Misc Flashcards
Contents of a Geotechnical Report
Soil conditions & foundation recommendations
Contents of a Site Survey
- Location of Property Line
- Location of Utilities
- Topography
How far into a space can you expect side-lighting (windows) to light
task lighting: 15’
partial lighting: 30’
Proper Skylight spacing
1-2x the height of the room
Solar azimuth
angle of the sun in relation to true north
prevailing wind
building date before which lead paint was common
1970
common radon mitigation
tying a vent into the foundation french drain with a fan to blow radon out
greenfield site
no previous development (not farmland or wetland)
greyfield site
once used for industrial or commercial purposed but now abandoned or underutilized
brownfield site
previously developed sites that have unused or abandoned structures on the property but have some biohazardous contamination
blackfield sites
previously developed sites that have unused or abandoned structures on the property but have heavy biohazardous contamination. Were once used for industrial, coal mining, or military activity
FEMA building policies
determine policy to reduce building failure during extreme weather (floodplain, high winds, areas of refuge/rescue)
EPA building policies
wildlife protection, native planting, energy conservations, reduction in ozone depleting compounds
Level at which hearing protection is required
85 dB
Common adverse site conditions
- floodplain
- adverse topography
- protected sites
- previously developed sites
- soil instability
Liquefaction
a process by which water-saturated sediment temporarily loses strength and acts like a fluid, during an earthquake. common near lakes
What agency set the standards for a Phase 1 Environmental site Assessment report?
ASTM
Where on a south facing slope to locate a building in a hot-arid climate
The bottom of the slope in a hot arid climate exposes the building to the cool night air and decreases the solar exposure in the heat of the afternoon sun
Building area is limited by what three factors?
Occupancy class
Sprinkled
Type of construction
Building area table
Table 506.2
Type 1 construction
Highest degree of fire protection
Type 1 construction
Highest degree of fire protection
Type two constructions
Comprise of entirely non-combustible materials
Primary components don’t require additional fire ratings
Type 3
“Ordinary construction”
Masonry bearing walls with timber floors/roofs
Exterior are non combustible, often incorporate wood interior walls
Type 4
Heavy timber
Type 5
Combustible materials, smallest building areas
Frontage increase
Max area can be increased if enough walls are greater than 20’ from a lot line
Measure distances to lot lines
Calculate length of exterior walls that are greater than 20’ from a lot line
Find total perimeter
Divide qualifies length by total to find perimeter percentage
High rise
Lowest level of access to highest occupiable floor level. If greater than 75’ it’s a high rise
Mezzanine
A true mezzanine Must occupy less than 1/3 of the floor plate below and be open to the story below, unless equipped with two or more exits. If it doesn’t meet these criteria, it counts as floor area
Accessible route change in level maximums
1/4” or 1/2” if beveled (1:2 slope)
Ramp requirements
Max slope 1:12
36” between railings
5’x5’ landing every 30” of rise in Ramos longer than 30’
Types of accessible housing units
Accessible
Type A
Type B
Accessible dwelling unit
Fully accessible
Meets all wheelchair reqs
All surfaces, fixtures and equipment are accessible
Type A units
Meet all reqs for wheelchair clearances but not all surfaces, fixtures and equipment need to be accessible, they just need to be modifiable at a later date
Type b units
Not all spaces need to meet wheelchair clearances and not req to have accessible surfaces, fixtures or equipment
Ansi A117.1
Accessibility standard that many AHJs adopt
Common energy codes
ASHRAE standard 90.1
IECC 2021
ASHRAE
Published by ashrae
Applied to all building except low rise residential
Requirements are based on heating load
IECC
Most common
Divides US in 7 zones
Set reqs by zone
ASHRAE building classes
Heated - year round conditioning
Semi heated - conditioned some times of year
Non heated
Prescriptive method compliance checklists
Rescheck/ comcheck
variance
two types: area and use
a building can apply for a variance to build in a way that doesnt conform with zoning
overlay district
i.e. historic districts, special env
ways to add additional restrictions on top of zoning regulations
planned unit development
type of overlay district that develops it’s own zoning rules with the AHJ
