Construction PE Section Comprehensive
Questions and Verified Correct Answers 2026-
2027 All Correct Rated 100%
LCY
Loose cubic yards, or soil in a stockpile, dump truck or bucket
LCY = BCY * (1 + swell factor)
BCY
Bank cubic yards, or soil in situ, undisturbed (cut volume)
Loose volume / (1 + swell factor)
CCY
Compacted cubic yards, or soil that has been rolled and compacted (fill
volume)
CCY = BCY * (1 + shrinkage factor)
Average end area method
V = 0.5 (A1 + A2) L / 27 cf per 1 cy
Prismodial Formula
,V = L / 6 * (A1 + 4Am + A2) / (27 cf per 1 cy)
V = volume of earthwork in cubic yards or cubic feet
1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet
L = distance (spacing) between cross-sections in feet
Ai = cross section area in square feet
Conical Spoil Bank formula
V = (pi / 12) (r^2 H), where
Conical spoil pile: D = (7.64 * V / (tanR))^0.33
Conical spoil pile: H = 0.5 D tan(R)
Triangular spoil bank
V=A*L
V = 0.5 B H * L
Triangular spoil bank: B = (4V / (L * tanR))^0.5
Triangular spoil bank: H = 0.5 B tan(R)
Conical spoil bank and triangular spoil bank variable definitions
R = Angle of Repose
H = triangular or conical pile height (ft)
L = triangular pile length (ft)
r = conical pile radius (ft)
D = 2r = conical pile diameter (ft)
B = Triangular pile base width (ft)
V = Triangular or conical pile volume (cf)
A = Triangular pile cross section area (sf) A = 0.5 B H
,Grid volume (V)
V = average cut depth in feet * area of grid in SF
If multiple grids, then sum volumes of each grid
Overhaul (cy - stations)
= overhaul volume (cy) * overhaul distance (stations)
Overhaul distance (stations)
= total haul distance (stations) - free haul distance (stations)
Total haul distance (stations)
= distance (stations) between centers of mass outside free haul distance
Free haul volume (CY) =
overhaul volume (CY)
How to calculate H for mass diagrams
= E / O = excavation cost / over haul cost
E in mass diagrams
= excavation cost in $ / cy
O in mass diagrams
= overhaul cost in $ / cy-ft
Formula for length of economical haul
Length of economical haul = free haul distance + H
Crane stability formula
Max load (from load chart) = ( allowable load + slings + spreader bar ) * (
1 + working margin )
, Equipment productivity
P = Q/T, where
P = productivity
Q = heaped bucket capacity
T = cycle time (seconds)
F = bucket fill factor
E = efficiency (minutes per hour)
W = aggregate weight (LB / CY)
Critical path activity
Activities linked together on the critical path in a project schedule.
Critical activities have no float, meaning float = 0. For a critical activity,
ES = LS and EF = LF.
What is the critical path?
The path from start to finish that passes through all the tasks that are
critical to completing the project in the shortest amount of time.
In other words, the sequence of activities that represents the LONGEST
path through a project, which determines the SHORTEST possible
duration.
Crashing
A technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least
incremental cost by adding resources.
Early Start Date (ES)
The earliest possible point in time on which uncompleted portions of a
schedule activity can start, based upon the schedule network logic, the
data date, and any schedule constraints.
Questions and Verified Correct Answers 2026-
2027 All Correct Rated 100%
LCY
Loose cubic yards, or soil in a stockpile, dump truck or bucket
LCY = BCY * (1 + swell factor)
BCY
Bank cubic yards, or soil in situ, undisturbed (cut volume)
Loose volume / (1 + swell factor)
CCY
Compacted cubic yards, or soil that has been rolled and compacted (fill
volume)
CCY = BCY * (1 + shrinkage factor)
Average end area method
V = 0.5 (A1 + A2) L / 27 cf per 1 cy
Prismodial Formula
,V = L / 6 * (A1 + 4Am + A2) / (27 cf per 1 cy)
V = volume of earthwork in cubic yards or cubic feet
1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet
L = distance (spacing) between cross-sections in feet
Ai = cross section area in square feet
Conical Spoil Bank formula
V = (pi / 12) (r^2 H), where
Conical spoil pile: D = (7.64 * V / (tanR))^0.33
Conical spoil pile: H = 0.5 D tan(R)
Triangular spoil bank
V=A*L
V = 0.5 B H * L
Triangular spoil bank: B = (4V / (L * tanR))^0.5
Triangular spoil bank: H = 0.5 B tan(R)
Conical spoil bank and triangular spoil bank variable definitions
R = Angle of Repose
H = triangular or conical pile height (ft)
L = triangular pile length (ft)
r = conical pile radius (ft)
D = 2r = conical pile diameter (ft)
B = Triangular pile base width (ft)
V = Triangular or conical pile volume (cf)
A = Triangular pile cross section area (sf) A = 0.5 B H
,Grid volume (V)
V = average cut depth in feet * area of grid in SF
If multiple grids, then sum volumes of each grid
Overhaul (cy - stations)
= overhaul volume (cy) * overhaul distance (stations)
Overhaul distance (stations)
= total haul distance (stations) - free haul distance (stations)
Total haul distance (stations)
= distance (stations) between centers of mass outside free haul distance
Free haul volume (CY) =
overhaul volume (CY)
How to calculate H for mass diagrams
= E / O = excavation cost / over haul cost
E in mass diagrams
= excavation cost in $ / cy
O in mass diagrams
= overhaul cost in $ / cy-ft
Formula for length of economical haul
Length of economical haul = free haul distance + H
Crane stability formula
Max load (from load chart) = ( allowable load + slings + spreader bar ) * (
1 + working margin )
, Equipment productivity
P = Q/T, where
P = productivity
Q = heaped bucket capacity
T = cycle time (seconds)
F = bucket fill factor
E = efficiency (minutes per hour)
W = aggregate weight (LB / CY)
Critical path activity
Activities linked together on the critical path in a project schedule.
Critical activities have no float, meaning float = 0. For a critical activity,
ES = LS and EF = LF.
What is the critical path?
The path from start to finish that passes through all the tasks that are
critical to completing the project in the shortest amount of time.
In other words, the sequence of activities that represents the LONGEST
path through a project, which determines the SHORTEST possible
duration.
Crashing
A technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least
incremental cost by adding resources.
Early Start Date (ES)
The earliest possible point in time on which uncompleted portions of a
schedule activity can start, based upon the schedule network logic, the
data date, and any schedule constraints.
