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C1-KS02 Flashcards

Knowledge of natural and human-caused hazardous conditions (e.g., seismic activity, fire, winds, flood zone, hazardous materials) and potential mitigations.

1
Q

Seismic Safety Commission

A

Mission Statement/About — The Commission investigates earthquakes, researches earthquake-related issues and reports, and recommends to the Governor and Legislature policies and programs needed to reduce earthquake risk.

A great resource is The Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety published by the California Seismic Safety Commission, be sure to download it!

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2
Q

There are four types of Zone Maps;

A
  1. Shaking
  2. Fault Rupture
  3. Seismic Hazard Zones for Liquefaction and Landslides
  4. Tsunami Inundation
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3
Q

How many seismic shaking zones are there in the USA. What do the sones mean?

A
  • There are four seismic shaking zones in the U.S., the higher the number the higher the earthquake danger. All of California lies within two shaking zones 3 and 4.
  • Zone 4 is located nearest to active earthquake faults and poses greater hazards than Zone 3.
  • See page 7 of The Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety to see the Seismic Zone map for California.
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4
Q

According to The Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety, ground Shaking causes what percentage of all earthquake damage?

A

Ground shaking causes over 90% of all earthquake damage. Areas near large active faults are more likely to be severely shaken.

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5
Q

Landslide

A

Earthquakes can trigger landslides by shaking and causing the soil and rock
to slide off a slope.

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6
Q

Fault Rupture

A

An actual crack forms and the ground is offset along the two sides of the fault during an earthquake.

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7
Q

Lateral Spreading

A

Intense shaking can cause the soil to break into blocks which move apart from each other. This can cause significant damage to a building’s foundation.

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8
Q

Liquefaction

A

As a result of an earthquake, loose, wet sandy soil can become almost like quicksand and lose its ability to support structures, causing the foundation to sink.

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9
Q

Tsunami

A

An earthquake can trigger a tsunami, a series of large sea waves caused by an underwater earthquake. A tsunami can travel hundreds of mile and cause substantial damage as a result of flooding in coastal and other low lying areas.

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10
Q

Dam Failure

A

Movement from an earthquake can cause damage to a dam which can
cause substantial flooding to communities downstream.

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11
Q

California Geological Survey’s (CGS) Earthquake.

A

Mission Statement/About — The mission of CGS is to provide scientific products and services about the state’s geology, seismology and mineral resources including their related hazards that affect the health, safety, and business interests of the people of California.

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12
Q

Alquist-Priolo Act (1972) main purpose is to …

A

…prevent the

construction of buildings used for human occupancy on the surface trace of active faults.

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13
Q

Earthquake Fault Zones are …

A

…regulatory zones around active faults

-Earthquake Fault Zones are plotted on topographic maps at a scale of 1 inch equals 2,000 feet. The zones vary in width, but average about one-quarter mile wide. Excerpt from the CGS Website.

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14
Q

A fault is …

A

…a fracture in the crust of the earth along which rocks on one side have moved relative to those on the other side. Most faults are the result of repeated displacements over a long period of time.

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15
Q

A fault trace is

A

… the line on the earth’s surface defining the fault.

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16
Q

According to the Alquist-Priolo Act (1972), an active fault is one that has ruptured in the last …

A

…11,000 years. - Excerpt

from the CGS Website.

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17
Q

Where can an architect study Earthquake Fault Zone maps?

A

Earthquake Fault Zone maps can be studied at local planning departments or at offices of the California Geological Survey.

Be sure to visit the CGS’s Earthquake website it’s an awesome resource!

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18
Q

True or false

Before a project can be permitted, cities and counties must require a geologic investigation to
demonstrate that proposed buildings will not be constructed across active faults.

A

True DUH

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19
Q

True or false

If a site is suspected of being in a seismic shaking zone, an evaluation and written report of a specific site must be prepared by a licensed geologist.

A

True

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20
Q

If an active fault is found, a structure for human occupancy cannot be placed over the trace of the fault and must be set back from the fault by what distance?

A

(generally 50 feet).

  • Excerpt from the CGS Website.
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21
Q

State Fire Marshall

A

Mission Statement/About The mission of the State Fire Marshal is to protect life and property through the development and application of fire prevention engineering, education and enforcement. The Office of the State Fire Marshal supports the mission of the CAL FIRE by focusing on fire prevention. The Office of the State Fire Marshal provides support through a wide variety of fire safety responsibilities.

