PA Mix2 Flashcards
What is three phase electric useful for?
Three-phase power is used in some small commercial applications for higher efficiency, especially with certain large motors and other heavier electrical loads.
A three-phase system may be arranged in delta (∆) or star (Y) (also denoted as wye in some areas).
What is a microclimate of a site?
A microclimate refers to the specific local conditions of the site. It’s affected by the vegetation, elevation, slope, water, solar exposure and any manmade structures. The macroclimate includes information on prevailing wind patterns as well as existing site features such as trees and water.
What is a sundial used for?
A sundial may be used to evaluate the effects of existing site conditions, the impacts of building massing alternatives, the extent of sun penetration into buildings and the effectiveness of shading devices.
What is a sun path diagram chart?
Sun path diagrams are a convenient way of representing the annual changes in the path of the sun through the sky on a single 2D diagram. Their most immediate use is for finding the solar azimuth and altitude that can be read off directly for any time of the day and month of the year.
(looks like a circle, with cardinal lines shown, degrees of the on various sun paths from east to west)
What is a wind rose?
The wind rose gives detailed information about wind direction and frequency for specific time periods.
What are the windward and leeward sides of the mountain located?
windward-prevailing winds
-high pressure
-precipitation towards the top
-cool and wet
leeward- dry decending air
-low pressure
-lack of rain causes dry and warm climate
-"rain shadow"What is an Aliquot?
The description of fractional section ownership used in U.S. public land is referred to as its aliquot. A parcel is generally identified by its section, township and range. The aliquot specifies its precise location within the section (for example, the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter).
What is magnetic declination?
also called magnetic variation, is the angle on the horizontal plane between magnetic north and true north. This angle varies depending on position on the Earth’s surface and changes over time.
What is a plat plan?
also called a cadastral map, is a map, drawn to scale, showing the way a piece of land has been sub-divided.
What is the equation for slope?
g=(d/l) x 100%
g=% slope (in a percentage)
d=vertical Distance
l=horizontal Length between two points
Divide vertical distance by Horizontal length and multiply by 100 to get slope in a percentage
What the difference between a detention pond and a retention pond?
Detention ponds are designed and placed on-sites in an effort to slow the flow of stormwater due to increased impermeability of paving and structures on a site. A detention pond will hold water temporarily and slowly discharge to another area.
Retention ponds are permanent structures designed to hold water flow for a short period of time, similar to a dam. In response to a storm, the pond’s water level fluctuates, reducing risk and saving the community from potential flood damage and costly repairs.
What is a check dam?
Check dams are often used in washes or swales and are earthen, rock or log structures that are installed to reduce stormwater velocities and promote sediment deposition. They can enhance infiltration into the soil and reduce erosion.
What are the Ahwahnee Principles?
The Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities, written in 1991 by the Local Government Commission, paved the way for the Smart Growth movement and New Urbanism. These principles provide a blueprint for elected officials to create compact, mixed-use, walkable, transit-oriented developments in their local communities.
What is the specific consultant that researches the distribution, circulation and physical properties of underground and surface waters. He or she may help environmental scientists and other scientists preserve and clean up the environment or may search for groundwater.
Hydrologist
Note: not Hydraulic Engineer (machinery)
What are the basic soil types?
clays silts sands gravels cobbles boulders rock
-and any combination of the above. Most soils usually contain more than one soil type. Not organic soil.
In a soil report, how is the material noted?
Example:
What does GW stand for?
C is for Clay
M is for Silt
G is for gravel
L is for low plasticity-compressibility
H is for high plasticity-compressibility
W for well-graded
P for poorly-graded
Example answer:
GW= well graded gravel
How can bearing capacity of soil be increased?
through:
surcharging,
adding engineered fill
or compaction.
What is a proctor test?
A Proctor test evaluates the native soils in both dry and wet conditions to determine the potential negative qualities of the soil. It is performed by dropping a hammer on a sample of soil several times and then drying for a period of time.
What does a “Boring” test determine?
TYPES of soils
What does a Brownfield redevelopment specialist do?
He/She specializes in environmental cleanup and restoration of the site and soils.
What is a sociopetal space?
-describing environmental conditions that PROMOTE social interaction, such as circular seating arrangements and a comfortable ambient room temperature. A physical environment with these characteristics is termed a sociopetal space.
What is a sociofugal space?
-describing environmental conditions that discourage or prevent social interaction, such as rows of seats facing the same way (e.g., church pews) or ambient noise that interferes with communication. A physical environment with these characteristics is termed a sociofugal space.
