CSLB C-12 Earthwork and Paving (Trade Exam) — All Questions

A State specification calls for 0.35 foot of aggregate base. What thickness is that in inches?

• a.4.2 inches✓
• b.3.5 inches
• c.0.42 inch
• d.35 inches

Multiply feet by 12: 0.35 × 12 = 4.2 inches. Reading 0.35 foot as 3.5 inches moves the decimal point, 0.42 inch drops a factor of ten, and 35 inches treats the foot value as inches times 100.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §26-1.03 (thickness stated in feet)

A route runs from STA 7+25 to STA 11+80. What is its length?

• a.4.55 feet
• b.455 feet✓
• c.355 feet
• d.1,905 feet

Stations are in feet: 1,180 − 725 = 455 feet. Reading the difference of the station numbers as 4.55 feet ignores the 100-foot station, 1,905 adds the stations, and 355 subtracts incorrectly.Surveying practice (stationing)

Under the State earthwork specification, where concrete base or pavement is to be placed, how must the grading plane be prepared?

• a.It must not extend above the established grade✓
• b.It must be at least 0.10 foot below the grade everywhere
• c.It must be within 0.05 foot above or below the grade
• d.It may be up to 0.10 foot above the grade

Under concrete base or pavement the grading plane may not extend above the established grade, because a high spot would reduce the slab thickness. The plus-or-minus 0.05 foot tolerance is for asphalt, 0.10 foot above applies only to base paid by the ton, and a mandatory 0.10-foot depression is not stated.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-1.03C

Aggregate base is paid by weight. Which deduction does the State specification make from the weighed tons?

• a.The weight of all water present in the load when weighed
• b.Water above optimum moisture plus 1 percent✓
• c.The tare weight of the haul truck's tires and bed
• d.A flat 5 percent deduction for moisture

When base is paid by weight the engineer deducts the weight of water in excess of the optimum moisture content plus 1 percent. Deducting all water would remove the moisture the compacted base needs, truck tare is not part of the weighed load, and a flat percentage ignores the actual moisture in the load.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §26-1.04

On a grading plan, contour lines that are drawn very close together indicate which condition?

• a.A drainage inlet
• b.Steep ground✓
• c.Flat ground
• d.A change in soil type

Closely spaced contours mean the elevation changes quickly over a short distance, which is steep ground. Flat ground has widely spaced contours, a drainage inlet is shown by a structure symbol, and soil type is not shown by contour spacing.Plan-reading practice (contours)

Which statement about the construction stormwater permit is correct?

• a.Sites disturbing one or more acres of land, or part of a larger common plan disturbing more than one acre✓
• b.Sites disturbing more than 10 acres, or part of a larger plan disturbing more than 40 acres of land
• c.Sites that discharge stormwater directly to the ocean, a lake or a bay
• d.Asphalt paving operations on sites larger than one acre in total area

The order covers sites disturbing one or more acres of land surface and smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan that disturbs more than one acre, for clearing, grading and excavation as well as paving. The 10-acre threshold, a paving-only scope and an ocean-drainage limit are not in the order.SWRCB Order WQ 2022-0057-DWQ (applicability)

A soil report finds groundwater 4 feet below the ground surface on a site that will have 8-foot trenches. What is the main planning consequence?

• a.Higher haul costs, with trench-safety cost unchanged
• b.Dewatering and trench-safety costs must both be priced✓
• c.The trenches can be dug at a steeper slope
• d.The utility notice period is shortened

Groundwater in an 8-foot trench means water accumulation, submerged Type C soil, dewatering and added protective-system cost. Higher haul cost is not the consequence because trench-safety cost does change, water does not allow steeper slopes (submerged soil is Type C at 1-1/2:1), and it has no effect on the utility notice period.8 CCR §1541(h); Appendix A soil classification

A street closure for pipe work will change how traffic moves. If local authorities regulate traffic, how far ahead does the State specification require notice?

• a.At least 30 calendar days before the work begins
• b.At least 24 hours before job site activities start
• c.Notice is required after a complaint is received
• d.At least 5 business days before activities start✓

The specification requires notifying local authorities at least 5 business days before the start of job site activities. Twenty-four hours is the notice for seal-coat parking restrictions, 30 days is longer than the specification states, and notice after a complaint comes too late to be notice at all.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §12-4.01A

A backhoe cuts a natural gas line operating at 100 psig (a high priority installation) and gas escapes. Which action is required?

