South Carolina Structural Framing Contractor Examination

Under OSHA 1926.760, at what unprotected height must a steel-erection employee generally be protected by guardrails, nets, a personal fall arrest system, a positioning device, or fall restraint?

• AMore than 6 feet above a lower level
• BMore than 10 feet above a lower level
• CMore than 15 feet above a lower level
• DMore than 30 feet above a lower level

Before steel erection may begin, the controlling contractor must give the erector written notice that footing, pier, and wall concrete has reached which strength, based on field-cured ASTM tests?

• A75 percent of the intended minimum compressive design strength, or enough strength to sup…
• B50 percent of the specified compressive design strength
• C100 percent of the 28-day specified compressive strength
• DAny strength the ready-mix supplier certifies from cylinder breaks at the plant

A connector is landing beams on the third story, 28 feet above the deck below. What does OSHA 1926.760 require for that connector?

• AThe connector may work without a harness because connectors are exempt at every height
• BThe connector must already be tied off, because 28 feet exceeds the general 15-foot rule…
• CThe connector must be protected from falls of more than two stories or 30 feet, whichever…
• DThe connector needs only a warning line 15 feet back from the leading edge

OSHA 1926.755 requires every column to be anchored with a minimum of how many anchor rods?

• ATwo anchor rods
• BThree anchor rods
• CFour anchor rods
• DSix anchor rods

When may a controlled decking zone (CDZ) be used, and what is its maximum size from the leading edge?

• AOver 15 feet and up to 30 feet above a lower level, not more than 90 feet wide and 90 fee…
• BAt any height, with no size limit if a competent person is present
• COnly below 15 feet, and not more than 30 feet from the leading edge
• DOnly above 30 feet, and not more than 60 feet from the leading edge

A cover is placed over a floor opening in metal decking. What strength and marking does OSHA 1926.754 require?

• AThe cover must support twice the weight of employees, equipment, and materials that may b…
• BThe cover must support the weight of one employee and be marked with orange tape
• CThe cover must support four times the live load and may be left unsecured if it weighs mo…
• DAn installed skylight automatically counts as a cover regardless of strength

Shear connectors (headed studs) are shop-welded to the top flanges of composite beams before the metal deck is placed so connectors can walk the beam. Is that practice allowed?

• AYes, shop-welded studs are always preferred for composite floors
• BYes, if the studs are capped with plastic until the deck is down
• CNo. Shear connectors that project from the top flange shall not be attached until after t…
• DNo, unless a CDZ is established and the studs are installed from inside the CDZ

Who must develop a site-specific erection plan when the employer uses an alternate method under 1926.753(c)(5), 1926.757(a)(4), or 1926.757(e)(4), and where must it be kept?

• AA qualified person; it must be available at the work site
• BA competent person; it may stay in the home-office file
• CThe project structural engineer of record only; it is filed with the building official
• DThe controlling contractor's superintendent; it is posted on the crane

In the AWS electrode classification E7018, what do the "70" and the "1" indicate?

• A70 ksi minimum tensile strength of the deposited weld metal and all-position usability
• B70 percent iron powder and 1G position only
• C70 amperes recommended current and single-pass fillets only
• D70 ksi yield strength of the base metal and 1F fillets only

Which welding process is commonly called stick welding and uses a flux-coated consumable electrode?

• ASMAW (shielded metal arc welding)
• BGMAW (gas metal arc welding)
• CGTAW (gas tungsten arc welding)
• DSAW (submerged arc welding)

What is the effective throat of a 3/8-inch equal-leg fillet weld, assuming a flat face and no specified penetration?

• A0.265 inch
• B0.188 inch
• C0.375 inch
• D0.530 inch

On a welding symbol, a triangular flag at the intersection of the reference line and arrow means the weld is:

• AA field weld
• BA shop weld that must be made before shipment
• CA weld all around the joint
• DA weld that requires radiographic testing

After a can of E7018 low-hydrogen electrodes is opened, how should the unused rods be stored on a structural steel job?

• AIn a portable holding oven at approximately 250°F
• BIn the original can, recapped, at ambient temperature
• CLaid on a dry plank beside the welder until the shift ends
• DQuenched in water to keep the coating from drying out

Using AISC LRFD for an E70 electrode, the design strength of a 1/4-inch fillet weld is 5.57 kips per inch. What length of single-sided 1/4-inch fillet is required to develop 40 kips?

• A8 inches
• B6 inches
• C10 inches
• D12 inches

A groove melted into the base metal adjacent to the weld toe and left unfilled is called:

• AUndercut
• BPorosity
• COverlap
• DSlag inclusion

Which current and polarity are normally used with E7018 for structural steel SMAW?

