Gold Seal Foreperson cheat sheet

Concrete compressive strength is specified at 28 days; standard cylinder is 6 in. diameter by 12 in. tall, standard cube is 150 mm; cylinder strength is roughly 0.8 of cube strength for the same mix.

Water-cement ratio rule: lower w/c means higher strength and lower permeability; each 0.01 reduction in w/c raises 28-day strength by roughly 250-400 psi for typical mixes.

Nominal lumber sizes: a 2x4 is 1-1/2 in. by 3-1/2 in.; a 2x10 is 1-1/2 in. by 9-1/4 in.; dressed dimensions reduce nominal thickness by 1/2 in. and width by 1/2 in. above nominal 6 in.

Soil bearing capacity governs footing size: footing area equals total load divided by allowable bearing pressure; typical allowable values are 1,500 psf for firm clay, 3,000 psf for compacted sand and gravel, 4,000+ psf for rock.

Slope for drainage: minimum 1/4 in. per foot (2 percent) for flat roofs and site grading away from structures; sanitary sewer lines use 1/8 in. to 1/4 in. per foot depending on pipe diameter.

Rebar lap splice in tension is typically 40 bar diameters for Grade 60 in normal-weight concrete; standard hook is 90-degree with 12 bar diameter extension.

Masonry: standard modular brick is 3-5/8 in. by 2-1/4 in. by 7-5/8 in.; a course is one horizontal row; mortar joint thickness for brick is typically 3/8 in.

Steel beam designation W12x26 means nominal depth 12 in. and weight 26 lb per linear foot; the weight, not the depth, identifies the section.

Span of control for a working foreperson is typically 5 to 12 workers; beyond that, add a lead or split the crew by task.

Progressive discipline sequence: verbal coaching, written warning, suspension, termination; each step requires documentation with date, behavior, expectation, and consequence.

Toolbox talk standard length is 10 to 15 minutes, delivered at the start of shift, with attendance signed by each worker.

Delegation rule: assign by result and deadline, confirm understanding by asking the worker to restate the task, then check at agreed milestones rather than continuously.

Grievance and complaint handling: acknowledge within 24 hours, investigate facts separately from opinions, respond in writing, and escalate per the collective agreement timeline.

Motivation factors ranked by durability: recognition, clear expectations, and skill growth outlast pay alone; Herzberg separates hygiene factors (pay, conditions) from motivators (achievement, responsibility).

Conflict resolution steps: separate parties, restate each position neutrally, identify shared project interest, agree on specific behavior change, follow up within one week.

Crew communication standard: one daily huddle of 5 to 10 minutes covering today's tasks, hazards, and material needs; written assignment for anything spanning more than one shift.

Critical path is the longest duration path through the network; its total float is zero, and any delay on it delays project completion day for day.

Total float equals late start minus early start, or late finish minus early finish; free float is the amount an activity can slip without delaying any successor's early start.

Earned value: CPI equals earned value divided by actual cost; SPI equals earned value divided by planned value; CPI below 1.0 means over budget.

Estimate at completion equals budget at completion divided by CPI when the current cost trend continues; variance at completion equals budget at completion minus estimate at completion.

Productivity is output divided by labor hours; crew rate for repetitive work equals units per hour times crew size, and duration equals quantity divided by daily crew output.

Crew balance rule: match equipment and support output to the slowest constrained resource; a mismatched crew wastes the capacity of the faster resource.

Look-ahead schedule covers 3 to 6 weeks, identifies long-lead materials, permits, and inspections, and converts the master schedule into weekly work assignments.

Percent complete by cost equals cost to date divided by total forecast cost; by units it equals installed quantity divided by total quantity; the two diverge when productivity differs from plan.

Weather and non-work days must be carried as calendar allowance in the schedule, not hidden inside activity durations.

Fall protection is required at 6 ft or more in general construction (4 ft in general industry); guardrails must be 42 in. plus or minus 3 in. high with a midrail at about 21 in.

Excavations 5 ft or deeper require a protective system; 4 ft or deeper requires a means of egress within 25 ft of travel for workers; spoil piles and equipment kept at least 2 ft from the edge.

Scaffold rules: fully planked platforms, guardrails on all open sides above 10 ft, tie-off to structure, and inspection by a competent person before each shift.

Ladder rule: 4-to-1 slope for extension ladders, 3 ft extension above landing, and secure top and bottom; portable ladders are not to be used as work platforms for two-handed tasks.