• a.Immediately notify 911 and the owner-operator✓
• b.Cover the nick with tape and keep digging
• c.Wait for the next daily inspection to report it
• d.Notify the owner-operator at the end of the shift

If damage to a high priority installation releases flammable gas or endangers life, health or property the excavator must immediately notify 911, and must notify the facility owner-operator or the regional notification center. Taping, end-of-shift notice and waiting for an inspection all delay the response.8 CCR §1541(b)(5)

Which two conditions must both be met before an excavation may start?

• a.The area is marked and positive responses are received from all known owner-operators✓
• b.The weather forecast is dry and a street sweeper is on site for tracking
• c.The trench is under 5 feet deep and the competent person classifies the soil Type A
• d.The daily inspection log is signed and the permit fee has been paid in full

The order says excavation may not commence until the area is marked and the excavator has positive responses from the known owner-operators of subsurface installations within the project. Depth, soil type, logs, fees, forecasts and sweepers are other topics.8 CCR §1541(b)(1)(A)

A sidewalk 400 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 inches thick will be poured. Allow 10 percent waste. How many cubic yards of concrete should be ordered?

• a.20 cubic yards
• b.22 cubic yards✓
• c.21 cubic yards
• d.59 cubic yards

The volume is 400 × 4 × (4 ÷ 12) = 533.3 cubic feet = 19.75 cubic yards, and with 10% waste 21.7, which is ordered as 22. Twenty omits the waste, 59 uses a 12-inch thickness, and 21 rounds down a quantity that is being ordered.Estimating practice (flatwork quantity)

A loader has a 3-cubic-yard bucket, a 30-second cycle and a 50-minute working hour. How many hours does it take to load 2,400 loose cubic yards?

• a.16 hours
• b.6.7 hours
• c.8 hours✓
• d.10 hours

Cycles per hour = (3,600 ÷ 30) × (50 ÷ 60) = 100, so production is 100 × 3 = 300 loose yards per hour, and 2,400 ÷ 300 = 8 hours. Using a full 60-minute hour gives 6.7 hours, and 10 and 16 hours come from halving the production or the bucket size.Estimating practice (production)

Cross-section areas of 120 square feet and 180 square feet occur at stations 100 feet apart. What is the volume between them by the average-end-area method?

• a.About 15,000 cubic yards
• b.About 444 cubic yards
• c.About 1,111 cubic yards
• d.About 556 cubic yards✓

The average area is 150 square feet, times 100 feet is 15,000 cubic feet, and 15,000 ÷ 27 = 556 cubic yards. The 444 figure uses only the smaller area, 1,111 adds the areas instead of averaging, and 15,000 leaves the answer in cubic feet.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-6.03B (average end areas)

An excavation produces fill that compacts to 0.90 compacted cubic yard per bank cubic yard. The job needs 10,000 compacted cubic yards from borrow that swells 25 percent when dug. How many loose cubic yards must be hauled?

• a.About 13,889✓
• b.About 9,000
• c.About 12,500
• d.About 11,111

Bank yards = 10,000 ÷ 0.90 = 11,111, and loose yards = 11,111 × 1.25 = 13,889. The 12,500 figure applies swell without the shrinkage conversion, 11,111 stops at bank yards, and 9,000 multiplies by the shrinkage factor.Estimating practice (bank, loose and compacted volumes)

Direct cost is $400,000. Overhead is 12 percent of direct cost, and profit is 10 percent of cost plus overhead. What is the bid?

• a.$440,000
• b.$492,800✓
• c.$488,000
• d.$448,000

Cost with overhead is $448,000, and 10 percent profit on that is $44,800, so the bid is $492,800. Adding 12 and 10 percent to $400,000 gives $488,000, $448,000 omits profit, and $440,000 applies only the profit to the direct cost.Estimating practice (overhead and profit)

A parking lot is 150 feet by 80 feet and will receive 6 inches of aggregate base. About how many cubic yards of base are needed in place?

