West Virginia General Engineering Contractor Examination

On a West Virginia general-engineering site, what is the difference between clearing and grubbing?

• AClearing removes trees and surface vegetation; grubbing removes stumps and major roots
• BClearing is only the stripping of topsoil; grubbing is only the hauling of rock
• CClearing and grubbing are the same pay item and always mean finish grading
• DGrubbing is the placement of select fill; clearing is the proof-rolling of subgrade

Where should a silt fence be installed to control sediment from a disturbed slope?

• AAlong the contour on the downhill side of the disturbed area, with the toe trenched in
• BAcross the invert of a live concentrated-flow ditch as a check dam
• COn the uphill ridge only, so runoff never reaches the work
• DLaid flat on the ground as a mulch blanket

Per IBC 2018 Section 1804.4, how must the ground immediately adjacent to a building foundation be graded when 10 feet of horizontal distance is available?

• ALevel for the first 10 feet so roof drainage can pond and infiltrate
• BSloped toward the wall at 5 percent so water stays against the dampproofing
• CSloped away from the building at not less than 5 percent for a minimum of 10 feet
• DSloped away at 1/4 inch per foot for 3 feet only

Structural fill under a highway or building pad is commonly specified as a percentage of which laboratory density test?

• AASTM D698 standard Proctor (or D1557 modified Proctor) maximum dry density
• BASTM C39 compressive-strength test of a concrete cylinder
• CASTM C143 slump test of plastic concrete
• DASTM A370 tensile test of a steel coupon

What is the purpose of a stone construction entrance (tracking pad) at a construction site access?

• ATo knock soil off tires so sediment is not tracked onto the public road
• BTo increase the legal axle load of every haul truck leaving the site
• CTo replace the permanent pavement section under the future driveway
• DTo serve as the only required sediment basin for the entire project

A geotextile placed between a fine-grained subgrade and a crushed-stone base is primarily serving as which function?

• AA vapor retarder equal to 6-mil polyethylene under a slab
• BA waterproofing membrane that replaces foundation drain tile
• CA separator that keeps the stone from punching into the fines
• DA substitute for compaction of the stone base

A mass excavation measures 80 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 4.5 feet deep in bank (in-place) measure. The soil has 30 percent swell. How many 13-cubic-yard truck loads are required to haul the excavated material?

• A40 loads
• B31 loads
• C52 loads
• D80 loads

What does a proof-roll of a prepared subgrade typically look for?

• ASoft, pumping, or rutting areas that need undercut or drying before stone or pavement
• BThe exact laboratory Proctor maximum dry density, in pounds per cubic foot
• CThe as-built elevation of every finish-grade contour
• DThe slump and air content of the first concrete truck

Before placing compacted fill against an existing slope that is steeper than about 4:1 (horizontal:vertical), standard earthwork practice is to:

• ABench the existing slope so new fill is placed on level steps rather than a smooth plane
• BPlace the new fill in a single thick lift so it keys itself
• CSaturate the old slope overnight so the two soils bond
• DCover the old slope with polyethylene and dump fill on the plastic

Two cross sections 100 feet apart have cut areas of 36 square feet and 54 square feet. Using the average-end-area method, what is the bank cut volume between the sections?

• A45 cubic yards
• B90 cubic yards
• C167 cubic yards
• D333 cubic yards

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926.652, a protective system is required for employees in an excavation unless the excavation is in stable rock or:

• AIt is less than 5 feet deep and a competent person finds no indication of a potential cav…
• BIt is less than 10 feet deep in any soil type
• CThe crew will be in the trench for less than 15 minutes
• DThe trench is wider than it is deep

OSHA 1926.651(j)(2) requires excavated spoil and other materials to be kept at least how far from the edge of an excavation, unless a retaining device is used?

• A2 feet
• B6 inches
• C6 feet
• D10 feet

For a simple slope in Type C soil, OSHA 1926 Subpart P Appendix B allows a maximum slope of which ratio for excavations 20 feet deep or less?

• A1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical (63 degrees)
• B3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical (53 degrees)
• C1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45 degrees)
• D1-1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees)

A trench is 10 feet deep with a 3-foot-wide level bottom in Type C soil. If both sides are sloped at the OSHA Appendix B Type C maximum of 1-1/2:1, what is the required width at the top?

• A13 feet
• B18 feet
• C23 feet
• D33 feet

OSHA 1926.651(c)(2) requires a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress in trench excavations that are how deep, and with no more than how much lateral travel?