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22
Q

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).

A

Mission Statement: CAL FIRE crews and equipment have the responsibility for the protection of over 31 million acres of California’s privately-owned wildlands. In
addition, they provide emergency services within 36 of California’s 58 counties through local government contracts including wildland fires, residential/commercial structure fires, automobile accidents, heart attacks, drownings, lost hikers, hazardous material spills on highways, train wrecks, floods, and earthquakes.

Be sure to check out the Fire Protection tab!

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23
Q

US law requires how much defensible space

A

100 feet of Defensible Space
is the Law!

Check out the Defensible Space Page on the CAL FIRE Website

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24
Q

There are three zones, based on increasing fire hazard:

A
  1. medium
  2. high
  3. very high.
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25
Q

What factors determine CAL fire’s 3 fire zones?

A

These areas, or “zones,” are based on factors such as fuel (material that can burn), slope and fire weather.

California law requires CAL FIRE (Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection) to identify areas based on the severity of fire hazard that is expected to prevail there.

  • Excerpt from
    the CAL FIRE website.
26
Q

CAL FIRE has developed a model that serves as the basis of zone assignments. Describe this model and how it is used to evaluate and assign zones to properties.

A

The model evaluates property using characteristics that affect the probability of the area burning and potential fire
behavior in the area.

Many factors are considered such as fire history, existing and potential fuel, flame length, blowing embers, terrain, weather and the likelihood of buildings igniting. - Excerpt
from the CAL FIRE website.

27
Q

Two key elements of the Fire Hazard Severity Zone model;

A
  1. Probability of burning

2. Probable fire behavior

28
Q

Factors that can contribute to the spread of wildfire;

A
  • Weather — temperature, humidity (more dry equals more probability of wildfire) , and wind
  • Steeply sloped topography — fire burns faster uphill
  • Airborne burning embers

Be sure to visit and review Fire Hazard Severity Zoning &
New Building Codes for California’s Wildland-Urban
Interface

29
Q

Reducing the chance of building loss (excerpt from the CAL FIRE website);

A
  1. Defensible space — reduce flammable material around homes to keep direct flames and heat away from the side of the building. (The law already requires property owners to create 100 feet of defensible space around buildings).
  2. Exterior wildfire exposure protection - construct buildings so that they have less chance of catching fire from burning embers.
  3. Clear a 100’ defensible space around your property, keep your roof clear of flammable material like twigs and leaves, trim tree branches away from your chimney and keep a spark arrester on your chimney.
  4. Use appropriate roofing type (Class A) for hazard zone, fire resistive wall, ceiling, and floor assemblies as required.
30
Q

Wind Hazard

A
  1. Areas of High Wind
    - Deserts
    - Mountainous Areas including ridge tops and passes
    - Coastal Areas
  2. Structures need to be designed to resist uplift and overturning forces
  3. Site elements must be properly anchored to resist overturning
  4. Lateral load resisting system needs to be designed to resist wind and earthquake loads. (Note: Structural Engineers design for either wind or earthquake loads but not both simultaneously. They will “run the numbers” for both earthquake and wind requirements and select the most appropriate one for the project. )
31
Q

What do the Exposure Categories for wind categorize?

A

Each category reflects how ground surface irregularities affect design wind pressure.

Exposure conditions vary from the most protected to the least protected (Exposure B most protected to D least protected.)

32
Q

Surface exposure to wind is determined by …

A

…“ground surface roughness” that arise from natural

topography and vegetation as well as from constructed features.

33
Q

List the expose categories for wind.

A
  1. Surface Roughness B — Urban and suburban areas, wooded areas or other terrain with numerously closely spaced obstructions.
  2. Surface Roughness C — Open terrain with scattered obstructions having heights generally less than 30 feet.

Surface Roughness D — Flat, unobstructed areas and water surfaces outside hurricane- prone regions.

Exposure conditions vary from the most protected to the least protected (Exposure B most protected to D least protected.)