• a.444 cubic yards
• b.111 cubic yards
• c.222 cubic yards✓
• d.6,000 cubic yards

Area = 12,000 square feet, volume = 12,000 × 0.5 = 6,000 cubic feet, and 6,000 ÷ 27 = 222 cubic yards. Using 12 inches gives 444, using 3 inches gives 111, and 6,000 leaves the answer in cubic feet.Estimating practice (prism volume)

A site is 3.5 acres. How many square feet is that?

• a.15,246 square feet
• b.130,680 square feet
• c.174,240 square feet
• d.152,460 square feet✓

One acre is 43,560 square feet, and 3.5 × 43,560 = 152,460. The 130,680 figure is 3 acres, 174,240 is 4 acres, and 15,246 shifts the decimal point.Estimating practice (unit conversion)

A chip seal covers 8,000 square yards with 3/8-inch aggregate spread at 22 pounds per square yard. How many tons of aggregate are needed?

• a.176 tons
• b.4,400 tons
• c.88 tons✓
• d.8.8 tons

8,000 × 22 = 176,000 pounds, and 176,000 ÷ 2,000 = 88 tons. The 176 figure divides by 1,000 instead of 2,000, 8.8 shifts the decimal, and 4,400 divides by 40.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §37-2.02C(3) (aggregate spread rates)

A level reads 4.62 feet at a stake. The instrument height is 96.30 feet. What is the ground elevation at the stake?

• a.96.30 feet
• b.100.92 feet
• c.91.68 feet✓
• d.4.62 feet

Ground elevation = HI − foresight = 96.30 − 4.62 = 91.68 feet. Adding the reading gives 100.92, and the other two are the rod reading and the HI themselves.Surveying practice (leveling)

A road cut is 6 feet deep at the centerline with 2:1 cut slopes and a 30-foot-wide finished roadbed. How far from the centerline is the catch point at the top of the cut on level ground?

• a.27 feet✓
• b.21 feet
• c.12 feet
• d.33 feet

Catch point = half the width + depth × slope ratio = 15 + 6 × 2 = 27 feet. Twelve feet counts only the slope run, 21 uses a 1:1 slope, and 33 uses a 3:1 slope.Surveying practice (slope staking)

Two curb stakes 25 feet apart have finish elevations 150.00 and 150.50 feet. What is the grade?

• a.1.0 percent
• b.0.5 percent
• c.20 percent
• d.2.0 percent✓

Rise 0.50 foot over a run of 25 feet is 0.02, which is 2.0 percent. Half a percent uses the rise as the percent, 20 percent shifts the decimal, and 1.0 percent uses a 50-foot run.Surveying practice (grade between stakes)

The instrument height is 92.15 feet and finish grade at a stake is 87.60 feet. What rod reading shows that the rod bottom is at finish grade?

• a.4.45 feet
• b.179.75 feet
• c.4.55 feet✓
• d.87.60 feet

Rod reading = HI − design elevation = 92.15 − 87.60 = 4.55 feet. Adding gives 179.75, 4.45 is an arithmetic slip, and 87.60 is the design elevation.Surveying practice (setting grade)

Which practice best protects against a wrong height of instrument spreading through a layout?

• a.Trust the first rod reading of the day
• b.Use a single benchmark so every reading is consistent
• c.Close the level loop on a second known benchmark of elevation✓
• d.Stake from the machine's control model alone

Closing a loop on a second known benchmark exposes an error in the first setup before it is built into the work. A single benchmark cannot check itself, a machine model reproduces whatever reference it is given, and trusting an unchecked first reading is how errors propagate.Surveying practice (loop closure)

Why are offset stakes set at a known distance from the true point?

• a.They replace the benchmark for the whole project
• b.They cost less than hubs and need no guard stakes
• c.They survive construction and still carry the grade information✓
• d.They mark the exact finished edge of pavement afterward

Machines destroy stakes at the true point, so an offset stake carries the station, offset distance and cut or fill to a position that survives. Cost, marking finished pavement and replacing a benchmark are not their purpose.Surveying practice (offset stakes)

Which minimum durability index applies to Class 2 aggregate base under the State specification?

• a.35✓
• b.22
• c.50
• d.78

Class 2 aggregate base requires a minimum durability index of 35 (R-value 78, sand equivalent 22). Fifty is the Class 3 R-value minimum.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §26-1.02B

Minor concrete for curbs and sidewalks must contain at least how much cementitious material?

