B444 cubic yards
• C889 cubic yards
• D1,600 cubic yards

Under typical municipal specifications for trench backfill in a paved street, what relative compaction is most commonly required on the Standard Proctor (ASTM D698) test?

• A85% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density
• B90% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density
• C95% of Standard Proctor maximum dry density
• D100% of Modified Proctor maximum dry density

For mechanical compaction of select trench backfill around a municipal water main, what loose lift thickness is the usual field limit so each layer can be compacted uniformly?

• A2 to 3 inches
• B6 to 8 inches
• C18 to 24 inches
• DOne lift from the pipe springline to finished grade

A wastewater-plant berm requires 1,700 compacted cubic yards (CCY). The borrow soil shrinks 15% from bank to compacted condition. How many bank cubic yards (BCY) must be excavated?

• A1,445 BCY
• B1,700 BCY
• C2,000 BCY
• D11,333 BCY

A nuclear gauge shows trench backfill at the specified dry density but well below optimum moisture. What is the most likely field result if the contractor continues without adding water?

• AThe soil will continue to densify easily because dry soil always compact better than mois…
• BThe lift will be hard to compact to the specified density and may remain unstable until m…
• COptimum moisture only matters for concrete, not earthwork
• DThe gauge reading already proves the moisture is acceptable

In earthwork estimating, what does one bank cubic yard (BCY) represent?

• AOne cubic yard of soil after it has been excavated and loaded loosely in a truck
• BOne cubic yard of soil in its natural, undisturbed condition in the ground
• COne cubic yard of soil after it has been placed and compacted in the fill
• DOne cubic yard of crushed stone bedding measured in the stockpile

Cross sections of a graded plant site are taken every 50 feet. End-area 1 is 120 square feet and end-area 2 is 180 square feet. What is the volume between those two stations?

• A11 cubic yards
• B278 cubic yards
• C556 cubic yards
• D15,000 cubic yards

A 600-foot water-main trench is 3.0 feet wide. Granular bedding will be placed 6 inches thick across the full trench width before the pipe is set. How many cubic yards of bedding are required, ignoring pipe displacement?

• A11 cubic yards
• B33 cubic yards
• C67 cubic yards
• D100 cubic yards

A plant access drive must fall 2.00% from a finished-floor elevation of 214.50. What is the finished pavement elevation 250 feet away from the building?

• A209.50
• B214.00
• C214.50
• D219.50

Why is a uniform bedding layer placed in a municipal utility trench before the pipe is laid?

• ATo increase the trench width so OSHA sloping is not required
• BTo provide continuous, uniform support under the pipe barrel and prevent point loading
• CTo replace the need for compaction of the side-fill haunches
• DTo serve as the final pavement base under the street

After a water main is backfilled in a city street, the contractor places 8 inches of crushed-stone base for the pavement patch. What is the correct compaction practice?

• APlace the entire 8 inches in one lift and proof-roll once with a loaded truck
• BPlace the stone in thin lifts, compact each lift to the specified density, then check gra…
• CWet the stone until it pumps and then blade it smooth
• DCompact only the top 1 inch because traffic will densify the rest

Per OSHA 1926.652, when must employees in a municipal utility trench be protected by a sloping, benching, shielding, or shoring system?

• AOnly when the trench is 20 feet deep or deeper
• BIn excavations 5 feet deep or deeper, unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock or…
• COnly when groundwater is visible in the trench bottom
• DOnly when the trench is wider than 15 feet

A sewer trench is 6 feet deep. Per OSHA 1926.651(c)(2), what egress rule applies?

• AA stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress is required so no employee travel…
• BEgress is required only if the trench is 10 feet deep or deeper
• COne ladder at each end of the job is enough regardless of trench length
• DWorkers may climb the sloped spoil pile instead of using a ladder

Per OSHA 1926.651(j)(2), how far from the edge of an open municipal excavation must spoil, equipment, and other materials be kept unless a retaining device is used?

• AAt least 6 inches
• BAt least 12 inches
• CAt least 2 feet
• DAt least 10 feet

An unbraced simple-slope trench in Type C soil is 10 feet deep with a 4-foot-wide bottom. Using the OSHA Appendix B maximum slope of 1½H:1V, what is the width at the top of the trench?

• A4 feet
• B19 feet
• C34 feet
• D40 feet

Per OSHA 1926 Subpart P Appendix B, what is the maximum allowable slope for a simple-slope excavation less than 20 feet deep in Type A soil (not short-term)?

• AVertical (90 degrees)
• B¾ horizontal to 1 vertical (53 degrees)
• C1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45 degrees)
• D1½ horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees)

A competent person classifies a 9-foot municipal trench as Type C soil. Which protective-system choice is NOT permitted by OSHA Appendix B?