34
Q

Basic Wind Speed

A
  • The basic wind speed, in mph, for determination of the wind loads shall be determined by Figure 1609 of the California Building Code.
  • Based upon the speed of a 3 second gust of wind
  • Basic Wind Speed on the West Coast is 85 mph with Special Wind Regions along the eastside of the Sierra Mountain Range and portions of Southern California.
  • Local jurisdictions should be consulted for more information about Special Wind Regions.
35
Q

What agency is typically associated with Flood Zone hazards?

A

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

36
Q

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

A

Mission Statement/About - FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve
our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

FEMA has nationwide responsibility for reducing damage from a hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado, a flood, a fire or a hazardous spill, an act of nature or an act of terrorism.

37
Q

Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs). the official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.

A

FEMA is responsible for creating and maintaining Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs).

-The official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.

-Check out this document published by the USGS for a great explanation of the 100-year flood:
100-Year Flood — les All About Chance

38
Q

According to FEMA, to prepare for flood, you should…

A
  1. Avoid building in a flood prone area unless you elevate and reinforce structure
  2. Elevate the furnace, water heater, and electrical panel if susceptible to flooding
  3. Install “check valves” in sewer traps to prevent floodwater from backing up into drains
  4. Seal walls of basement with waterproofing compounds to avoid seepage
39
Q

Division of Flood Management. California Department of Water Resources

A

Mission Statement/About - The Department of Water Resources established the Division of Flood Management in November 1977 and functions as statewide flood forecasting, flood operations, and other key flood emergency response activities are the primary missions of the Division’s Hydrology and Flood Operations Office. Other components of the Division include the Delta-Suisun Marsh Office, the Flood Projects Office, the Levee Repairs and Floodplain Management Office, and the Flood Maintenance Office.

40
Q

Mitigation measures for floods include;

A
  • Levee systems in Central California especially in low lying areas.
  • Locate building pads above 100 year floodplain
  • Avoid large areas of concrete/hard surface
  • Use of swales to direct water runoff
41
Q

Los Angeles County Flood Control District as an example as a County Flood Control District

A

Mission Statement/About - The Los Angeles County Flood Control Act (ACT) was adopted by the State Legislature in 1915, after a disastrous regional flood took a heavy
toll on lives and property. The Act established the Los Angeles Flood Control District and empowered it to provide flood protection, water conservation, recreation and aesthetic enhancement within its boundaries. The Flood Control District is governed, as a separate entity, by the County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors.

We will cover more about the County Flood Control District in Knowledge Statement #29

42
Q

Previous use of sites (typically industrial type sites) need to be studied/tested for presence of hazardous materials:

List some examples:

A

Gas stations

Landfills

Abandoned oil/gas tanks

Asbestos presence at older sites

Note:

  • Proximity to other hazardous material locations/sites should be verified.
  • Groundwater contamination is a concern and should be tested.
43
Q

Hazardous materials can be mitigated in the following ways:

A
  1. Removing hazardous material from the site and properly disposing per federal, state,
    and local guidelines
  2. Encapsulating and permanently sealing the material on the site per federal, state, and local guidelines
44
Q

Who should perform test(s) for suspected hazardous materials at site?

A

Owner should perform test(s) for suspected hazardous materials at site.

45
Q

Methane Zones require mitigation measures including

A

barriers and vent pipes.

46
Q

Agencies that may be involved in the presence of hazardous materials review process

A
  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  2. California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA)
  3. California Air Resources Board (division of Cal/EPA)
  4. Regional Air Quality Management District
  5. State Water Resources Control Board

(we will cover them in more detail in Categories IIA and 11B)

47
Q

Acts. Laws. & Regulations that may be applicable to the hazardous materials review process

A
  1. Toxic Substances Control Act (Federal)
  2. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),
  3. Federal EPA’s Brownfields Program
  4. California EPA’s Brownfields Program
  5. Federal EPA’s Clean Air Act
  6. Federal EPA’s Clean Water Act
48
Q

The objective of the Toxics Substances Control Act (TSCA) is to allow EPA to …

A

…regulate new commercial chemicals before they enter the market, to regulate existing chemicals (1976) when they pose an unreasonable risk to health or to the environment, and to regulate their distribution and use.

49
Q

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),

A

more commonly known as Superfund (Federal)

-The Superfund cleanup process is complex. It involves the steps taken to assess sites, place them on the National Priorities List, and establish and implement appropriate cleanup plans. This is the long-term cleanup process.

50
Q

Federal EPA’s Brownfields Program

A

EPA’s Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.