• a.300 pounds per cubic yard
• b.463 pounds per cubic yard✓
• c.505 pounds per cubic yard for all curbs
• d.600 pounds per cubic yard

Minor concrete contains at least 463 pounds of cementitious material per cubic yard; 505 applies to extruded or slip-form curb with 3/8-inch maximum aggregate. Three hundred pounds is below the minimum, 600 pounds is not a stated value, and 505 applies to only one kind of curb rather than all curbs.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §73-1.02A

What is the minimum overlap of adjacent edges of geosynthetic material under aggregate base?

• a.2 feet✓
• b.6 inches
• c.3 feet
• d.1 foot

Adjacent edges and roll ends overlap at least 2 feet; a repair patch overlaps at least 3 feet. Six inches and 1 foot are less than the minimum.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §26-1.03C

A distributor truck for tack coat must be able to apply within which range?

• a.0.5 to 5 gallons per square yard at 5 to 10 psi
• b.0.001 to 0.01 gallon per square yard at 25 psi
• c.0.02 to 1 gallon per square yard at 25 to 75 psi pressure✓
• d.One fixed rate near 0.10 gallon per square yard

The State specification requires a distribution system capable of 0.02 to 1 gallon per square yard at 25 to 75 psi and within 0.02 gallon of the set rate. A fixed rate or the other ranges would not cover tack, chip seal and fog seal needs.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §37-1.03B

Which tire pressure is the minimum for the pneumatic intermediate roller in a hot mix compaction train?

• a.100 psi
• b.30 psi
• c.15 psi
• d.60 psi✓

The pneumatic-tired intermediate roller is at least 4 feet wide with tires inflated to 60 psi minimum. The 100 psi figure belongs to the chip seal rollers, and 30 and 15 psi are below the minimum.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §39-2.01C(2)(c)

What is the purpose of a material transfer vehicle in paving?

• a.It remixes the mix and feeds the paver continuously without stopping✓
• b.It cools the mix before it reaches the paver hopper
• c.It compacts the mix behind the screed with vibratory rollers
• d.It applies the tack coat ahead of the paver's screed

A material transfer vehicle receives hot mix, remixes it with augers and transfers it to the paver's hopper so paving can be continuous. Compaction is the rollers' job, tack is applied by a distributor, and cooling the mix is the opposite of the goal.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §39-2.01C(2)(b)

A grade stake at the edge of a base reads "C 0.4" to top of base. Existing ground at the stake is 98.20 feet and the instrument height is 103.00 feet. What rod reading puts the rod bottom at top of base?

• a.4.80 feet
• b.5.20 feet✓
• c.4.40 feet
• d.97.80 feet

Cut 0.4 puts the top of base at 98.20 − 0.40 = 97.80, and the rod reading is HI − 97.80 = 5.20 feet. Adding the cut instead gives a top of base of 98.60 and a reading of 4.40, 4.80 is the reading at the existing ground, and 97.80 is the elevation, not the rod reading.Surveying and grade-control practice

Plans show cold planing to a depth of 0.20 foot. Within what range may the planed depth be adjusted to achieve a uniform profile?

• a.0.15 to 0.25 foot
• b.0.10 to 0.30 foot
• c.0.20 to 0.23 foot
• d.0.17 to 0.23 foot✓

The planed depth may be adjusted by up to plus or minus 0.03 foot from the depth shown, which is 0.17 to 0.23 foot, while the average depth must be at least the depth shown. The wider ranges have no basis and the one-sided range ignores the downward adjustment.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §39-3.04C(2)

If a ski device is used to control a cold planing machine, what must it be?

• a.Two 10-foot sections hinged together
• b.At least 30 feet long, rigid and one piece✓
• c.Flexible, so that it follows the pavement surface
• d.A short flexible ski of about 6 feet that follows local bumps

The State specification requires a ski used for cold planing to be at least 30 feet long, rigid and a one-piece unit, with the entire length used to activate the sensor, so that it averages the surface. A flexible ski, a short ski of about 6 feet and two hinged 10-foot sections would all follow local bumps and defeat the purpose.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §39-3.04C(1)

Grade-checkers and surveyors working on foot around earthmoving equipment must do what?

