- Which type of screw is used with gypsum board installation and light-gauge steel?
- Type W
- Type U
- Type R
- Type S
Drywall screws are designated by a letter indicating their intended use.
Type S screws are designed for fastening gypsum board (drywall) to light-gauge Steel studs. They have a sharp point and fine threads to properly penetrate and grip the metal.
In contrast, Type W screws are used for fastening drywall to Wood studs and have a coarse thread for better holding power in wood.
- The self-weight of the structural members normally provides the largest portion of the _____ load of a building.
- Dead
- Live
- Wind
- Heavy
A dead load is the static, permanent load of the building itself. This includes the weight of all structural members (like beams, columns, and foundations) and fixed components like walls, floors, and roofing materials.
A live load refers to non-permanent, movable loads, such as people, furniture, equipment, or snow.
- Which of the following roof styles is described below?
- Salt box
- Side-gabled
- Mansard
- Pavilion-hipped
A Mansard roof is a four-sided hip-style roof where each side has two distinct slopes. The lower slope is very steep (almost vertical) and often contains dormer windows, while the upper slope is much flatter.
- Which of the following best describes ductility?
- Similar to the concept of support, except that connection refers to the joining of two or more structural members
- A system of forces composed of two equal forces of opposite direction, offset by a perpendicular distance
- Bending deformation (i.e., deformation by increasing curvature) of a structural element
- The amount of inelastic deformation which a material can undergo before fracture
Ductility is the measure of how much plastic (inelastic) deformation a material can withstand before it fractures.
This is a critical property in structural engineering, especially in seismic zones, as it allows structural members to bend and deform, absorbing energy rather than snapping suddenly (which is characteristic of a brittle material).
- Which of the following NOT true concerning trusses?
- Trusses are often used as visual or spatial elements.
- Trusses are used for heavily loaded long spans requiring more structural depth than a simple beam.
- Trusses are never used as repetitive lightweight members, such as steel bar joists.
- Trusses are not limited to planar assemblies, and can be arranged as three-dimensional structures.
Trusses are very commonly used as repetitive, lightweight members. The most prominent example is steel bar joists, which are lightweight trusses used extensively to support floors and roofs in commercial construction.
- Which of the following terms is defined below?
- Dissipation
- Liquefaction
- Saturation
- Indemnification
The process described is soil liquefaction. It is a phenomenon most common in loose, sandy, saturated soils during an earthquake.
- Which of the following terms is defined below?
- Surety
- Privity
- Compensation
- Quittance
A surety is an individual or entity that guarantees the performance or debts of another. In construction, this is formalized through a surety bond.
- What does CSI stand for?
- Construction Science Institute
- Construction Specifications Institute
- Construction SPEX Institute
- Construction Source Institute
This is a national association that creates and standardizes formats for construction documents and specifications.
- Which of the following acronyms is described below?
- FEC
- FE
- FSPR
- FEXT
FE stands for fire extinguisher. It is a common abbreviation used on construction drawings and fire protection schedules to identify the location of portable extinguishers throughout a building.
- What distance is required between masonry veneer and sheathing?
- 0.5 inches
- 1 inch
- 1.5 inches
- 2 inches
Most building codes require a minimum 1-inch air space (or cavity) between the back of a masonry veneer and the weather-resistant barrier that covers the structural sheathing.
This gap is critical for moisture control. It functions as a drainage plane, allowing any water that penetrates the porous masonry to drain down and exit through weep holes at the base of the wall, preventing it from reaching the sheathing and framing.