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NASCLA Commercial General Building Contractor — Practice Exam

Site construction: excavation: practice questions

Our NASCLA Commercial GC bank has 15 questions on this topic. Here are 3 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.

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Question 1

Under OSHA Appendix A, what is Type A soil?

  1. Cohesive soil with unconfined compressive strength of 1.5 tsf or more
  2. Any soil that has been previously disturbed
  3. Granular soil such as sand and gravel that stands up when dry for at least a short time
  4. Submerged or freely seeping soil
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A. Cohesive soil with unconfined compressive strength of 1.5 tsf or more — Fissured or previously disturbed soil can't be Type A.

Question 2

What is the maximum allowable slope for a simple-slope excavation 20 feet or less deep in Type C soil?

  1. Vertical (90°)
  2. 1½ horizontal to 1 vertical (34°)
  3. 1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45°)
  4. ¾ horizontal to 1 vertical (53°), the same as for Type A soil
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B. 1½ horizontal to 1 vertical (34°) — This is also the default slope when soil isn't classified (1926.652(b)(1)).

Question 3

At what depth must a trench generally have a protective system, unless it is in stable rock?

  1. 3 feet or more
  2. 5 feet or more
  3. 8 feet or more
  4. 10 feet or more, where the soil is Type C
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B. 5 feet or more — Under 5 feet, a competent person may decide none is needed (1926.652(a)).

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