• a.Wear high-visibility safety apparel✓
• b.Stand directly behind scrapers to check grades
• c.Work at night
• d.Carry a radio instead of apparel

Cal/OSHA requires employees on foot such as grade-checkers and surveyors who are exposed to vehicular traffic to wear high-visibility safety apparel, and operators must know where they are. Night work, standing behind scrapers and a radio substituted for apparel do not protect them.8 CCR §1590(a)(5)

A planed lane remains open to traffic next to the adjacent open lane. What is the largest allowed drop-off between the adjacent lanes?

• a.1.0 foot
• b.0.05 foot
• c.0.15 foot✓
• d.0.50 foot

Where lanes are open to traffic the drop-off between adjacent lanes may not be more than 0.15 foot (about 1.8 inches). A 0.05-foot limit is the base tolerance, and 0.50 foot and 1.0 foot would be hazardous.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §39-3.04C(2)

Any point on a completed excavation slope in soil must be within what distance of the planned slope under the State specification?

• a.2 feet
• b.5 feet
• c.0.05 foot
• d.0.5 foot✓

Excavation slopes in soil must be within 0.5 foot of the planned slope, and slopes in rock within 2 feet. The 0.05-foot figure is the grading-plane tolerance, and 5 feet has no basis.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-2.03G

For median and side slopes of 6:1 or flatter, within what distance must completed slopes be from the established grade, and flowlines?

• a.Slopes within 1 foot and flowlines within 0.2 foot
• b.Slopes within 0.05 foot and flowlines within 0.01 foot
• c.Slopes within 0.2 foot and flowlines within 0.1 foot✓
• d.Slopes within 0.5 foot and flowlines within 0.5 foot

Flat median and side slopes are held to 0.2 foot, and flowlines graded to drain must be within 0.1 foot of the established grade. Half a foot is the general excavation slope tolerance, 1 foot with 0.2 foot is looser than stated, and 0.05 foot with 0.01 foot is tighter than stated.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-2.03G

Base paid by the ton will be placed on a grading plane. How high above the established grade may the grading plane be at any point?

• a.Within 0.05 foot above
• b.Within 0.20 foot above
• c.Within 0.10 foot above✓
• d.Within 0.50 foot above

If subbase or base to be placed is paid by the ton, the grading plane at any point is within 0.10 foot above the established grade; if paid by the cubic yard it is within 0.05 foot. Half a foot and 0.20 foot are too loose, and no height at all above grade is the rule for concrete base and pavement, not for base paid by the ton.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-1.03C

A gutter flowline drops 0.9 foot in 60 feet. What is its grade?

• a.6.7 percent
• b.1.5 percent✓
• c.15 percent
• d.0.15 percent

0.9 ÷ 60 = 0.015, which is 1.5 percent. Fifteen percent shifts the decimal, 0.15 percent shifts it the other way, and 6.7 percent inverts the ratio.Grade-control practice (percent slope)

Why must a machine-control model or stringline be checked against a known benchmark before grading begins?

• a.The machine corrects errors in its own reference by itself
• b.Benchmarks are required when grading by hand
• c.The machine reproduces whatever reference it is given✓
• d.Checking is needed when the soil is wet

Automatic controls follow the model or string faithfully, so an error in the reference is built perfectly into the grade. Machines do not detect a bad reference, benchmarks apply to all methods, and soil moisture is unrelated.Grade-control practice

A moist soil sample is dried and the weights are 500 grams wet and 450 grams dry. What is the moisture content?

• a.1.1 percent
• b.10.0 percent
• c.90.0 percent
• d.11.1 percent✓

Moisture content is water weight divided by dry weight: (500 − 450) ÷ 450 = 0.111 = 11.1 percent. Ten percent divides by the wet weight, 90 percent is the dry share of the wet weight, and 1.1 percent shifts the decimal.Soil mechanics practice (moisture content)

Field dry density is 108.0 pounds per cubic foot and the laboratory maximum dry density is 115.0. What is the relative compaction?

