Certificate In Paving
Paving Certificate
Certificate (Theory) In Paving and Associated Works
Paving Site Online magazine has designed a unique and intensive paper questionnaire, the Paving Certificate, devoted to the Paving Industry, as a means of testing your knowledge for your personal development; a training exercise for your staff; or as a challenge to a job applicant, anxious to prove their worthiness for a senior position within the company.
The exercise is intended to be difficult, probably requiring research to obtain maximum points. Questions are devised to stimulate and encourage learning as much as displaying current knowledge!
If you wish to complete the questionnaire, simply email alan@paving.site for more information, or go to www.alansargent.co.uk and make your payment of £95.00 via PayPal. You will be notified by email once the document has been posted.
Once complete, in your time, simply return the papers, notifying us by email of their postage, and you will be similarly informed of their safe arrival. (Please keep a copy in the event of any misplaced entries).
You will be notified of your grade in due course – within ten days of arrival – and an appropriate certificate will be awarded by post and email notification.
Total 150 Points Available
GRADES
PASS 120 POINTS
MERIT 130 POINTS
DISTINCTION 140 POINTS
Certificate In Paving Questionnaire
1. Name a type of acid used within the Building Industry to clean mortar from brickwork.
2. Why should you not use brick acid on natural stone paving? Please describe the reasons for your statements.
3. Why are there ‘arrows’ on the back of some porcelain slabs?
4. Describe (or draw) three different patterns of laying block paving.
5. What is the ideal moisture content of MOT Type1 when spreading?
a. 5 – 8%
b. 9 – 13%
c. 14 – 20%
6. Describe the working actions of a bridge saw. (Five points available).
7. Describe the working actions of a bench masonry saw. (Three points available).
8. What depth should the bridge bond primer be applied to the back of porcelain paving slabs?
a. 2 – 3mm
b. 4 – 5mm
c. Deep enough to cover the pattern on the slab
9. Why is butt jointing natural stone paving slabs not recommended?
10. Name three different types of cement in use in paving projects. (NOT brand names). (One point for each).
11. What is the area of hard standing in a garden car park restricted to without planning permission?
a. Up to five metres
b. 6 – 10 metres
c. Over 10 metres
12. Why is it recommended that the backs of calibrated natural stone slabs are washed before laying?
13. Describe the method of laying a pre-formed ‘kit’ of a circular paving project, step by step. (Three points available)
14. Describe the role and responsibilities of The Principal Designer under CDM Regs. (Four points available)
15. Describe the role and responsibilities of The Principal Contractor under CDM Regs 2015. (Six points available)
16. Name the reasons for avoiding cross joints when laying a natural stone random rectangular paving project on a driveway project.
(Two points available)
17. What is the recommended jointing gap when laying porcelain paving?
a. 2 – 3mm
b. 4 – 6mm
c. 6 – 10mm
18. What is the minimum level for hard standing below the house damp proof course?
19. What is the Building Regulations document concerning thresholds in England and Wales called?
20. Describe reasons for delamination in natural stone paving slabs? (Three points available)
21. Name an example of an igneous rock used for paving.
22. Name five different types of British paving stones used for commercial projects. (One point for each)
23. What is the approximate speed of a 30cm dia. blade when cutting?
a. 3,000 rpm
b. 4,000 rpm
c. 5,000 rpm
24. Describe the function of a drip-groove in a paving situation.
25. What is the maximum height permitted for ground level changes without planning permission?
26. Describe the relevance of the California Bearing Ratio when specifying sub-grades for driveways? (Two points available)
27. What is a Dynamic Cone Penetrometer used for?
28. Describe one effective method of invisibly installing an edge restraint to a paving project? (Please include a cross sectional drawing of your choice).
29. What is the Workplace Exposure Limit for silica when averaged out over 8 hours with a mechanical saw?
a. 0.1mg/m3
b. 0.2mg/m3
c. 0.3mg/m3
30. Describe the difference between Primary and Secondary Efflorescence?
31. Describe the significance of the following joints in concrete foundations or hard standing areas. (One point for each)
a. Contraction Joints
b. Isolation Joints
c. Expansion Joints
32. What is the recommended cross fall for porcelain paving under BS7533:102?
33. Steps – what is the recommended fall towards the front of the tread?
34. In cold weather, what is the recommended minimum temperature for laying paving?
35. Describe a ‘Full Contact Mortar Bed’ when laying paving.
36. Name three countries that produce granite setts for use in paving. (One point for each)
37. Describe ‘Ground Heave’ (NOT Root heave) and the damage it may cause. (Two points available)
38. Describe three examples of Site Welfare provisions.(Three points available)
39. Why are Hydrological Surveys useful when designing a large-scale garden design with hard landscaping included? (Three points available)
40. Name a Metamorphic stone used in paving.
41. Describe a Foliated paving slab, and give an example.
42. What is the minimum distance away from a building when installing a soak-away under Part H of The Building Regulations?