• ASimple sloping at 1½H:1V
• BA trench shield with the soil sloped back from a point at least 18 inches below the top o…
• CUnsupported benching of the trench walls
• DA manufactured shoring system used within its tabulated data

A lift-station wet-well excavation will be 22 feet deep in mixed soils. Who must design the sloping or shoring system under OSHA 1926.652?

• AThe competent person on site, using Appendix B tables
• BAny journeyman operator who has completed an OSHA 10 course
• CA registered professional engineer
• DThe pipe manufacturer’s delivery driver

Per OSHA 1926.651(k), when must a competent person inspect a municipal trench in which employees will work?

• AOnly on the first day the trench is opened
• BDaily before the start of work and as needed during the shift, and after every rainstorm…
• COnly after a cave-in has occurred
• DWeekly, unless the trench is deeper than 20 feet

When a trench shield is used with the soil sloped above a vertical-sided lower portion, how far above the top of that vertical side must the shield extend per OSHA Appendix B?

• AFlush with the top of the vertical side
• BAt least 6 inches
• CAt least 12 inches
• DAt least 18 inches

Employees will enter a 5-foot-deep excavation in an old landfill next to a municipal plant. Per OSHA 1926.651(g), which atmospheric rule applies?

• AAtmospheric testing is never required in excavations shallower than 10 feet
• BThe atmosphere must be tested before entry because the excavation is greater than 4 feet…
• COnly oxygen must be tested; flammable gas is ignored until a worker feels dizzy
• DA hazardous atmosphere is defined as oxygen below 16 percent

Employees working in a city street next to live traffic while installing a water main must wear which protection under OSHA 1926.651(d)?

• AOrdinary cotton work shirts with no additional marking
• BWarning vests or other garments of reflectorized or high-visibility material
• COnly a hard hat, because visibility clothing is a DOT rule and not OSHA
• DA welding jacket in any color

During backfill of a sewer trench, a loader is dumping stone into a truck. Where may employees stand per OSHA 1926.651(e)?

• ADirectly under the bucket to guide the load by hand
• BBeside the truck bed under the swing of the bucket
• CClear of the vehicle being loaded so they cannot be struck by spillage or falling materia…
• DOn the opposite running board of the truck being loaded

Per CRSI placing practice and ACI 318, what is the minimum concrete cover for reinforcing bars cast against and permanently exposed to earth, such as a plant footing poured on soil?

• A3/4 inch
• B1-1/2 inches
• C3 inches
• D6 inches

When placing reinforcing steel in a treatment-plant wall, how should tension lap-splice lengths be determined?

• AAlways use a 12-inch lap for every bar size
• BFrom the approved placing drawings and CRSI/ACI lap-splice tables based on bar size, grad…
• CBy welding every bar end regardless of specification
• DBy butting bar ends tightly with no overlap if the concrete is 4,000 psi

What is the nominal diameter of a #5 reinforcing bar used in a municipal basin wall?

• A3/8 inch
• B1/2 inch
• C5/8 inch
• D1 inch

What tie wire is the usual CRSI choice for tying uncoated reinforcing bars in a plant structure?

• A16-gauge black annealed wire
• B6-gauge stainless welding rod used as tie wire
• CBare copper electrical wire
• DPlastic zip ties as the only support and tie system

Epoxy-coated reinforcing bars are specified in a clarifier slab. Which support and tying practice does CRSI require?

• AUse bare steel chairs and black wire because the epoxy will protect any nick
• BUse coated or nonmetallic bar supports and coated or nonmetallic tie wire, and repair dam…
• CRemove the epoxy at every lap so the bars bond better
• DTack-weld the coated bars to the formwork to hold spacing

A fitter wants to weld a Grade 60 ASTM A615 bar to close a gap in a plant wall mat. What is the correct CRSI/ACI response?

• AWeld it; all Grade 60 bar is weldable
• BWeld only if the contract documents specify welding and the bar is a weldable grade such…
• CHeat the bar cherry-red and forge-weld it on site
• DAny arc-weld is acceptable if the slag is painted with epoxy

In unbonded post-tensioning used in a plant slab, what is the purpose of the plastic sheathing and grease on the seven-wire strand?

• ATo bond the strand to the concrete so it acts like mild rebar
• BTo allow the strand to move during stressing and to protect it from corrosion
• CTo increase the strand diameter so it can be seen on a cover meter
• DTo make the tendon fireproof so no cover is required

When may unbonded post-tensioning tendons in a municipal plant slab be stressed?