• a.7.0 percent
• b.93.9 percent✓
• c.106.5 percent
• d.94.9 percent

Relative compaction = 108.0 ÷ 115.0 × 100 = 93.9 percent. Inverting the ratio gives 106.5, 94.9 is an arithmetic slip, and 7.0 is the difference between the densities.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-5.03 (relative compaction)

A lift tests at 93.9 percent relative compaction in the top 2.5 feet below finished grade under a traveled way. What follows?

• a.It passes, because 90 percent is the minimum
• b.It fails the 95 percent minimum and is reworked✓
• c.It passes, because compaction is judged on the daily average
• d.It is accepted if the soil is granular

The top zones require at least 95 percent, so 93.9 percent fails and the lift is reworked, usually by adjusting moisture and rolling again. The 90 percent minimum applies outside those zones, averaging is not the criterion, and soil type does not change the percentage.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-5.03B

What should be done with fill material that contains excessive moisture?

• a.Do not compact it until it is dry enough✓
• b.Add a layer of dry soil on top and continue
• c.Compact it immediately to squeeze out the water
• d.Roll it with a vibratory roller at maximum amplitude

The specification says not to compact material containing excessive moisture until it is dry enough, because wet soil will not reach density and may pump. Rolling it, capping it or vibrating it harder does not fix the moisture.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-5.03A

Borrow material has a sand equivalent of 8. Where may it not be placed?

• a.Below 10 feet of fill, and nowhere else
• b.Within 2.5 feet of finished grade✓
• c.In landscaped areas of the project
• d.Anywhere in the roadway prism

The specification does not allow borrow or excavation material with a sand equivalent below 10 within 2.5 feet of finished grade, where plastic fines would weaken the pavement support. The material is not banned everywhere, and no depth-based or landscaping exception is stated.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-6.02A

What does Cal/OSHA's Appendix A require as the basis for classifying a soil deposit?

• a.The employer's best estimate based on the last job
• b.A single visual inspection of the spoil pile alone
• c.One visual and one manual test by a competent person✓
• d.A written laboratory report from an accredited testing firm

The classification is made by a competent person from at least one visual and one manual analysis, using the tests in Appendix A or other accepted methods. A laboratory report is not required, a guess from a prior job is not an analysis, and one visual look is not enough.8 CCR §1541.1 Appendix A(c)

Which soil is classified as Type B?

• a.Clean sand and loamy sand
• b.Cohesive soil at 2 tons per square foot
• c.Angular gravel, silt and sandy loam✓
• d.Submerged soil or soil from which water is seeping

Granular cohesionless soils including angular gravel, silt, silt loam and sandy loam are Type B. Sand and loamy sand are Type C, submerged soil is Type C, and a strong undisturbed unfissured cohesive soil is Type A.8 CCR §1541.1 Appendix A

Unsuitable material is found below the grading plane in an excavation area. What does the State specification require?

• a.Leave it in place and place the aggregate base directly on top of it
• b.Cover it with geosynthetic fabric and place the base on top
• c.Excavate and dispose of it, then backfill and compact✓
• d.Mix it with imported base rock to dilute its effect

Unsuitable material below the grading plane is excavated and disposed of as ordered, and the space is backfilled with suitable material placed and compacted under the compaction section. Leaving, mixing or covering it would leave a weak layer under the pavement.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-1.03B

A contractor plans controlled blasting near occupied buildings. How far ahead must written notice be given to occupants within 330 feet?

• a.30 days before the contractor mobilizes
• b.On the morning of the blast, after the last drilling
• c.24 hours before the first shot of each day
• d.At least 7 days before starting or resuming✓

Written notification is required at least 7 days before controlled blasting starts or resumes to occupants within 330 feet, with notice again on the day of blasting. Twenty-four hours and same-morning notice are too short to prepare occupants, and 30 days is longer than the 7 days stated.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-4.04C(1)

A cut is found to contain hazardous soil. What does the State specification say about using the excavated material in embankments?

• a.It may be used if covered with 2 feet of clean soil
• b.It is not used as fill; it is handled as hazardous✓
• c.It may be spread thinly on the side slopes as fill
• d.It may be buried under the pavement if it is compacted

The excavated material is used for embankments and backfill unless it is hazardous, so hazardous soil is handled as hazardous material. Burying, capping or spreading it are not permitted uses.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications §19-1.03A