Blueprint Reading Free Exam

Blasted or drilled rock must be listed separately from other excavation. For estimation purposes, rock may exceed in-ground
volume by as much as 60 percent which should be accounted for. Rock type, proximity to existing structures, or drilling depth
required, special permits and the quantity of rock to be blasted or drilled all affect the contractor's estimation. It is advised that a rock blaster or drilling specialist be hired to perform this operation.

Convert inches to decimals of feet: T + B/2 x H x l = CF; 0.5 + 1.6% x 1.5 x 78 = CF; 2.1% x 117 = 1.08 x 117 = 126.36 CF

Information needed to take off the drainage work, as well as the limits of excavation and backfill, and general site improvements
such as paving and curbs, is provided in the drainage plans. Utilities drawings are used to take off trench excavation and
backfill for various utilities, which service the building, as well as piping and related work, such as manholes.

Elevations show the height and location of items. They do not show interior views or details. Items such as windows and
doors are indicated with letters in circles, which correspond to information schedules.

Most HVAC manufacturers make these modular units, which may be assembled vertically or horizontally. Commercial ducts are regulated and classified in one of 2 groups determined by flamespread and smoke developed or spread.

Recommended slack at each outlet is 8". However when estimating a wire-run, an additional 20 percent should be added to the length to account for wire not running in a straight line. Ail wires and conductors are taken-off per LF. All fittings, devices and boxes are taken-off per each item.

Coating specifications may include wet film thickness or dry film thickness, or the MWF, which states the applied rate of xx mils per coat minimum wet film thickness. A mil is a unit of measure equal to 0.025 mm, or 0.01 in.

Frequent moves of ladders or scaffolding, or staging, reduces the accuracy of labor pricing. Installed wood moldings and trim which must be painted also reduce productivity due to time needed for "cutting in."

Change Orders must always be in writing and contain the name and address of the contractor, the contractor's license, the
signatures of both parties, the approximate starting and ending dates, the project address or location, and "Notice to Owner."

Included in the set of house plans are: the plot plan, floor plan, foundation or basement plan, elevation drawings showing front,
rear and side views of the building, electrical, plumbing, heating, and AC layouts.

Stripped topsoil is listed in the take-off as an area multiplied by the depth, expressed as cubic yards. The area of topsoil to be
removed should be enlarged to accommodate any clearance needed and removal of stumps, as well as trucking and fees for disposal.

Raceways enclose and protect bare wires, while cable trays provide support for electric wires that have adequate insulation and do not require added protection. Open raceways only support the wires and are open to inspection and modifications. Conduits, underfloor ducts, wireways and surface metal raceways support insulated electric wire and provide protection. They may be metal, non-metallic, PVC or PE. Raceways are taken-off per LF. Fittings required to make turns and extensions are taken-off per each item

Floor framing includes the girder, sill plates, sill sealer, joists, band or box joist and subfloor sheathing. The girder is at a specific midpoint in width intended to reduce the overall span of the joist. Sills or sill plates are typically 2’ x 6' or 2" x 8". Sills are doubled-up on some plans. Anchor bolts secure sills to the top of the foundation. The sill sealer acts as an insect and air infiltration barrier. Joists provide floor support and are spaced typically at 12 16" or 24" O.C. Box or band joists run perpendicular to the joists
at their ends. Subflooring is laid perpendicular to the joists and is typically plywood. Take-offs for girders, sills and sill sealer are by the LF. Built-up girders and sills must be multiplied by the number of members or pieces.

For shapes whose ends and opposites are parallel, V= A x h (Volume = area x height). Concrete needed to fill a sonotube
can be calculated using the cylinder formula, V = pi x R(2) x h (Volume = 3.1416 x radius squared x height).

It is the contractor's responsibility for safety and for any damage that might occur to adjacent structures during construction.
Underpinning requires the existing foundation support to be brought to the depth of the proposed structure. This is generally
a costly procedure and should be paid for by lump sum, item unit prices, or on force account for labor, equipment and materials with applicable markups.

$1560.00/$7800.00 = 20 percent

Studs are used as the vertical components of the metal wall system, and the steel track is the horizontal component.
Regardless of the take-off method used, the contractor must separate walls of different stud widths, gauges, height, on-center spacing, etc.

Methods for supporting shelves include the use of brackets carried in notches, brackets held with wood screws, wood pins and metal or plastic shelf pins. When plywood shelving is used, it should be faced with solid stock.

HVAC equipment can develop hazardous pressures or temperatures when the water level in a steam boiler drops below a predetermined level. Relief valves protect the system against excessive line pressure.

Expansion joints are taken-off by LF, but should be listed separately by size and thickness. Control joints, provided by  tooling, saw cutting, and forming, involves take-off quantities by LF.

Fixtures are vented to keep water in the trap under atmospheric pressure. Each vent pipe is connected to a vent stack running through the roof, which vents gases generated by wastes.

Bricks come in numerous types and sizes. Sizes are nominal, not actual. The difference between actual and nominal is made up
by the thickness of the mortar. Most are modular in design, and generally a multiple of 4".

General Conditions within the contract cite the specific order so a dispute may be settled without the need for interpretation
or arbitration. However, the legal precedent dictates that the Contract Agreement has priority, followed by the Specifications
and Plan Drawings.

Waste system pipes which provide adequate flow of wastes, protect against cross-connection and keep noxious fumes from escaping may be cast iron, copper, brass, galvanized steel, or in buildings up to 3 stories in height, ABS or PVC-DWV plastic pipe.

Concrete flatwork, or slab, pouring is estimated and taken-off by the square foot.

Structural steel items are capable of supporting large loads, and are available in a variety of sizes and shapes. Steel is an ideal
flexural material and provides an economical solution to many engineering problems. Shop and field priming, items installed by
others and open-web bar joists and metal decking are additional considerations in calculating take-off.

Concrete is taken off by the CF, converted to CY. For estimating and purchasing purposes, 1 CY = 27 CF.

It is important to use correct units of measure when calculating area and volume. Feet multiplied by feet equals square feet.
Yards multiplied by yards equals square yards. Feet multiplied by feet, multiplied by feet equals cubic feet. Yards multiplied
by yards, multiplied by yards equals cubic yards. Multiplying a
dimension in feet by a dimension in inches is erroneous and one of the dimensions must be converted before the calculation
can be correctly made. Example: Calculate the area of a space 12'-6" x 2O'-4": 12'-6" = 12.50'; 2O'-3" = 23.33'; 12.50' x 23.33'
= 291.63sq. ft.

Plastic pipe support is very important but receives little attention with adverse results. Support spacing depends upon pipe size, operating temp, wall thickness and mechanical properties of the specific pipe material. Specific support spacings are available from the pipe manufacturers.

Class ABC fire extinguishers are multipurpose dry chemical extinguishers, which cover the possibility of the three basic types of fires.