• A4 feet deep; 25 feet of lateral travel
• B2 feet deep; 50 feet of lateral travel
• C5 feet deep; 10 feet of lateral travel
• D6 feet deep; 15 feet of lateral travel

In West Virginia, how far from the outside wall of a marked underground facility is the 811 tolerance zone in which the excavator must use hand or other non-destructive methods?

• A6 inches
• B12 inches
• C2 feet
• D5 feet

A cut yields 800 bank cubic yards. After compaction in the fill, the same soil occupies 10 percent less volume than it did in the bank. How many compacted cubic yards of fill does that cut produce?

• A720 cubic yards
• B800 cubic yards
• C880 cubic yards
• D8,000 cubic yards

Which condition automatically keeps a cohesive soil from being classified as OSHA Type A, even if a penetrometer reads 1.5 tsf or more?

• AThe soil is previously disturbed
• BThe soil is a stiff, unfissured clay with no seepage
• CThe excavation is less than 12 feet deep
• DThe crew is using a trench box

Per IBC 2018 Section 1809.4, what is the minimum depth of footings below the undisturbed ground surface?

• A12 inches
• B6 inches
• C24 inches
• D42 inches

Per IBC 2018 Section 1809.5, which is an accepted method of protecting shallow foundations from frost?

• AExtending the foundation below the frost line of the locality
• BBearing the footing on frozen soil if the pour is completed the same day
• CUsing a 4-inch unreinforced mud slab in place of a footing
• DBackfilling with ice and snow for insulation

Per IBC 2018 Table 1806.2, what is the presumptive vertical foundation pressure for clay, sandy clay, silty clay, and silt (CL, ML, MH, CH) when a geotechnical investigation has not raised the value?

• A1,500 psf
• B3,000 psf
• C4,000 psf
• D12,000 psf

Per ACI 318 as adopted by IBC Chapter 19, what is the specified minimum concrete cover for reinforcement in concrete cast against and permanently exposed to earth?

• A3/4 inch
• B1-1/2 inches
• C2 inches
• D3 inches

Per IBC 2018 Table 1808.8.1, what specified compressive strength is required for foundation concrete in Seismic Design Categories A, B, or C?

• A1,500 psi
• B2,000 psi
• C2,500 psi
• D5,000 psi

When a below-grade wall retains earth and the groundwater investigation shows a hydrostatic head, IBC 1805 requires which treatment?

• APaint the interior face with ordinary latex wall paint only
• BDampproofing is sufficient because hydrostatic pressure cannot act on concrete
• CWaterproofing, not merely dampproofing, of the walls and floors below the water level
• DOmit the foundation drain because waterproofing replaces drainage

A column delivers a 120-kip service load to a square spread footing on soil with an allowable bearing pressure of 3,000 psf. Ignoring footing self-weight, what is the minimum required side dimension of the square footing?

• A4 feet 0 inches
• B5 feet 0 inches
• C6 feet 4 inches
• D10 feet 0 inches

Driven piles, drilled shafts, and micropiles are classified in IBC Chapter 18 as which kind of foundation?

• ADeep foundations under Section 1810
• BShallow foundations under Section 1809
• CPresumptive soils under Table 1806.2 only
• DDampproofing under Section 1805

A large slab or pavement placement is scheduled on a hot, dry, windy day. Using the ACI 305 hot-weather evaporation nomograph, at approximately what surface evaporation rate should the crew add fogging, evaporation retarder, windbreaks, or other plastic-shrinkage protection for concrete with normal bleeding?

• A0.02 pound per square foot per hour
• B0.2 pound per square foot per hour
• C2.0 pounds per square foot per hour
• D20 pounds per square foot per hour

Per IBC 2018 Section 1907.1, what is the minimum thickness of a concrete floor slab supported directly on the ground?

• A3-1/2 inches
• B2 inches
• C6 inches
• D8 inches

A slab is 50 feet by 80 feet by 6 inches thick. Allowing 8 percent waste, how many cubic yards of concrete should be ordered?

• A74 cubic yards
• B89 cubic yards
• C80 cubic yards
• D200 cubic yards

Why is air-entrained concrete specified for exterior slabs, pavements, and other concrete exposed to freezing and thawing in West Virginia?

