Chapter 1 of 525% of exam

Planning and Estimating

CSLB weights Planning and Estimating at about 25% of the C-21 exam: evaluating plans and specifications, hazardous materials surveys and job site readiness, determining methods and equipment, and estimating costs. Some questions require computation, and a calculator is provided. This page is a short survey; the PrepPass C-21 study guide teaches every statement with worked examples and a full practice exam at CSLB's weights.

Plans, surveys and permits

A demolition starts with paper: the drawings, the specifications, a written structural survey and a separate hazardous materials survey.

Written survey
A qualified person surveys the framing, floors and walls before demolition; the survey is written and kept on the job site.
Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8 §1734(b)
Permit height
Demolishing a building or structure more than 36 feet high needs a Project Permit for the Project Administrator.
Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8 §341(d)(3)

Surveys and readiness

Read the survey for what it covers and what it leaves out, then control the site's energy before any machine moves.

Asbestos thresholds
Full federal demolition requirements apply at 260 linear feet on pipes, 160 square feet on other components or 35 cubic feet off components.
40 CFR 61.145(a)(1)
Utilities first
Utility service is shut off, capped or controlled at the building or curb line before demolition starts.
Cal. Code Regs. tit. 8 §1735(a)

Methods and estimating

Method follows hazard; arithmetic follows units.

Demolition ball
The ball may not exceed the lesser of 50 percent of the crane's rated load and 25 percent of the line's breaking strength.
29 CFR 1926.859(b)
Units
Tons are pounds divided by 2,000; cubic yards are cubic feet divided by 27; round loads up.
Arithmetic (CSLB 13E-21 computation questions)

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