incentive zoning
additional building area in exchange for a benefit like more building area or height
What to do if a buildings use is not conforming, but predates the zoning that makes it non conforming
seek non-conforming use status
Tax increment funding district
a town identifies and area it was to develop and uses property tax money to incentivize development
Metes & bound
part of a legal description that uses site dimensions and angles to describe the site
typical for large rural lots with irregular shapes
Recorded Plat Map
part of a legal description that references a map the is maintained by the city/town
Rectangular survey system
used for large parcels of land; 24 mile x 24 mile, east west lines are township lines, north south range lines, divded into townships, then sections of 1 sq mile, property boundaries located within that area
Urban fill deeds
survey, easements, buyer/seller,
rural location deed
survey, buyer/seller, legal property description, mineral rights
Easements
legal rights to use someone elses land, utilities, access, etc
Easement by necessity
when a property needs the easement for basic use of the site
easement by perscription
when a property has used another property for 10-20 year without objection, grandfathered in
easement by grant
used for things like utilities when a one party pays for use of another
eminent domain
grants government ability to use private property (with compensation) for projects that will benefit the public
Riparian rights
water rights for flowing water, can use water but not alter flow
Littoral rights
water rights for non flowing water, rights depends on type of water. for tidal water rights extend to median tide, for lakes rights extend to center of body of water
common historic district regulations
architectural style
building elements
materials
finishes
Aspects of electrical service to consider
- is existing line overhead or underground (safe, more $, more reliable)?
- on site power generation? (solar)
Aspects of gas service to consider
- is existing service natural gas (supplied by line) or propane (tank)?
- heating/cooling/hot water/cooking
- not required if these services can be electric
- appliances that could use gas: stoves, ovens, water heaters, hvac
- appliance accounting should be used to determine gas load is met
Aspects of wastewater to consider
- sewer or septic?
- in a sewer line, the invert elevation
- check for damage from roots or blockages
invert elevation
elevation of where the sewer line meets the sewer main, must be lower than fixtures so gravity can move wastewater out. can use an ejector pump if not low enough
septic system components
septic tank, distribution tanks and leech field. starts with a percolation test to determine soil absorption level
ideal soil for septic tanks
gravelly is good, clay is bad
aspects of stormwater management
- rural areas: direct stormwater to permeable areas with topo
- urban area: direct into storm main
Local Road
serve neighborhoods, access to individual properties
collector streets
connect local roads to arterial roads
arterial roads
major thoroughfares that connect different areas
parking dimensions
set by local codes, but 9x18 is typ, 24’ aisle
comprehensive plans
developed by a municipality to outline development and conservation goals
- look 20 years ahead
- guidebook for decisions
- transportation, housing, commercial, environment, community resources
urban design plan
translates comp plans into 3d forms. Cover short time and smaller areas, include implementation plans - actionable
regional plans
comp master plan for a defined region, can be functional to address one specific topic like traffic or parks. should focus on implementation
neighborhood plans
comp plans that focus on a neighborhood, should be based on residents, often adds a section to make the document more accessible to lay readers
types of impact studies
environmental, fiscal, traffic
fiscal impact study
determine demands, estimate the cost of the demands, estimate the revenue from the demands, compare cost to revenue
environmental impact study
analyzes short term construction and long term operated environmental consequences, air quality, water, wildlife, ecosystems, health safety, etc. Focuses on mitigation of issues
Traffic impact study
access points, connections, transport options, access for emergency vehicles
horizon year
typically 5 years after development
geotechnical reports have recs for
foundation, sidewalks, driveways, retaining walls
course vs fine grained soils
course: sands and gravel (higher bearing capacities)
fine: silt and clay
liquid limit