• AEntrapped air replaces all of the portland cement in the mix
• BAir entrainment is only a coloring admixture for architectural concrete
• CMicroscopic air voids give freezing water a place to expand so the paste does not scale o…
• DAir-entrained concrete is forbidden anywhere the air temperature can fall below 40°F

Unless the purchaser or project specification sets another limit, ready-mixed concrete has long been required by ASTM C94 / typical ACI 301 language to be discharged within which default time after the start of mixing?

• A30 minutes or 100 drum revolutions
• B4 hours or 1,000 drum revolutions
• C90 minutes or 300 drum revolutions
• DThe next calendar day if the drum keeps turning

What does a slump test (ASTM C143) measure?

• A28-day compressive strength
• BAir content of the plastic concrete
• CConsistency / workability of the plastic concrete
• DUnit weight of the hardened concrete

Per ACI 306 / standard cold-weather practice, concrete should not be placed on which of the following?

• AA damp, unfrozen subgrade that has been protected overnight
• BStay-in-place galvanized deck that is above freezing
• CA well-compacted granular base above 40°F
• DFrozen subgrade or ice-covered forms and reinforcement

For ordinary portland-cement concrete that is not high-early-strength, ACI 308 moist-curing practice commonly requires keeping the surface continuously moist for at least how long?

• A4 hours
• B24 hours
• C7 days
• D90 days

Six drilled piers are each 30 inches in diameter and 10 feet deep, filled with concrete. Ignoring waste, what neat concrete volume should be used for the order (nearest cubic yard)?

• A5 cubic yards
• B44 cubic yards
• C18 cubic yards
• D11 cubic yards

What is the primary purpose of contraction (control) joints in a slab-on-ground?

• ATo create a full structural separation that allows unlimited horizontal expansion
• BTo serve as the only permitted construction joint between two days' pours
• CTo replace all of the welded-wire reinforcement in the slab
• DTo induce cracking at predetermined weakened planes as the slab shrinks

Per IBC 2018 Section 1907.1, a vapor retarder under a slab-on-ground is typically which material, with joints lapped at least how much?

• A15-pound roofing felt, lapped 2 inches
• BBuilding paper, lapped 1/2 inch
• C4-mil polyethylene, butted with no lap
• D6-mil polyethylene, joints lapped not less than 6 inches

What is the standard field compressive-strength test specimen and age for acceptance of structural concrete?

• AA slump-cone residual tested at 24 hours
• BA cube of any size tested at 3 days only
• CA core taken the same day as the pour and broken immediately
• DCylinders (typically 6×12 or 4×8 inches) tested in accordance with ASTM C39 at 28 days, u…

What does the designation W16×36 mean for a wide-flange shape?

• AThe beam is 16 meters long and 36 inches deep
• BThe steel has a yield stress of 16 ksi and an ultimate strength of 36 ksi
• CThe flanges are 16 inches thick and the web is 36 inches deep
• DThe shape is nominally 16 inches deep and weighs 36 pounds per foot

What specified minimum yield stress Fy is used for ASTM A992 structural steel, the usual material for W-shapes?

• A36 ksi
• B150 ksi
• C100 ksi
• D50 ksi

Per IBC 2018 Section 2205.1, the design, fabrication, and erection of structural steel elements shall be in accordance with which standard?

• AACI 318 only
• BASTM C94
• CAWS D1.4 only
• DAISC 360

ASTM F3125 Grade A325 and Grade A490 bolts are used as which type of fastener in structural steel?

• AWood lag screws
• BSheet-metal self-tapping screws
• CConcrete expansion anchors only
• DHigh-strength structural bolts

In AWS electrode classification E70XX, what does the “70” indicate?

• AThe electrode is 70 millimeters long
• BThe welder must hold a 70-degree travel angle
• CThe electrode may be used only on A36 steel that is 70 inches thick
• DThe deposited weld metal has a minimum tensile strength of 70 ksi

What is the difference between a snug-tightened high-strength bolted joint and a pretensioned joint?

• AThere is no difference; every A325 bolt is always fully pretensioned
• BPretensioned joints are painted instead of tightened
• CSnug-tight bolts are installed finger-tight only, with no wrench
• DSnug-tight is the tightness from a few impacts of an impact wrench or the full effort of…

A bridge approach span uses eight W21×44 beams, each 32 feet long. What is the total steel weight of those eight beams, ignoring connections and camber?

• A1,408 pounds
• B3,520 pounds
• C11,264 pounds
• D44,000 pounds