43. What is ‘Picture Framing’ as described in paving projects?
44. At what minimum temperature is porcelain fired during the manufacturing process?
a. 1,200 Celcius
b. 1,300 Celcius
c. 1,400 Celcius
45. What is ‘Full Bodied’ porcelain paving? Why is it so called?
46. Name a volcanic rock used in paving.
47. Which natural stone may be seen as ‘crazy’, sawn, bush hammered, brush chiseled and hand tooled? (Also, may be used as walling and for rockeries).
48. Name a Sedimentary stone used in paving.
49. What is the recommended Slip Rating for domestic paving projects?
50. What is the minimum depth for imprinted concrete in domestic car parks?
51. Describe ‘Inboard Cutting’, and reasons for recommending the practice.
52. What is ‘Spalling’ when applied to clay bricks and natural stone paving?
53. Jointing Materials – name three different types, their installation practices and properties. (Not brand names) (Three points available)
54. What depth should resin bonded surfaces on driveways be applied?
55. The Highways Act 1980 (Section 184) refers to which activity?
56. What are ‘Leachates’?
57. What type of geotextile membrane is recommended as a base under sub-grades?
58. What is ‘Moisture Transparency’, how does it manifest in paving slabs?
59. Name five different ‘materials’ that may be seen and used in mosaics. (Two points available)
60. Name a Calcareous rock used in paving. 61. What do the letters SBR stand for?
62. What is the difference between Reclaimed and Recycled paving materials (Six points available)
63. What is ‘Reflective Staining’?
64. ‘I have a very high crushing strength, low porosity, high density with a compressive strength (MPa) of 121, flexural strength of 11.0, and density (kg/m3) of 2406. What stone am I?
65. Describe the ideal situations when applying sealants post laying.
66. Name three types of self-binding gravel (use Trade names if preferred) and describe their properties.(Three points available)
67. Steps – what is the recommended height for a riser? And depth of tread?(Two points available)
68. Handrails – what is the maximum height permitted under Building Regulations for a raised patio without requiring a handrail? What height should the handrail be (Two points available)
69. What affect/s do Sulphates/Sulfates have on concrete? Describe.
70. Why do steps/flights of steps require drainage to the rear?
71. Describe three types of natural or man-made textured paving and their properties.(Three points available)
72. What is the British Standard for Tiling?
73. Why should you avoid mixing timber and paving together when constructing a ground level project?
74. What is the difference between rectified and non-rectified porcelain paving?
75. Under the Consumers Right Act, how many years are you responsible/liable for any problems?
76. Why is ‘Soft Builders’ sand unsuited to laying paving?
77. What is ‘White Bloom’ on paving?
78. Why should washing-up liquid never be used when mixing mortar?
79. What are ‘Retarders’ and when are they useful when laying paving?
80. Describe a ‘Laying Course’ under paving.
81. When should Biaxial Mesh be used, why and how? (Two points available)
82. What is a ‘Beam Edge’, and when is it used?
83. What are ‘Cropped Sides’ in paving? Describe their purpose.
84. What is an ‘Improvement Layer’? At what stage of a project would you expect to come across such a term?
85. What is a ‘Regulating Layer’? Where would you expect to find it?
86. What is known as ‘6F2’?
87. What is an ‘Unbound Pavement’? Give an example of the genre.
88. What is ‘Fettling’? Describe the practice.
89. What does the term ‘SuDS Compliant’ mean in landscaping situations?
90. Who is primarily responsible for Health & Safety on site?
91. What is a trigger point for a project requiring automatic registration with The Health & Safety Executive under DCM Regs?
92. At what width does a flight of steps require a handrail to both sides?
93. Where would you use paving pedestals? Describe your reasons for specifying.
94. When would you specify the use of MOT Type3?
95. What is a ‘Capping Layer’?
96. What is the ‘Percolation Test’?
97. What size particles are described as ‘Fines’?
98. How can you mitigate capillary action water issues when designing a base/sub-base for a driveway? (Two points available)
99. Which British Standard will cover permeable paving modular pavements (including patios and pathways etc)?
100. What is an alternative CBR sub-grade test you can carry out without the use of sophisticated equipment?
END OF EXAM