• AAC only
• BDCEN (straight polarity) only
• CDCEP (reverse polarity), or AC if the electrode is rated for AC
• DDCEN for the root and AC for the fill

For a low-hydrogen process, AWS D1.1 minimum fillet size is based on the thinner part joined. What is the minimum fillet size when that thickness is 3/8 inch?

• A3/16 inch
• B1/8 inch
• C1/4 inch
• D5/16 inch

A double-sided 5/16-inch E70 fillet weld is 6 inches long on each side of a shear plate. Using 1.392 kips per inch per 1/16 inch of leg (LRFD), what is the weld-metal design strength?

• A26.1 kips
• B41.8 kips
• C83.5 kips
• D104.4 kips

A circle at the junction of the welding-symbol reference line and arrow means:

• AThe weld is made all around the joint
• BThe weld is made in the field
• CA backing bar is required
• DThe weld is a flare-bevel groove

Which SMAW electrode is a fast-freeze cellulosic rod often used for open-root passes and typically run on DCEP?

• AE7018
• BE7024
• CE6010
• DE7028

Complete-joint-penetration (CJP) groove welds differ from partial-joint-penetration (PJP) groove welds in that a CJP weld:

• AFuses through the entire thickness of the joint so the weld throat equals the base-metal…
• BIs always a fillet weld placed on both sides of the joint
• CIs limited to 1/8-inch effective throat regardless of plate thickness
• DMay never be used on ASTM A992 W-shapes

AWS D1.1 preheat for ASTM A992 (typically Category B) when the thicker part being welded is 1 inch is most nearly:

• A32°F (essentially above freezing) for T up to 3/4 inch, and 50°F when T is over 3/4 inch…
• BNo preheat is ever required for A992
• C300°F for every A992 thickness
• D150°F only when the air temperature is above 70°F

Which process uses a continuously fed solid wire and an externally supplied shielding gas such as 75 percent argon / 25 percent CO2?

• ASMAW
• BFCAW-S (self-shielded flux-cored)
• CGMAW
• DSAW

Hydrogen-assisted (cold) cracking in structural welds is most often associated with which combination?

• AMoisture in low-hydrogen consumables, a hardenable heat-affected zone, and residual tensi…
• BHigh heat input, austenitic stainless filler, and a convex bead
• CExcessive interpass temperature on thin A36 plate
• DUsing ER70S-6 with 100 percent argon on a fillet

In AWS fillet-weld position designations, 3F and 4F mean:

• AFlat and horizontal fillets
• BHorizontal and vertical fillets
• CVertical and overhead fillets
• DOverhead and pipe 6G fillets

The maximum size of a fillet weld along the edge of a 1/2-inch plate, unless the drawings show the weld built out to a full 1/2-inch leg, is:

• A1/4 inch
• B5/16 inch
• C3/8 inch
• D1/2 inch

Small cavities in the weld metal caused by trapped gas are called:

• APorosity
• BUndercut
• CLamellar tearing
• DArc strike

Which process is typical in the fabrication shop for long, straight welds under a blanket of granular flux?

• AGTAW
• BSMAW
• CSAW
• DOFW (oxyfuel welding)

A tack weld that will be incorporated into a final structural weld must:

• AMeet the same quality requirements as the final weld, including preheat when preheat is r…
• BBe made with any leftover electrode, because tacks are temporary
• CAlways be ground completely out, even if it is sound and made with the specified procedure
• DBe at least 3 inches long regardless of plate thickness

A 3/16-inch E70 fillet weld has a design strength of 4.18 kips per inch (LRFD). How many total inches of that fillet are needed on a shear tab to resist 50 kips?

• A8 inches
• B10 inches
• C12 inches
• D16 inches

Which nondestructive method is the primary everyday inspection for most field fillet welds on a South Carolina structural-framing job?

• AVisual testing (VT) to AWS D1.1, with MT/UT when the specifications require it
• BRadiographic testing (RT) of every fillet
• CUltrasonic testing of every tack before it is covered
• DHydrostatic pressure testing of the frame

Distortion in a long fillet-welded girder is best controlled in the shop or field by:

• ABalanced welding, proper sequence, and staggered or backstep beads rather than one contin…
• BUsing the highest current the machine can produce on every pass
• CQuenching each pass with water so the plate cannot move
• DOmitting all tack welds so the plates can shrink freely

ASTM F3125 Grade A325 (Group A) and Grade A490 (Group B) high-strength bolts are most clearly distinguished by which property?