Hazard control hierarchy in order: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, then personal protective equipment as the last line.

Lockout/tagout requires a personal lock per worker, verification of zero energy by try-out, and removal only by the worker who applied it.

Silica and dust control: wet cutting or vacuum collection with respirator per assessment; hearing protection required at 85 dBA time-weighted average over 8 hours.

Incident investigation: secure the scene, interview witnesses separately and promptly, identify root cause beyond the immediate act, and record corrective action with an owner and due date.

Three-point quality control: first-inspection of the first unit before production, in-process checks at defined hold points, and final inspection against the specification.

Inspection and test plan lists each activity with the check, the acceptance criterion, the responsible party, and the record; hold points require sign-off before work proceeds.

Change order must state scope change, price, time impact, and schedule adjustment; work outside contract scope performed without written direction risks nonpayment.

Request for information should be answered within the contract response period; unanswered RFIs become the basis for a claim, so log date sent and date answered.

Submittal review cycle: contractor review, designer review, return with status (approved, approved as noted, revise and resubmit, rejected); no installation before approved status.

Nonconformance report records location, requirement, actual condition, disposition (rework, repair, accept with concession, reject), and verification of closure.

Substantial completion triggers warranty start, owner occupancy, and release of retainage in part; final completion follows correction of the deficiency list.

Pay application backup: schedule of values line items matched to measured progress, stored materials with verification, and lien waivers from subcontractors and suppliers.

Labor burden typically adds 25 to 40 percent to base wage, covering payroll taxes, insurance, and benefits; use burdened rates for all cost comparisons.

Unit cost equals labor, material, and equipment cost per unit plus overhead and markup; markup on cost differs from margin on price: price equals cost divided by (1 minus margin).

Overtime rule: productivity drops roughly 10 to 15 percent once a crew exceeds 50 hours per week sustained, so overtime rarely recovers schedule at proportional cost.

Learning curve: repetitive operations improve about 10 to 20 percent per doubling of units until a plateau; do not extrapolate first-unit rates to total quantity.

Equipment cost per hour equals ownership cost (depreciation, interest, insurance) plus operating cost (fuel, repairs, wear parts); idle time carries ownership cost only.

Material waste allowances: typically 5 percent for lumber, 3 to 5 percent for concrete, and 10 percent for masonry; add to order quantities, not to installed cost.

Short-interval planning: weekly work plans commit specific crews to specific quantities, and percent plan complete equals completed commitments divided by total commitments.

Delay documentation requires date, cause, affected activity, days lost, and link to the critical path; float consumption alone does not prove compensable delay.

Contract documents order of precedence is stated in the agreement; typically agreement, addenda, specifications, drawings, then standard conditions, with the more stringent requirement governing.

Shop drawings are contractor-prepared detail documents; they do not change design intent, and review by the designer does not relieve the contractor of compliance.

Daily site report content: date, weather, temperature, crew counts by trade, equipment on site, work performed, deliveries, visitors, delays, and instructions received.

As-built records mark actual installed locations, sizes, and routing; they are required for concealed work before cover-up and for future maintenance.

Warranty versus guarantee: warranty is a contractual assurance of material and workmanship for a stated period; guarantee is a separate promise often backed by a third party.

Record retention: keep inspection reports, test results, and nonconformance records for the period stated in the contract, commonly the warranty term plus one year.

Punch list items must be specific: location, description, responsible trade, and target date; vague entries cause disputes at final acceptance.

Written notice requirements: most contracts require notice of a claim within a set number of days of the event, and late notice can bar the claim regardless of merit.

Performance documentation standard: record observable behavior and outcome, not personality; include date, time, location, witnesses, and the standard not met.

Training record content: worker name, topic, date, duration, trainer, and signature; keep for the period required by regulation or contract.

Corrective action for safety or quality should name the owner, the action, the due date, and the verification method; open items are reviewed at the next meeting.

Crew meeting minutes circulated within 24 hours create the record of assignments and commitments that later supports schedule and claim positions.

Absenteeism control: track by crew and day, identify pattern (Mondays, shift ends), and address with the individual before applying general rules.

Cross-training matrix maps workers to tasks with proficiency levels; it exposes single-point dependencies before they cause a delay.

Handover between shifts requires a written log of open work, hazards, equipment status, and pending inspections, signed by both forepersons.

Discipline and termination decisions should be reviewed with the site superintendent and human resources before delivery to limit liability.