Virginia Underground Utility and Excavating Qualified Individual Examination

Under 18VAC50-22-30, Underground Utility and Excavating Contracting (UUC) covers which work?

• AConstruction, repair, improvement, or removal of water, gas, and sewer connections to res…
• BInstallation of interior plumbing fixtures, water heaters, and building drains inside a d…
• CConstruction of water wells, well pumps, and well tanks to groundwater
• DInstallation of conductor wiring in underground conduit and connection to an energized el…

When may a Virginia UUC specialty install underground conduit?

• AOnly when the contractor also holds an electrical (ELE) classification
• BWhenever the conduit will later carry building power, communications, or street lighting…
• CIn rights-of-way, easements, platted rights-of-way in new site development, and as parkin…
• DAnywhere on a jobsite, including pulling feeder conductors and landing them on an energiz…

A UUC contractor has placed empty Schedule 40 PVC sleeves under a new parking lot. The owner then asks the same crew to pull 480-volt feeder conductors through those sleeves and terminate them on an energized switchboard. What is the correct scope decision?

• AThe work stays inside UUC because the contractor already installed the sleeves
• BPulling the feeders is inside UUC; only the final terminations require an electrician
• CThe empty sleeves were inside UUC, but installing conductor wiring and connecting to an e…
• DUUC covers any underground electrical work if the trench is less than 24 inches deep

Which other Virginia contractor classification also provides the UUC function under 18VAC50-22-30?

• AResidential Building Contractor (RBC)
• BHighway/Heavy (H/H)
• CGas Fitting Contracting (GFC)
• DElectronic/Communication Service Contracting (ESC)

A developer wants empty sleeves placed under a new commercial parking lot so a later electrical contractor can pull lighting circuits. Is that sleeve work inside UUC?

• ANo, because parking-lot work is only an asphalt paving specialty
• BYes, if each conduit system does not include conductor wiring or a connection to an energ…
• CYes, and UUC may also pull and terminate the lighting conductors
• DNo, because empty conduit is reserved exclusively to the electrical classification

A UUC firm is asked to install empty conduit in a recorded utility easement on a new subdivision and then land service conductors on an energized pad-mounted transformer. What portion, if any, is inside UUC?

• AThe entire contract is inside UUC because the work is underground
• BOnly the empty conduit in the easement is inside UUC; landing conductors on an energized…
• COnly the transformer terminations are inside UUC
• DNone of the work is inside UUC because easement conduit is reserved to H/H alone

Which contract is outside Virginia UUC even if the same trench is already open for a water service?

• ARemoving an abandoned sewer lateral from the property to the main connection
• BInstalling an empty right-of-way conduit with no conductors
• CRepairing a leaking water service between the main and the meter
• DPulling and splicing medium-voltage cable in the same trench and connecting it to an ener…

A rural customer wants a new drilled water well, pump, and tank, plus a short water service from the tank to the house meter. Which statement matches 18VAC50-22-30?

• AUUC covers the well, pump, tank, and the service line
• BUUC covers well drilling only; the pump and tank require a plumbing classification
• CWell construction is Water Well/Pump (WWP) work; UUC does not provide for construction of…
• DAny contractor who can excavate may drill the well if a local permit is obtained

How does UUC gas work differ from Gas Fitting Contracting (GFC) under 18VAC50-22-30?

• AUUC covers gas connections to sites; GFC covers installation, repair, improvement, or rem…
• BUUC and GFC are identical specialties with different abbreviations
• CUUC is limited to propane tanks, and GFC is limited to natural-gas mains in the street
• DUUC authorizes new interior appliance piping in dwellings; GFC is street-main work only

18VAC50-22-30 says UUC water, gas, and sewer connection work is subject to what additional limit?

• AFederal Davis-Bacon wage rates on every private residential service
• BLocal ordinances
• CA statewide ban on plastic pipe
• DA requirement that every lateral be designed by a Virginia professional engineer

Where does 18VAC50-22-30 allow a UUC specialty to install empty underground conduit?

• AInside a dwelling's finished walls to serve kitchen receptacles
• BOnly on VDOT primary highways, never in a subdivision plat
• CIn rights-of-way, easements, platted rights-of-way in new site development, and as sleeve…
• DAnywhere the contractor elects, including under an occupied commercial building floor sla…

A site owner wants an abandoned water service and sewer connection removed before a new building pad is cut. Does UUC include that removal?