51
Q

A brownfield is…

A

… a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

52
Q

California EPA’s Brownfields Program

A

Cal/EPA’s regulatory boards and departments play an essential role in cleaning up contaminated sites to protect public health and the environment. However, with an estimated 90,000 properties in California that remain idle or underutilized because of real or perceived environmental contamination, it is clear that sufficient public resources could never be allocated to accomplish
this goal. California’s brownfields will not be restored to productive use without significant participation by the private sector. Discovering mutually beneficial ways to involve investors in the future of these polluted properties is crucial.

-Be sure to check out the Federal EPA’s Brownfields Home Page as well as California EPA’s Brownfields Home Page to learn more about Brownfields Programs.

53
Q

Federal EPA’s Clean Air Act

A

i. Federal law passed in 1970, and last amended in 1990, which forms the basis for the national air pollution control effort. Basic elements of the act include national ambient air quality standards for major lair pollutants, hazardous air pollutants standards, state attainment plans, motor vehicle emissions standards, stationary source emissions standards and permits, acid rain control measures, stratospheric ozone protection, and enforcement provisions.

54
Q

Federal EPA’s Clean Water Act

A

Establishes the basic structure for regulating discharges of pollutants into the waters of the United States and regulating quality standards for surface waters. The basis of the CWA was enacted in 1948 and was called the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, but the Act was significantly reorganized and expanded in 1972. “Clean Water Act” became the Act’s common name with
amendments in 1977.

55
Q

What is Asbestos?

A

Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It is mined just like any
other mineral. The fibers are heat resistant, resistant
to chemical attack, have excellent tensile strength
and have high electrical resistance. These properties
make asbestos a useful material for electrical and
thermal insulation. It was often added to building
materials for this reason.

56
Q

There are several types of

asbestos; the most common are:

A

chrysotile,

amosite

crocidolite.

57
Q

The main source of asbestos in indoor air is

A

insulation products.

-Buildings built in the last 50years used a variety of materials composed ofasbestos mixed with other fibers like paper,fiberglass, or synthetic fibers and a binder, usuallylime or gypsum mortar. The most commonly
reported material in California homes is the cottagecheeseceiling insulation. Other common materials
include vinyl floor tiles, patching compounds and
textured paints, furnace, stove and pipe insulation,
stove door gaskets, some roofing shingles and siding
material, and parts of some pre-1979 appliances

58
Q

It is not possible to identify asbestos just by looking

at it. It can only be identified by …

A

…a person trained in fiber identification with a special polarized light microscope. There are certified labs throughoutCalifornia that can identify asbestos in building
materials

59
Q

If you have an asbestos-containing material in your

home, your choices are to

A
  1. remove it
  2. contain it
  3. live with it.

The best thing to do, if the asbestos containing
material is in good condition, is toleave it alone. The only way that it can affect yourhealth is when the material is damaged and fibersbecome airborne. If it is moderately damaged, itis recommended that you manage it in place
(repair the damage and contain it, possibly with a
coat of paint or sealer). Removing and disposing
of any asbestos-containing material is expensive
and also increases the likelihood of fiber release.

60
Q

Why has asbestos been so widely

used?

A

Asbestos appealed to manufacturers and
builders for a variety of reasons. It is strong
yet flexible, and will not burn. It is a poor
conductor of heat and electricity, and
resists corrosion.

61
Q

Who regulates asbestos?

A
  1. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA) are responsible for regulating environmental exposure and
    protecting workers from asbestos exposure. OSHA is responsible for the health and safety of workers who may be exposed to asbestos in the work place or in connection with their jobs.
  2. EPA is responsible for developing and enforcing
    regulations necessary to protect the general public from exposure to airborne contaminants that are known to be
    hazardous to human health.
62
Q

The Alquist Priolo Act has three main provisions:

A

1) It directs the state’s California Geological Survey agency (then known as the California Division of Mines and Geology) to compile detailed maps of the surface traces of known active faults. These maps include both the best known location where faults cut the surface and a buffer zone around the known trace(s);
2) It requires property owners (or their real estate agents) to formally and legally disclose that their property lies within the zones defined on those maps before selling the property; and
3) It prohibits new construction of houses within these zones unless a comprehensive geologic investigation shows that the fault does not pose a hazard to the proposed structure.

CSE (55 decks)

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