• AA325 is stainless; A490 is carbon steel
• BA325 may only be snug-tight; A490 may only be fully pretensioned
• CA325 has a minimum tensile strength of 120 ksi; A490 has a minimum tensile strength of 15…
• DA325 is 1 inch diameter and smaller; A490 is only made above 1-1/2 inches

The specified minimum pretension for a 3/4-inch ASTM F3125 Grade A325 bolt in a pretensioned or slip-critical joint is:

• A19 kips
• B35 kips
• C28 kips
• D51 kips

After the plies are snug-tight, how much additional nut rotation is required for a 3/4-inch bolt with a 5-inch grip (length not more than 8d) when both faces are normal to the bolt axis?

• A1/3 turn (120 degrees)
• B2/3 turn (240 degrees)
• C1/2 turn (180 degrees)
• D1 full turn (360 degrees)

A beam-to-girder shear connection uses 3/4-inch Group A (A325) bolts with threads included in the shear plane (N), single shear, LRFD. AISC Table 7-1 available shear is 17.9 kips per bolt. How many bolts are required for a 90-kip factored shear?

• A4 bolts
• B5 bolts
• C6 bolts
• D8 bolts

ASTM F3125 Grade F1852 twist-off tension-control bolts are the TC equivalent of which hex-head grade?

• AA307
• BA490 (Group B)
• CA325 (Group A)
• DA449

The standard hole diameter for a 3/4-inch high-strength bolt is:

• A3/4 inch (the bolt diameter)
• B15/16 inch (oversized)
• C13/16 inch (bolt diameter plus 1/16 inch)
• D1 inch (short-slotted width)

Which statement about reuse of high-strength bolts is consistent with the RCSC Specification?

• AAny bolt may be reused if the threads still accept a nut
• BA490 bolts may be reused once if they are relubricated
• CA490 bolts and galvanized A325 bolts shall not be reused; previously pretensioned black A…
• DTwist-off bolts may be reused after a new spline is welded on

Snug-tight is correctly described as:

• AThe pretension listed in Table J3.1, verified with a torque wrench calibrated that month
• BOne-half turn past finger-tight on every bolt, regardless of grip
• CThe tightness that exists when all plies are in firm contact; it may be obtained with a f…
• DThe condition after the TC spline has sheared

SJI K-series open-web steel joists are standardized in which depth and span range?

• A8 to 30 inches deep, spans through 60 feet
• B18 to 48 inches deep, spans through 96 feet
• C52 to 72 inches deep, spans through 144 feet
• DOnly 12-inch depth, spans through 30 feet

Each end of a K-series steel joist shall be attached to the support with a minimum of:

• AOne 1/4-inch fillet weld 2 inches long
• BFour 3/4-inch A325 bolts
• CTwo 1/4-inch fillet welds 2 inches long, or two 3/4-inch bolts
• DTwo 1/8-inch fillet welds 1 inch long, or two 1/2-inch bolts, or the equivalent

When columns are not framed in at least two directions with solid-web steel, OSHA 1926.757 requires a field-bolted joist at the column and a vertical stabilizer plate. That plate must be at least:

• A3 inches by 3 inches, flush with the bottom chord
• B4 inches by 4 inches, extending 1 inch below the bottom chord
• C6 inches by 6 inches, extending at least 3 inches below the bottom chord, with a 13/16-in…
• D8 inches by 12 inches, shop-welded to the joist seat

OSHA Table A lists 31-0 for an 18K3 joist. An 18K3 is being set on a 32-foot span. What erection-bridging rule applies before the hoist line may be released?

• ANo erection bridging is required because K-series joists never need it under 40 feet
• BThe joists must be set in tandem with all bridging pre-installed, as for spans over 144 f…
• CTwo rows of bolted diagonal erection bridging must be installed near the third points, as…
• DA row of bolted diagonal erection bridging must be installed near midspan and anchored be…

A 20K7 joist is listed in OSHA Table A at 39-0. The joist is specified for a 40-foot span. Which statement is correct?

• ABecause 40 feet is a round number, Table A does not apply
• BErection bridging is not required because 40 feet is only 1 foot over the table
• CThe 40-foot span equals or exceeds 39-0, so bolted diagonal erection bridging is required…
• DThe joists must be panelized with all bridging in the shop because every 40-foot bay requ…

What is the minimum end bearing of a standard K-series joist on a steel support, per SJI?

• A1-1/2 inches
• B6 inches
• C4 inches
• D2-1/2 inches