CPC Certified Professional Constructor flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Order of precedence clause

Contract provision ranking documents when they conflict: agreement, general conditions, drawings, specifications, addenda, modifications. Where drawings and specifications conflict on quality, the higher standard governs.

Total float formula

Total float equals late start minus early start, or late finish minus early finish. It is zero along the critical path and represents the time an activity can slip without delaying project completion.

Cost Performance Index

CPI equals earned value divided by actual cost. A value below 1.0 means work is costing more than budgeted; above 1.0 means cost efficiency is better than planned.

Three-phase quality control

Preparatory review of requirements and submittals before work begins, initial inspection of the first work in place, and follow-up periodic inspection. Each phase requires documented acceptance criteria.

Competent person definition

An individual capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings and authorized to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. Required for excavations, scaffolds, and fall protection.

Constructive change

An owner-caused change to the work without a formal written modification, arising from defective specifications, overzealous inspection, or direction. Recovery requires prompt written notice and claim documentation.

Differing site conditions

Type I is subsurface or latent physical conditions materially different from those indicated in the contract; Type II is unknown physical conditions of an unusual nature. Both require prompt written notice before disturbing the condition.

Earned value estimate at completion

EAC equals budget at completion divided by CPI when current cost efficiency is expected to persist. Use a bottom-up re-estimate when the remaining work differs materially from completed work.

PERT expected duration

Expected duration equals optimistic plus four times most likely plus pessimistic, all divided by six. Variance equals the pessimistic minus optimistic quantity divided by six, squared.

Crash cost per day

Crash cost per day equals crash cost minus normal cost, divided by normal duration minus crash duration. Crash the critical activity with the lowest cost per day to shorten the project economically.

Substantial completion effect

Substantial completion is the stage where the work is usable for its intended purpose. It starts warranty periods, transfers risk of loss to the owner, and converts retainage to a punch-list holdback.

Statute of repose

A statute of repose bars claims after a fixed period measured from substantial completion or occupancy, regardless of when the defect is discovered. It differs from a statute of limitations, which runs from discovery or injury.

Pay-if-paid clause

A subcontract provision making the owner's payment to the contractor a condition precedent to the contractor's duty to pay the subcontractor. Enforceability varies by jurisdiction and several states void such clauses.

RACI responsibility matrix

A chart assigning each task one Accountable party, the Responsible performers, Consulted contributors, and Informed recipients. Two accountable parties for one task is a defect in the matrix.

Life-cycle cost formula

Initial cost plus the present value of operating, maintenance, and replacement costs, minus the present value of salvage, discounted at the owner's rate. Used to compare alternatives over the full service life.

Labor burden

Payroll taxes, insurance, fringe benefits, and other costs added to the base wage, typically twenty-five to forty percent. Burden must be a separate estimating line, never folded silently into the wage rate.

TCPI formula

To-complete performance index equals budget at completion minus earned value, divided by budget at completion minus actual cost. Values above 1.10 indicate the remaining budget is not credible.

Hold point versus witness point

A hold point stops work until the designated inspection is performed and released. A witness point requires notification of the inspection but does not stop work if the representative does not attend.

Mockup as acceptance benchmark

An approved physical mockup establishes the visual and workmanship standard for that work. Deviations become objectively measurable against it, and the mockup may be retained as the acceptance criterion.

Nonconformance report disposition

A document recording the nonconforming condition and its disposition: rework, repair, use-as-is with engineering approval, or reject. It names the approving authority and the verification of closure.

Excavation protective system trigger

A protective system is required at five feet depth unless a competent person determines no hazard exists. Spoil and equipment stay at least two feet from the edge, with a ladder within twenty-five feet.

Hierarchy of controls

Ranked from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment. PPE is the last line of defense, not the first choice.

Risk score and response

Risk score equals probability times impact. Responses are avoid, transfer, mitigate, and accept. Residual risk remaining after controls must be documented and accepted by an authorized party.

Crane load chart

The manufacturer's chart gives capacity at a specific radius and boom length. Allowable load equals chart capacity minus the weight of rigging, hook block, and any attachments.

Soil compaction verification

Field density testing expressed as a percentage of maximum dry density from a standard or modified Proctor test, at moisture near optimum. Test frequency and acceptance percentage come from the specifications.

Daily report content

A daily record of weather including temperature and precipitation, manpower by trade, equipment on site, deliveries, visitors, delays, and instructions received. It is the primary evidence for delay and productivity claims.

Concrete free fall limit

Concrete should not fall freely more than about five feet without a tremie or drop pipe to prevent segregation. Consolidation follows by internal vibrator, and curing begins before the surface dries.

Conflict of interest disclosure

A professional with a financial interest in a supplier, subcontractor, or competing firm on the project must disclose it in writing. Some relationships require withdrawal rather than disclosure alone.

Sealing documents rule

Only the professional in responsible charge may sign and seal documents, and only within that professional's area of competence. Sealing work performed by others without review is improper.

Public safety duty

A professional who discovers a condition endangering life or health must report it to the responsible authority even if the client objects. Client interest never overrides public safety.

Resource leveling versus smoothing

Leveling may extend duration by consuming float and creating a new critical path to flatten resource peaks. Smoothing operates within existing float and does not change the completion date.

Schedule update versus revision

An update records actuals and re-forecasts remaining work using the same logic. A revision changes logic, durations, or scope and requires contractual authorization before it becomes the baseline.