• AAs soon as the finishing crew leaves the slab, regardless of concrete strength
• BOnly after the concrete has reached the minimum compressive strength specified by the eng…
• CAfter 2 hours if Type III cement was used, with no testing
• DOnly after the building is occupied

After stressing unbonded tendons, the measured elongation differs from the calculated elongation. Per ACI 318 practice used with PTI field work, what tolerance is commonly applied before the engineer must evaluate the result?

• A1 percent
• B7 percent
• C25 percent
• DElongation is not measured; only gauge pressure is recorded

When may excess unbonded tendon tails be cut and encapsulation caps installed at a plant slab edge?

• AImmediately after the jack is removed, before anyone reviews the stressing record
• BOnly after the stressing records are approved, then the tail is cut and the encapsulated…
• CNever; tails must be left full length for the life of the structure
• DAfter the slab has been in service for 28 days

Per SJI Technical Digest No. 9 and OSHA 1926.757, when may construction loads be placed on open-web steel joists in a plant building?

• AAs soon as the joists are landed on the bearing seats, before bridging
• BOnly after the joists are set, all required bridging is installed and anchored, and the b…
• CAfter the roofing membrane is completed
• DWhenever the crane operator says the bundle looks stable

During erection of steel joists over a pump room, a crew wants to use the joists as a walkway and scaffold plank support. What does SJI Technical Digest No. 9 require?

• AJoists may be walked and planked as soon as they are landed, with or without bridging
• BJoists are not to be used as scaffolds or walkways unless they have been erected, bridged…
• CAny joist can support scaffold legs if the legs land on the bottom chord
• DOnly K-series joists may be used as scaffolds; LH-series may not

A plumber asks the steel crew to cut a 10-inch hole through a joist web to run a plant process pipe. What is the correct action under SJI Technical Digest No. 9?

• ACut the hole anywhere in the web; joist webs are nonstructural
• BDo not field-cut, drill, or weld-modify the joist unless the manufacturer or engineer of…
• CAlways cut on the centerline of the bottom chord, which is designed for holes
• DBurn the hole with a torch and add a 1/8-inch plate of any steel as a patch

A bundle of steel deck is being landed on joists over a chemical building. Per OSHA 1926.757 and SJI practice, where must the edge of that construction load be placed?

• AAt midspan, where the joist is strongest in bending
• BWithin 1 foot of the bearing surface of the joist end, and only after required bridging a…
• CAnywhere, as long as the bundle is still banded
• DOn the bottom chords so the top chords stay undamaged

Stirrups in a treatment-plant beam are shown with 135-degree seismic hooks. What does CRSI placing practice require at those hooks?

• ABend the hooks to 90 degrees in the field if they interfere with a conduit
• BPlace the 135-degree hooks as detailed, engaging the longitudinal bars and staying within…
• CCut the hooks off after the inspector looks at one end of the beam
• DSubstitute straight bars of the same size

CRSI states that when bars are bundled, the required tension lap should be increased. What increases apply?

• ANo increase; bundled bars use the same lap as a single bar
• BIncrease the lap 20% for a three-bar bundle and 33% for a four-bar bundle
• CIncrease the lap 100% for any bundle
• DDecrease the lap 20% because bundled bars develop faster

What is the correct way to support the bottom mat of reinforcing steel in a plant slab so the specified cover is maintained?

• ASet the bars on pieces of brick rubble from the demolition pile
• BUse CRSI-type chairs, bolsters, or concrete dobies of the height needed for the specified…
• CHang the mat from the top bars with tie wire and no other supports
• DLay the mat on the subgrade and pull it up while the concrete is being placed

According to ACI’s Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, which single mix property most strongly controls strength and durability of structural concrete?

• AThe brand name of the ready-mix truck
• BThe water-cementitious materials ratio
• CThe color of the cement
• DThe number of times the drum is reversed at the plant

A mixer driver offers to add 15 gallons of water to a treatment-plant wall load so the crew can place it faster. What is the correct action under the Contractor’s Guide?

• AAdd the water; extra water always improves quality
• BDo not add water beyond the mix design or the water allowed on the batch ticket, because…
• CAdd the water only if the slump is already above the specified maximum
• DAdd ice instead; ice never counts as mix water

Which ASTM test is used in the field to measure slump of conventional municipal structural concrete?

• AASTM C31 (making and curing cylinders)
• BASTM C39 (compressive strength of cylinders)
• CASTM C143 (slump of hydraulic-cement concrete)
• DASTM C172 (sampling freshly mixed concrete) only, with no slump cone

How many cubic feet are in one cubic yard of concrete for a plant-slab takeoff?

• A9
• B12
• C27
• D36

A treatment-plant slab is 48 feet by 32 feet and 6 inches thick. Including an 8% waste factor, how many cubic yards should be ordered?

• A28 cubic yards
• B31 cubic yards
• C48 cubic yards
• D85 cubic yards