Kaplan CH 11 "Zoning Ordinances and Building Codes"

Question 1

The total width of required exits in a building is determined by the
A. degree of hazard of the building.
B. flame-spread ratings of the building materials.
C. number of occupants in the building.
D. distance an occupant must travel to an exit.

Answer 1

C. number of occupants in the building.

Question 2

The purposes of fire-resistance requirements in the building code include which of the following? Check all that apply.
A. To permit safe evacuation of the occupants
B. To prevent fire damage to the building
C. To reduce the generation of toxic smoke
D. To prevent structural failure for a specified period of time

Answer 2

A. To permit safe evacuation of the occupants Fire resistive requirements
D. To prevent structural failure for a specified period of time relate primarily to life safety, and only secondarily to structural damage.

Question 3

Which of the following factors would NOT be regulated under the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act?
A. Exterior air quality
B. Factory noise levels
C. Warehouse fire protection
D. Construction scaffolding

Answer 3

A. Exterior air quality
The purpose of OSHA is to regulate work places, not the exterior environment. Therefore, it applies to interior air quality, but not exterior. See page 211.

Question 4

A building was constructed many years ago in compliance with the zoning ordinance in effect at that time. Since then, the zoning ordinance has been revised to be more restrictive. Therefore, the building would now be considered as
A. restricted.
B. conforming.
C. conditionally acceptable.
D. nonconforming.

Answer 4

D. nonconforming.

Question 5

If a private developer wished to develop a cemetery in an area currently zoned for light manufacturing, the developer should apply for a _____ ?

Answer 5

Conditional Use Permit

Question 6

Which of the following are normally considered legal exits from a building?
I. Hydraulic elevator
II. Reversible escalator
III. Smokeproof tower
IV. Revolving door
V. Open stairwell

Answer 6

III. Smokeproof tower
Legal exits are those that provide a protected path of escape from a building in the event of fire. Therefore, elevators and escalators are unacceptable, since loss of power would render them useless. Revolving doors are also generally unacceptable, as are open stairwells, which offer no fire protection.

Question 7

Among the advantages of a performance type building code is that it
A. is easy to interpret.
B. is simple to administer.
C. promotes more imaginative design.
D. results in lower construction costs.

Answer 7

C. promotes more imaginative design.
Since a performance code specifies desired results, rather than techniques, its use naturally encourages innovation. See page 201.

Question 8

Zoning ordinances normally regulate all of the following EXCEPT
A. land use.
B. emergency exits.
C. building size.
D. population density.

Answer 8

B. emergency exits.

The regulation of emergency exits is found in building codes, not zoning ordinances.

Question 9

The difference between the terms "exit" and "means of egress" is that means of egress refers to
A. all ways out of a building.
B. all emergency ways out of a building.
C. all legal ways out of a building.
D. exactly the same thing as exit.

Answer 9

D. exactly the same thing as exit.

The two terms are interchangeable.

Question 10

Proposed structures are classified by building codes according to which of the following characteristics?
I. Occupancy group
II. Land use
III. Fire hazard
IV. Construction type

Answer 10

I. Occupancy group
III. Fire hazard
IV. Construction type
Land use is generally regulated by
zoning ordinances, not building codes.

Question 11

Life safety codes
A. are primarily intended to protect property from fire damage.
B. are used in some jurisdictions instead of building codes.
C. specify the location and number of exits in a building.
D. consider all factors necessary to produce safe buildings.

Answer 11

C. specify the location and number of exits in a building.

Question 12

Select the most correct statement. Building
codes
A. suggest ideal solutions to technical construction problems.
B. are intended to insure that buildings will be structurally safe until the arrival of the fire department.
C. are concerned only with assemblies of construction materials and systems, whereas zoning codes deal with the uses of a building.
D. are concerned with containing fires so that a fire in one building

Answer 12

D. are concerned with containing fires so that a fire in one building

Question 13

A developer intends to construct an apartment project in a developed urban area that is adequately served by public transportation. Since the site is small and awkwardly shaped,  the developer proposes providing one parking space per dwelling unit, rather than the 1-1/2 spaces required by ordinance. The developer should make application for a(n)
A. easement.
B. zoning variance.
C. conditional use permit.
D. nonconforming use permit.

Answer 13

B. zoning variance.

A zoning variance is granted when literal application of the zoning ordinance would cause undue hardship. See page 191.

Question 14

Which of the following would NOT likely be a concern of an environmental impact statement for a new manufacturing facility?
A. The socioeconomic level of employees
B. The number of employees
C. Employee traffic
D. Employee working hours

Answer 14

A. The socioeconomic level of employees
refers only to the economic level of those people, which would have little effect on the environment. 15. C FAR, or floor area ratio,

Question 15

On a 50,000-square-foot site with a FAR of 2, how many stories will a maximum-sized building be if half the site is set aside for parking?
A.2
B. 3
C.4
D.5

Answer 15

C.4
FAR, or floor area ratio, is the ratio of the total allowable floor area to the area of the building site. Thus, a 50,000-squarefoot site with an FAR of two allows a total floor area of 100,000 square feet on all floors. If half the site is set aside for parking, the remaining buildable site area is 25,000 square feet. Therefore, 100,000

Question 16

Which of the following have an effect on a structure's ability to resist fire damage and protect occupants against fire hazard?
I. Zoning ordinance
II. Building code
III. Building size
IV. Building location
V. Building covenants

Answer 16

II. Building code
III. Building size
IV. Building location
Among the choices, building codes (II) deal with fire-resistive standards, building size (III) is strictly limited by the type of fire-resistive construction, and building location (IV) may impose restrictions based on the fire district. Only zoning ordinances (I), which regulate land use, and building covenants (V), which limit the unrestricted use of a property, have little to do with fire hazard.

Question 17

If a local power company wished to gain access over private land to maintain their service poles, they would do so by means of
A. the zoning ordinance.
B. eminent domain.
C. a restrictive covenant.
D. an easement.

Answer 17

D. an easement.

Question 18

Neighborhood architectural review boards may have jurisdiction over a new dwelling's
I. color.
II. cost.
III. size.
IV. style.
V. use.
VI. design compatibility.

Answer 18

I. color.
III. size.
IV. style.
V. use.
VI. design compatibility.
Architectural review boards operate by virtue of restrictive covenants, which are often incorporated with property ownership. Such covenants may control size (III) but not cost (II). They may also control exterior colors (I), style (IV), and general appearance (VI), but they may not control use (V), which is regulated by zoning ordinances.