​A - Understanding and Practical Application of Engineering
Review and select appropriate techniques, procedures and methods to undertake tasks
Examples in submission
Questions
Use appropriate scientific, technical or engineering principles
Examples in submission
Questions
Identify problems and apply appropriate methods to identify causes and achieve satisfactory solutions
Examples in submission
Questions
A1 Review and select appropriate techniques, procedures and methods to undertake tasks:
Know how to do the job.
Techniques, procedures and methods used with examples.
Work that went well, the choices made for the approach and the outcome.
Something candidate involved in (not necessarily did), which didn't quite work - explain why.
A technique, procedure or method candidate improved upon - explain why.
A1 Questions
Review and select appropriate techniques, procedures and methods to undertake tasks
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Reinforcement detailing
What standard do you use for detailing bar shapes and dimensions?
BS 8666:2020 (latest?), Eurocode 2 (EC2), BS EN 1992-1- 1: 2004 (No longer?), BS 8110 (superseded by EC2?)
On site, how would you know the bars were incorrectly placed?
Check against drawings.
Can you explain why a poker is used and why it needs to access all areas?
Voids, honeycombing, loss of strength.
What type of bars would be detailed as shape code 99?
Custom – no other standard code.
What are the risks in designing custom rebar shapes? How do you run checks that they comply with the detailing standards?
Why do we do slump tests and cube tests?
How would you avoid the use of laps?
You mentioned how you thought there was a problem with xxxxxxx. Can you tell me more about it and why you thought it was an issue? Use sketches if necessary.
What sort of information goes on a reinforcement drawing, ie what do the fixers need to know?
Cover, SHE boxes, lap & anchorage.
​Drainage design
What are the advantages of 3D modelling in drainage design?
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What is a Section 104 licence and why did you need it?
Adoption. Future maintenance with authority then.
You mentioned how you thought there was a problem with xxxxxxx. Can you tell me more about it and why you thought it was an issue? Use sketches if necessary.
​Road alignment design
Talk a bit about the environmental reasons behind balancing cut and fill on site. How is the design in 3D important?
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​Road pavement design
What quality checks are carried out on road pavement materials?
You mention California Bearing Ratio, can you explain what this is and why it is carried out?
What CoP do underground services have to comply with?
NJUG – National Joint Utilities Group – Streetworks UK guidelines.
You mentioned how you thought there was a problem with xxxxxxx. Can you tell me more about it and why you thought it was an issue? Use sketches if necessary.
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​Traffic calming (also see A2)
What should you take into consideration when designing road humps and tables as traffic calming features?
Distance apart, distance to other road features and crossings, drainage, height in relation to speed required, winter maintenance, visibility, bus routes, signage, lighting.
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​Temporary traffic management
What are the challenges involved in finding a suitable diversion route during infrastructure works?
Types of traffic using them in relation to pavements, alignments, roadside features. Length. Signalised junctions on the route may have to be adjusted. Environments (rural, urban, schools, shops). Winter gritting routes. Liaising with the local network coordinator and emergency services. Appropriate and clear signing.
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A2 Use appropriate scientific, technical or engineering principles
Technical information on design.
Drawing from direct experience, an explanation of how a piece of equipment, system or mechanism works.
A2 Questions
Use appropriate scientific, technical or engineering principles
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Reinforcement detailing
How do you ensure sufficient bonding of the bars and why is it important?
What is the importance of cover to reinforcement and how is it achieved on site?
Can you explain why steel reinforcement bars are placed in a concrete beam or slab?
Concrete good in compression but not tension. Bars in bottom of slab for tension, in top for crack control.
What are the ways in which structural failure can occur?
What is a shear wall and why is it used as a form of construction?
Maintain the stability of the structural systems of high rise buildings against the lateral loads. The shear wall along or together with other structural elements carry the lateral loads applied to buildings. Reduces the lateral deflection of the building. Lift and stair cores.
What are the purpose of starter bars, and how do you decide what lap lengths to use?
Talk through your thinking in the design of the xxxxxxx.
You mentioned how you thought there was a problem with xxxxxxx. Can you tell me more about it and why you thought it was an issue? Use sketches if necessary.
​Road alignment design
What is the difference between DMRB and MfS?
Did you use any design standards for the vertical and horizontal alignments of the road? What sort of criteria did you consider in your design?
What are the advantages of 3D modelling in alignment design?
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Talk through your thinking in the design of the xxxxxx. What design standards did you apply?
You mentioned how you thought there was a problem with xxxxxxx. Can you tell me more about it and why you thought it was an issue? Use sketches if necessary.
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​Traffic calming (also see A1)
What are the considerations for design of traffic calming features?
Features: Vertical and horizontal deflections, maintenance, visibility, bus routes, signage, lighting, drainage, distance apart, distance to other road features and crossings, winter maintenance.
Which are appropriate where? When would you not use certain features?
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​Drainage design
How do you calculate run off?
Catchments, storm events
What considerations should you take account of when designing a storm water sewer?
Catchment area (hard as opposed to soft), rainfall events, capacity of connecting systems.
What are storm events and why are they used in design?
Talk through your thinking in the design of the xxxxxxx.
You mentioned how you thought there was a problem with xxxxxxx. Can you tell me more about it and why you thought it was an issue? Use sketches if necessary.
You mention adhering to xxxx water authority's standards. Can you describe what standards you’re referring to?
What deviations from the standards were applied?
What do you understand about pipe gradients? Why would you have a minimum gradient?
Self cleansing velocity
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​Road pavement design
Talk through your thinking in the design of the xxxxxxx.
What type of pavements did you design at this site? How did you go about it?
You mentioned how you thought there was a problem with xxxxxxx. Can you tell me more about it and why you thought it was an issue? Use sketches if necessary.
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​BIM technical
What is the purpose of asset tagging and how is this done within the design models? What team and document drives asset tagging?
Asset owner, highway authority, ADMM (asset data management ??)
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A3 Identify problems and apply appropriate methods to identify causes and achieve satisfactory solutions
Go beyond the immediate requirements and use initiative and experience to solve a problem or improve a process.
Use measurement, monitoring and assessment to identify the source of a problem and propose a solution.
What precautions were taken?
A3 Questions
Identify problems and apply appropriate methods to identify causes and achieve satisfactory solutions
​Drainage design
What environmental considerations are involved in digging an attenuation tank in a brownfield site?
Contamination. Use storage pipe instead – less excavation.
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Talk about SuDS drainage features and what limitations there are on their use in particular locations. (could also be under Sustainable Development)
Infiltration, discharge, attenuation. Mimicking natural drainage. Flow controls. Tree pits. Hard ground vs infiltration.
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Dealing with damaged pipework: What does CIPP lining mean? Can you describe how it is carried out?
Cured in Place Pipe lining. 2 part epoxy resin. Liner tube, calibration tube. Wet out process ensures all of the lining fibres are saturated with resin. Like a mangle. Liner loaded into inversion tank, which blows liner into pipe. Literally inverted so calibration tube is on inside and epoxy coated liner on outside (within the pipe). Takes a few hours to cure. Pipe branches cut out again after curing. Robotic – like a small disc cutter.
​Site queries
How do you manage technical queries about issues encountered on site?
​Utilities
How do you know where they are initially and later on site?
What sort of considerations, apart from depth of burial, should you consider when choosing a route for electric cables?
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​Highways - environmental considerations
What type of construction methods are an option when working within the canopies of mature trees?
Geoweb. No dig, arb on site.
​Reinforcement detailing
What are “compensation bars” and why would you use them around openings? Alternatively, how do you detail reinforcement to allow for voids through the slab?