Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference

Louisiana Pile Driving

Louisiana  ·  PSI Services Contractor

Verified, not estimated. Every figure below is drawn from the official exam structure we maintain — question counts, passing standard and topic weighting. Practice questions are grounded in the source law with statute citations. We omit any figure we can't verify rather than guess at it.
Total questions
50
Passing score
70%
Exam time
120 min
Administered by
PSI Services Contractor
Format
Reference materials allowed

Louisiana State Portion 50 questions

Pile and Caisson Drilling and Foundation Preparation 30 Q · 60%
Pile types and classification (timber, concrete, steel, composite, sheet piles)Pile-driving hammers and driving equipment selectionResistance to pile penetration: skin friction vs. end-bearing mechanismsSite investigation, test pile programs, and bearing capacity determinationCaisson construction and compressed-air work safety requirements (OSHA 1926.801/1926.803)Cofferdam design, installation, and safety requirements (OSHA 1926.802)Earth and rock drilling methods for foundation preparation (percussion, rotary, auger)Groundwater control and dewatering techniques for foundation excavation
Concrete 8 Q · 16%
Concrete mixture components and proportioning (cement types, water-cementitious ratio, aggregates, admixtures, supplementary cementitious materials)Fresh concrete field testing (slump, air content, compressive strength cylinders, unit weight/yield per ASTM standards)Concrete placement methods (truck chute, pump, bucket, conveyor, buggy) and consolidation by vibrationFormwork design, materials, types, lateral pressure, shoring/reshoring, and stripping requirementsReinforcement types, placement, bar identification, welded wire reinforcement, and fiber-reinforced concreteHot and cold weather concreting practices and common field problems (bleeding, segregation, cracking, scaling)Concrete joints in structures and slabs-on-ground (contraction, isolation, and construction joints)OSHA 1926 Subpart Q safety requirements for concrete and masonry construction (formwork, reinforcing steel, post-tensioning, equipment, PPE)
General Knowledge 6 Q · 12%
Estimating and bidding procedures for underground utility workEquipment ownership, operating, and rental costsLabor burden, overhead, and markup calculationsCrew and equipment productivity rates and correction factorsBonding requirements and bond types for contractorsReading plans, surveying, and grade calculationSoil volume calculations and earthwork quantity estimationContract terms, change orders, and cost control
Safety OSHA 6 Q · 12%
Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for pile driving operationsFall protection systems and criteria (guardrail, safety net, personal fall arrest)Crane and dedicated pile driver safety requirements under Subpart CCExcavation and cofferdam safety requirementsNoise exposure limits and hearing conservation during pile drivingGeneral contractor accident prevention responsibilities and safety trainingPower line clearance and electrocution hazard prevention for cranes and pile driversUnderground construction, caisson, and compressed air safety provisions

Key Distinctions

Quality ControlvsQuality Assurance

Quality control involves actions taken to control the product so it meets applicable standards, while quality assurance verifies that those controls are in place and working.

The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 132
Type 1 Differing Site ConditionvsType 2 Differing Site Condition

A Type 1 condition arises when actual site conditions differ materially from those indicated in the contract documents, whereas a Type 2 condition arises when actual conditions differ from what would be reasonably expected.

Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, Chapter 3 — Earthwork Planning section
Ownership Cost (equipment)vsOperating Cost (equipment)

Ownership costs include major repairs and overhauls that extend service life, while operating costs include consumables such as fuel, lubricants, and tires.

Construction Equipment Guide, Chapter 2, Page 80
Track ExcavatorvsWheeled Backhoe

A track excavator yields higher production (50 LCY/hr vs. 29 LCY/hr) but carries significantly higher mobilization costs that can make it uneconomical on short or small jobs.

Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Pages 99-100
Shielded/Lead-Covered Conductors (>1000V) bend radiusvsNonshielded Conductors (>1000V) bend radius

Shielded or lead-covered conductors must not be bent to a radius less than 12 times the overall diameter, whereas nonshielded conductors require a minimum of 8 times the overall diameter.

NEC 305.5
MV-90 CablevsMV-105 Cable

Type MV-90 medium voltage cable has a maximum operating temperature of 90°C, while Type MV-105 has a maximum operating temperature of 105°C; both are suitable for dry or wet locations.

NEC Table 315.10(A)
Form Tie Safety FactorvsForm Anchor Safety Factor

Form ties require a 2:1 safety factor (working load = half of ultimate tensile strength), while form anchors require a minimum safety factor of 3 because they may be loaded while the surrounding concrete is still green.

The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 66
Danger SignvsGeneral Warning Sign

Danger signs—featuring a red upper panel, black outline borders, and white lower panel—are used only where an immediate hazard exists, distinguishing them from general warning or caution signage.

OSHA 1926 CFR 29, Page 201
Soldier Piles Installed by PredrillingvsSoldier Piles Installed by Driving

Predrilling (setting H-piles in predrilled holes then grouting) provides close control of alignment and location, whereas driving does not offer the same positional precision.

Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, Chapter 3 — Soldier Piles and Lagging section
Standard Cross-Section Spacing (earthwork)vsTight-Curve/Rapid-Topography Cross-Section Spacing

Regular ground surfaces typically use 100-ft station spacing for cross-sections, while areas with tight curves or rapid topographic changes such as swales and drop-offs often require 25-ft spacing.