the water content point where soil turns from a plastic to a liquid state
plastic limit
the water content point where soil turns from a plastic to a semi-solid state
atterberg limits
water content at which soil changes state: liquid, plastic, semi solid, and solid
plasticity index
= liquid limit - plastic limit
consistency index
= firmness of soil
= (liquid limit - water content) / plasticity index
gives idea of shear strength, range from >0 to 1
high shear strength soils
cohesive soils like clay
low shear strength soild
granular soils like sand
ways to increase density of soil
soaking, tamping or rolling
swale
small valley to direct water
culvert
tunnel that water can pass through (pipes, tunnels or channels)
catch basin
storm drain
most effective way to remove suspended solids from runoff
Dry Swales
what is the legislation guiding historic preservation
national historic preservation act
components of historic preservation
preservation (maintain, not replace or alter), reconstruction (new that imitates old, interpretive purposes), rehabilitation (repair, alter to meet needs), restoration (remove features from after the restored time)
median radiant temperature
average temp of surfaces in a room
if MRT is lower than air temp, room will feel cold
high relative humidity
will feel warmer than air temp
dew point
when 100% relative humidity is reached (condensation begins)
wet bulb
dry bulb
ways to achieve good air quality
limit pollution (voc), isolate unavoidable pollution, provide adequate fresh air, filter air
Differential settlement
Uneven foundation settling that leads to cracking
Types of shallow foundations
Strip foundations
Slab on grade
Strip foundation
Vertical foundation walls and footings
Isolated footings
Columns and footing
Continuous footing
Multiple columns on a strip of footing
Grade beam
Foundation wall that spans between two footings
Cantilever edge distance
Distance from face of foundation wall to edge of footing
Limits of a stepped foundation
Vertical step is less than 1/2L or 2’
Horizontal Length should be at least 2’
Layers of slab on grade
4” min conc
2” sand
Moisture barrier
4” gravel/stone
Mat foundation
When column loads are spaced as such that footings basically become one thick slab on grade
Used on highly expansive or low bearing soil
Pile foundations
End bearing or friction
Can be timber, steel or concrete
Caisson foundations
A large hole is bored in the ground and filled with concrete
Pole foundations
Primarily made of timber and are used on steep slopes or areas with flooding
Stilts
Underpinning
Added foundation When a new adjacent foundation wall is deeper than the existing foundation or when it requires repair or expansion
Sheet piles
Steel, concrete or wood walls interlocked and driven into the earth before construction to retain soil during construction process
Soldier piles and lagging
Steel columns driven into earth with wood lags spanning in between to retain soil during construction
4 parts of a property condition assessment
Documents & interviews
Property condition report
Cost to remedy deficiencies
Walk through survey
water to cement ratio
1:2 liquid to solid
grades of brick
sever weather, moderate weather, negligible weather
Type of cmu
type 1: manufacture to specific moisture content limit to reduce shrinking/cracking
type 2: not manufacture to specific limit
grade N: load bearing, below or above grade
Grade S: load bearing, only above grade/indoors
non-ferrous metals
no iron: aluminum, copper, brass, lead
galvanic action
deterioration from two non compatible metals
soft wood
comes from coniferous trees, used in construction
hard wood
comes from deciduous trees, use for trim, flooring, casework
plain sawn
parallel cuts across circle. varying grain direction, but less waste
quarter sawn
sawn diagonally towards center divided in quarters. more uniform grain, more waste. labor intensive so more expensive
lumber grades
board products: siding, sheathing, flooring trim
dimensional lumber: 2-4” th, used for framing, joists, decking
timber: 5”th, beams, columns, stringers
factory lumber: sawn to be made into products like doors
stone types
granite - igneous
marble - metamorphic
limestone - sedimentary
Types of concrete
type 1: portland cement, good for typical construction
type 2: moderate portalnd cement: good for construction with moderate sulfate action, large piers or heavy retaining walls
type 3: high early strength portland cement - quick drying
type 4: Low heat portland cement - massive structures
Gross building area
measured to the outside face of exterior walls, includes all areas
Net (assignable) area
rentable area?