• AYes. UUC includes construction, repair, improvement, or removal of those connections
• BNo. Removal is demolition-only work reserved to a blast/explosive specialty
• CNo. UUC covers new installation only
• DOnly the water service may be removed; sewer removal requires a conventional sewage dispo…

Under OSHA Subpart P, a trench is generally a narrow excavation in which depth is greater than width and the bottom width is not greater than how many feet?

• A4 feet
• B8 feet
• C15 feet
• D20 feet

Unless a sufficient retaining device is used, excavated spoil that could fall or roll into a trench must be kept at least how far from the edge?

• A12 inches
• B2 feet
• C4 feet
• D6 feet

Which OSHA soil type may not be benched?

• AStable rock
• BType A cohesive soil
• CType B cohesive soil
• DType C soil

A utility trench is 135 feet long, 3 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. What is the bank volume in cubic yards?

• A45 cubic yards
• B75 cubic yards
• C90 cubic yards
• D108 cubic yards

In OSHA Appendix A, Type A soil has an unconfined compressive strength of at least how much?

• A0.5 ton per square foot
• B1.0 ton per square foot
• C1.5 tons per square foot
• D2.5 tons per square foot

A competent person finds the trench walls are previously disturbed fill. What is the most conservative OSHA classification that still may apply?

• AStable rock, because the fill was compacted last year
• BType A, because the fill is cohesive
• CType B or Type C depending on strength and other Appendix A conditions, but not Type A
• DNo classification is required if the trench is less than 20 feet deep

What is the primary purpose of a trench shield (trench box) in a utility excavation?

• ATo compact bedding under flexible pipe
• BTo protect employees if the trench walls cave, not to prevent the soil from moving
• CTo replace the competent-person inspection
• DTo allow unlimited excavation more than 2 feet below the shield without a designed system

A contractor does not classify the soil and wants to slope a 9-foot-deep utility trench using OSHA's simplest sloping option. What maximum slope is allowed?

• AVertical walls, because the trench is under 20 feet
• B1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical
• C3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical
• D1 1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees from horizontal)

Water is accumulating in an occupied sewer-lateral trench. What does OSHA require?

• AEmployees may keep working if they wear rubber boots
• BEmployees shall not work in the excavation unless adequate precautions protect them from…
• CWork may continue until the water reaches 12 inches
• DOnly a registered professional engineer may enter to inspect

A Type C trench is 8 feet deep with a 2-foot bottom width and is sloped at the OSHA maximum 1 1/2:1 on both sides. What is the top width?

• A14 feet
• B18 feet
• C26 feet
• D32 feet

Heavy highway traffic is vibrating the ground beside an open utility trench in otherwise cohesive soil. How should the competent person treat the soil classification?

• AKeep Type A if a pocket penetrometer once read 1.6 tsf
• BDo not classify the soil as Type A, because soil subject to vibration is not Type A
• CReclassify the soil as stable rock
• DIgnore vibration unless water is also present

In a 6-foot-deep trench, where should the egress ladder be placed when a trench shield is in use?

• AOutside the shield, leaning on the spoil pile
• BInside the protected area of the shield, so employees do not travel unprotected to reach…
• COn the opposite side of the street from the trench
• DOnly at the contractor's job trailer

Who must inspect a utility excavation for cave-in potential, protective-system failure, and hazardous atmospheres?

• AAny laborer on the crew
• BThe project owner
• CA competent person
• DOnly an OSHA compliance officer

A thunderstorm soaks an open water-service trench during lunch. What must happen before employees reenter?

• ANothing, if the trench was inspected at 7:00 a.m.
• BA competent person must inspect again after the rainstorm before employees are exposed
• COnly the pipe manufacturer needs to approve reentry
• DEmployees may reenter if the water is less than 6 inches deep

A water-service trench yields 80 bank cubic yards. If the excavated soil swells 25 percent when loose, how many loose cubic yards should be hauled?

• A64 cubic yards
• B80 cubic yards
• C100 cubic yards
• D105 cubic yards

A sewer-lateral trench will undercut a public sidewalk. What does OSHA require before that undermining proceeds?

• ANothing, if the sidewalk is closed with cones
• BA support system or another method of protection so employees are protected from possible…
• COnly a verbal okay from the concrete finisher
• DWaiting 24 hours after saw-cutting the sidewalk

On a typical municipal water service, the valve tapped into the water main is called the:

• ACurb stop
• BCorporation stop
• CBackflow preventer
• DPressure-reducing valve

What is the purpose of a curb stop on a water service?