Construction Equipment Guide, Chapter 3 - Planning for Earthwork Construction, Volume Calculation / Example 3.2
Retarding Admixture (concrete)vsNormal Cement Mix (concrete)

Retarding admixtures delay concrete setting, increase lateral pressure on forms (chemistry coefficient CC = 1.2 vs. 1.0), and require longer form-stripping times compared to mixes without retarders.

The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Pages 72 and 82
Direct-Buried Cable Cover (>1000V–22kV)vsRigid Metal Conduit Cover (>22kV–40kV)

Direct-buried cables rated over 1000V AC through 22kV require a minimum cover of 750 mm (30 in.), while cables over 22kV through 40kV installed in rigid metal conduit require only 150 mm (6 in.).

NEC Table 305.15(A)

Key Terms

Competent Person (OSHA) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, Page 31
Per OSHA 29 CFR 1926.32(f), one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
Fire Extinguisher Rating Requirement (OSHA) OSHA 1926.150(c)(1)(i)
Per OSHA 1926.150(c)(1)(i), a fire extinguisher rated not less than 2A must be provided for each 3,000 square feet of protected building area.
Emergency Action Plan (small employer) (OSHA) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.35(e)(3)
Per OSHA 1926 CFR 29 §1926.35(e)(3), employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate their emergency action plan orally and are not required to maintain a written plan.
First Aid Kit Inspection Frequency (OSHA) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, Page 33
Per OSHA 29 CFR 1926.50, first aid kit contents must be checked before a job begins and at least weekly on each job to ensure expended items are replaced.
Equipment Operator Qualification (OSHA) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, Page 29
Per OSHA §1926.20(b)(4), only employees qualified by training or experience are permitted to operate equipment and machinery on construction sites.
Material Storage Near Hoistway (OSHA) OSHA 1926 CFR 29, §1926.250(b)(1)
Per OSHA §1926.250(b)(1), materials stored inside buildings under construction must not be placed within 6 feet of any hoistway or inside floor opening.
High Voltage Danger Sign Requirement (NEC) NEC 305.12
Per NEC 305.12, danger signs stating 'DANGER—HIGH VOLTAGE—KEEP OUT' must be conspicuously posted at all points of access to conductors in raceway and cable systems over 1000 volts.
Type MV Cable Qualified Installer (NEC) NEC 315.30
Per NEC 315.30, installation and testing of Type MV cable must be performed by a qualified person with documented training and experience.
Optimum Economic Life (equipment) Construction Equipment Guide, Chapter 2, Pages 100-103
The ownership duration at which the combined cumulative ownership cost per hour and cumulative operating cost per hour reaches its minimum total, identifying the best replacement point for a machine.
Air Entrainment (concrete) The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 181
An admixture characteristic required for all concrete exposed to freezing weather while in service, making it less susceptible to freeze-thaw damage than non-air-entrained concrete.
Formwork Camber Rule of Thumb The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 77
A common guideline to build 1/4 inch of upward curvature per 10 feet of span into formwork to compensate for deflection, shrinkage, and creep under load.
Concrete Cover (cast against earth) The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 100 (Table 6.3)
Per ACI 318, the minimum concrete cover for reinforcement in concrete cast against and permanently exposed to earth (e.g., footings) is 3 inches (75 mm).
Wet Stabbing of Dowels The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 102
The practice of stabbing vertical dowels into fresh concrete, which is prohibited because it does not ensure proper anchorage and consolidation of concrete around the reinforcing bars.
Cross Section Method (earthwork volume) Pipe and Excavation Contracting, Page 262
A volumetric estimation technique where the average cut or fill depth at the four corners of a grid-cell prism is multiplied by the prism base area to obtain the soil volume for that cell.
Normalweight Concrete Unit Weight The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 70
For formwork design calculations, normalweight concrete is taken as approximately 150 lb/ft³ (2400 kg/m³), more than twice the weight of water.
Formwork Cost Range The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, Page 54
Formwork typically represents 35 to 60 percent of the total cost of a concrete structure, making it one of the most significant cost components in concrete construction.

Formulas to Know

Earthwork Prism Volume (Cross Section Method)V = ((d1 + d2 + d3 + d4) / 4) × A, where d1–d4 = cut or fill depths at four corners, A = prism base area
Maximum Elevation Difference (lot grading)Max difference = Highest corner elevation − Lowest corner elevation
Form Tie Working Load (Safety Factor 2:1)Working Load = Ultimate Tensile Strength / 2
Form Anchor Safety Factor CheckAllowable Load = Ultimate Anchor Load / 3 (minimum safety factor = 3)
Formwork CamberCamber (in) = (Span in feet / 10) × 0.25
Concrete Lateral Pressure on Forms (key variables)Lateral Pressure = f(concrete temperature, rate of placement, unit weight of concrete); higher rate or lower temperature → higher pressure
Reinforcement Placement Effect on Capacity~20% reduction in load-carrying capacity per 0.5 in. misplacement of bars in a 6-in. slab (illustrative ratio, not a standalone algebraic formula)
Minimum Conductor Bend Radius (>1000V)Min radius = 12 × overall diameter (shielded/lead-covered); Min radius = 8 × overall diameter (nonshielded)
Start free practice Full study guide