area required to accommodate the function of the building and it’s users, excludes exterior walls, large vertical penetrations, circulation and service areas
inside face of exterior walls
unassigned area
circulation, mech, public restrooms, storage, often shown as ratio
useable area
building area assign to a user. net area plus secondary circulation. inside face of exterior walls,
rentable area
inside face of exterior walls, excludes vertical penetrations
building efficiency
= net assignable area / gross building area
.5 - .75 depending on use
interior layout efficiency
= net assignable area / useable area
base building efficiency
= useable area / gross building area
~.8
R/U RATIO (loss factor)
= RENTABLE AREA / USEABLE AREA
programming steps
establish goals
collect and analyze facts
uncover & test concepts
determine needs
state the problem
programming key issues
function, form, economy, time
programming activies
1 project initiation: workplan
2. information request: collect and organize info
3. program documentation: gather all data
4. approval, handoff and closeout
degrees of programming sophistications
first degree - traditional
second degree - complex building type, multihead client
third degree - large mixed use, specialize consultants
fourth degree - urban planning projects, political
Elevator types
Traction and Hydraulic
Traction elevations
good for all building types, only suitable type for high rise
machine room at top of shaft is typ, but can be below pit
hydraulic elevators
suitable only for low rise
need a piston hole the height of elevator, so not practical for high rise
holeless versions can telescope
Geared vs gearless traction elevators
geared are best for low rise, 500ft/min
gearless are best for high rise, up to 2000ft/min
advantage of machine roomless elevators
reduces energy consumption by 30-40%
interaction matrix
gaming technique
role playing exercise that allows end users to play with components of program and arrange as they see fit
space list
includes design needs, area requirements and net assignable areas
brown sheet
sheet with squares representing the area size of program types
Milestone schedule / chart
a list of task completion dates, good for simple projects
gantt chart
good for complex projects, includes bars of time that tasks will take
critical path method
gantt but includes task dependencies. most sophisticated type of schedule
good way to separate design fee estimates
by milestone
work plan includes
fee analyses: top down and bottom up
discounted cash flow analysis
a complex method of analyzing project finances that looks at future payments and brings them back, or discounts them, to the present value. This must be done to accurately analyze project finances because of the time value of money - a dollar today is worth more than a dollar in 10 years, for example, due to inflation.
net present value
value after discounting expected payments and income / expenses
sensible heat
transfer by a body or mass to the environment
latent heat
humidity based heat - change in humidity that feels like change in temperature
heat flow
sum of sensible and latent heat
conductivity
(k) rate of heat flow through 1” of material (lab calculated)
conductance
(c) similar to conductivity but calculated for standard material sizes
C =. K / Thickness
resistance
(R): reciprocal of conductance, specifies insulating value
R = 1/K
Emittance
heat flor through radiation: shiny has low emittance than matte surface
u-factor
measures sensible heat flow
Indirect water heater
Water is heated using the building a boiler or furnace
Drawback is that boiler or furnace would need to run year round
Direct water heater - storage heater
Use a dedicated fuel source to heat water in a tank to temperature
Energy intensive
Direct water heater - demand
Heats water on demand, does not store hot water
Saves space and avoids heat loss
All air systems
Variable air volume system VAV
Constant air volume system CAV
Air and water systems
Active chilled beams,
Ducts with air and water
All water systems
Fan coil terminals
Closed loop heat pumps
Radiant heating
VAV systems
Conditions air centrally
Most typical system
Don’t handle range well (can’t heat and cool simultaneously)
CAV systems
Conditions centrally
Operates with on master thermostat
Uniform temperature
Active chilled beams
Air is heated or cooled by passing over water pipes
Temp can be controlled by individual thermostats
Often pairs with DOAS
High cost, good for high cool but not high heat
Fan coil units
Uses boiler and chilled water for heating a cooling
Good for buildings with exterior walled rooms
Closed loop heat pumps
Great for buildings with varying heat loads
Hydronic convectors
Circulates hot water or steam to fin tube convectores
Common for historic buildings
Packaged evaporative cooler
Only for dry climates
