Chapter 1 Making Material Selections Summary Questions Flashcards
What is the difference between codes and standards or guidelines?
Standards and guidelines may be adopted into codes or otherwise mandated
Unless mandated by law, standards and guidelines are voluntary, but local codes are mandatory
Why can’t you use the IBC for your guide on all of your projects?
It is a guideline that was developed as a model code, and it references standards in other guidelines to explain performance minimums that it requires
It is a model that an actual code may be based on but it is not a code
Individual jurisdictions may adopt parts of the IBC for their own local codes
What is the purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act? What are some examples of guidelines contained in the ADA?
To create an environment that can be safely used by people with disabilities
Fire resistance Slip resistance Ability to be cleaned or sanitized Ease of use (particularly in panic situations) Visibility Air quality
What are characteristics of sustainable products?
Renewable Sustainable Recyclable Recycled Durable Adaptability Low-embodied energy Sustainability maintained Nontoxic Biodegradable Carbon neutral Remanufactured Reuse
When making selections for a commercial interior, what flame resistance is generally required for the materials that you select? What might be some examples of surfacing material that would meet both ADA and fire safety?
Class A
What are VOCs
Chemicals that change state from solid to gas and interact with our body systems
Under what system are sustainability guidelines organized and accounted for? What organization developed these guidelines? What is the relationship of these guidelines to building codes?
USGBC created the voluntary LEED system; however, some of the guidelines established by LEED are being writing into mandatory codes
What are characteristics of sustainable materials?
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What chemicals are you likely to encounter as you select materials for your clients that you should try to avoid?
Arsenic in pressure-treated lumber
Antimony in fire-retardant finishes
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in solvents
Dioxin in flooring, wall covering, paint, and plastic linters
Bleaching Formaldehyde in sheet building products, textile resins, and glues
Furans in some grouting products, in the synthesis of nylon
Halogenated compounds used to make flame retardants and in polyurethane foam
Mercury in electrical switches and fluorescent lamps
Per fluorinated chemicals (PFCs) in stain repellants Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) in paint, plastic, and rubber
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in fabric, furniture, and finishes
Lead in oil paint finishes
Biphenyl A (BPA) in paints, coatings, and adhesives
What is accounted for in a life-cycle cost analysis?
Initial costs to buy and install, as well as maintenance over the course of the products life
What are some of the ways to approach the test of thinking globally?
To consider ecosystems and human society not just locally but regionally and for the entire planet
What does social sustainability mean?
The people and resources a region are not depleted by an action or production of a material
Why are third-party organizations critical to objectivity? What are the benefits of objectivity in the development of guidelines and standards?
Third parties have no profit motives so their standards should be objective
When would you produce a ballpark figure for your client? A cost comparison? At what point is it appropriate to invest the time to develop complete costs? Why wouldn’t you develop complete costs during the design development phase?
Budget figures should increase in accuracy as you move toward the point in the process when you are ready to specify the exact item. If you develop final costs too soon you may waste time since goals early in the project may be refines as you approach definitive design
What is the form and function of the Construction Specifications Institute inducing system?
It is a number system like the Dewey Decimal System for inducing the contents of a spec book