• ATo air-test the sewer lateral
• BTo provide a shutoff near the property line, usually in a curb box, so the service can be…
• CTo chlorinate the municipal water treatment plant
• DTo reduce street-main pressure from 150 psi to 20 psi

The International Plumbing Code, as used through the Virginia USBC, requires exterior water-supply piping to be installed not less than which depths?

• A3 inches below the frost line and 6 inches below grade
• B6 inches below the frost line and not less than 12 inches below grade
• C24 inches below the frost line and 36 inches below grade
• DFlush with finished grade if the pipe is copper Type M

Which copper tube type is the standard choice for underground water services?

• AType M, because it has the thinnest wall and is cheapest
• BType DWV, because water services are not pressurized
• CType K, the thickest commonly used copper water tube, listed for underground service
• DType L only when the service is inside a heated building

What is the normal horizontal separation between a public water main and a sanitary sewer under Virginia Waterworks Regulation 12VAC5-590-1150?

• A18 inches of undisturbed earth
• B5 feet of undisturbed or compacted earth, the IPC building-service rule
• CAt least 10 feet horizontally under normal conditions
• DNo separation is required if both pipes are plastic

After a new potable water service or main is installed, what is required before the line is placed into service?

• AOnly a visual look at the joints
• BDisinfection and flushing in accordance with the utility specification or AWWA potable-wa…
• CA sewer air test at 5 psi
• DFilling the line with diesel fuel to check for leaks

How is a newly installed water service normally leak-tested?

• AWith compressed air at 5 psi for 15 minutes, the same as a small sewer lateral
• BBy hydrostatic pressure testing at the pressure and duration required by the utility spec…
• CBy listening only, with no gauge
• DBy filling the trench first so leaks cannot be seen

Why is tracer wire installed with nonmetallic water-service pipe?

• ATo heat the pipe and prevent freezing
• BTo carry the potable water if the plastic pipe fails
• CSo the nonmetallic pipe can be electronically located after burial
• DTo bond the water pipe as the building grounding electrode

A water-service trench is 60 feet long, 18 inches wide, and 4 feet deep. What is the bank volume?

• A8.9 cubic yards
• B10.0 cubic yards
• C13.3 cubic yards
• D18.0 cubic yards

On a typical residential water service, UUC work from the main usually ends at which point unless the locality or utility specifies otherwise?

• AThe kitchen faucet
• BThe water heater drain
• CThe meter location or other designated point of delivery for the occupancy
• DThe roof hose bibb

Which statement about polyethylene (PE) water-service pipe is correct?

• APE water-service pipe must be solvent-welded with ABS cement
• BPE water-service pipe is commonly joined with insert fittings, compression fittings, or h…
• CPE water-service pipe is only legal above grade
• DPE water-service pipe may be used for natural-gas service without a change in listing

A water service is installed above the local frost line because of a shallow rock ledge. What is the correct action?

• ALeave it shallow; rock will keep the pipe from freezing
• BProtect the pipe from freezing by insulation, heat, or both, or relocate it to meet the f…
• CSwitch to sewer-rated PVC, which cannot freeze
• DBackfill with ice so the trench matches the pipe temperature

The local frost line is 18 inches. Using the IPC exterior water-supply rule, what is the minimum burial to the top of the water-service pipe?

• A12 inches
• B18 inches
• C24 inches
• D30 inches

When making a live tap on a pressurized water main, which practice is correct?

• AUse a tapping sleeve or saddle and a corporation stop rated for the main, following the u…
• BCut a large window in the main with a dry cutoff saw and stuff the service into the hole
• CShut down the entire municipal system without notice so the tap can be threaded by hand
• DTap only with a wood auger to avoid sparks

What is the most common minimum diameter for a residential sanitary sewer lateral?

• A1 1/2 inches
• B2 inches
• C4 inches
• D15 inches

When laying gasketed sewer pipe, which way should the bells face?

• ADownstream, so flow hits the spigot first
• BUpstream, so flow enters the bell and the spigot points downstream
• CAlternating every joint
• DToward the nearest water main

Under IPC Table 704.1, what is the minimum slope for 3-inch to 6-inch horizontal drainage pipe?

• A1/16 inch per foot
• B1/8 inch per foot
• C1/2 inch per foot
• D1 inch per foot

A 4-inch sewer lateral is laid at 1/8 inch per foot for 192 feet. What is the total fall?

• A12 inches
• B16 inches
• C24 inches
• D48 inches