What is a conditional use permit?
A permit that grants the ability to use the building for a proposed use even though the Zoning Code normally would not allow it. These are typically granted with certain restrictions, and they may not be transferrable to a new Owner.
How is the 100-year floodplain defined?
1% probability of occurring in any given year
The 100-year flood is also referred to as the 1% flood, since its annual probability of exceeding this level is 1%. For river systems, the 100-year flood is generally expressed as a flowrate based on the expected 100-year flood flow rate.
What are the 5 types of construction?
Type I (one - can also be IA or IB)-Fire Resistive With this type of construction, walls, partitions, columns, floors, and roofs are the most noncombustible when it comes to fire-resistant ratings. These structures are usually easy to spot based on their height. Fire-resistive buildings are more than 75-feet tall and made of poured concrete and protective steel. They are designed to withstand the effects of fire for a long period of time to prevent a fire from spreading. Ventilation in these types of buildings is not an option because the roof must also be composed of noncombustible materials.
Type II-Non-combustible
Non-combustible buildings are similar to the fire-resistive type where walls, partitions, columns, floors, and roofs are noncombustible. However, they provide less fire resistance and do not withstand the effects or spreading of fire as well as Type I. This type gets its name “noncombustible” not because of its resistance to fire, but because of the fuel the building contributes. Newer school buildings are common examples of this type of construction. These buildings typically have a metal floor and metal roof with masonry or tilt-slab walls. They are the least stable in terms of collapse when exposed to fire.
Type III-Ordinary
These buildings are also called brick-and-joist structures. This type of construction has brick or block walls with a wooden roof or floor assembly which is not protected against fire. All or part of the interior structural elements (frame, floors, ceilings, etc.) is combustible/wood. Verticle ventilation in these types of buildings is possible. You will see ordinary construction in both old and new buildings.
Type IV-Heavy Timber
Type IV buildings have noncombustible exterior walls and interior elements. These buildings are made out of solid or laminated wood. All wooden members must meet dimensional requirements. Wood columns, beams, and girders must be at least 8 inches thick. Heavy planks for floors and roofs must be at least 6 inches thick. If these types of buildings catch fire, they require large volumes of water to extinguish, but they hold up well against fire and don’t collapse easily due to their structural mass.
Type V-Wood Framed
Wood-framed buildings are the most combustible out of all the types. They are the only construction type that allow combustible exterior walls. Type V also allows a combustible interior (structural frames, walls, floors, and roofs) made entirely or partly out of wood. This type is commonly found in modern homes. They often have exposed wood so there is no fire-resistance. It ignites significantly but is reasonably resistant to collapse unless it is a lightweight construction, in which case it will fail within minutes.
You are reviewing a building project to redline, specifically focusing on ADA requirements. What resource would you use to reference ADA standards?
The ICC/ANSI A117.1, Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities,
is a nationally recognized standard of technical requirements for making buildings accessible.
Who are the ADA guidelines enforced by?
The US Department of Justice
ADA is a civil rights law that covers employment, public entities (and public transportation), public accommodations (and commercial facilities) and telecommunications. ADA is a national law, not a code, issued and enforced by the Department of Justice.
What are the Building occupancy classifications?
(A)-Assembly (B)-Business (E)-Educational (F)-Factory (H)-High Hazard (I)-Institutional (M)-Mercantile (R)-Residential (S)-Storage (U)-Utility and Misc.
What is a PUD?
A planned unit development (PUD)
is a community of homes that could look like single-family residences, townhomes or condos and can include both residential and commercial units. It has a zoning designation that allows mixed land uses, including residential, commercial and recreation, all in one area.
Which local agency would most likely confirm the proper setbacks for a project?
The local Planning Department would be responsible for zoning and setbacks.
(Building Department is not the NCARB answer)
Which agency would define if and where a fire zone would be needed in a project?
A Fire District,
with notice to the Chief of Police, may request or require that a public or private Property Owner establish fire zones on their property where the health, safety and welfare of the public requires it.
What would be your best resource for gathering the federal-level regulations and requirements for properties bordering or in a seismic hazard zone?
FEMA
A primary resource that FEMA provides is the NEHRP Recommended Seismic Provisions for New Buildings and Other Structures (FEMA P-750). FEMA’s companion document, Earthquake Resistant Design Concepts (FEMA P-749), provides a nontechnical background explanation.
How would you apply the Energy Code of the IECC to a project that has both commercial and residential units?
Commercial Code applies to commercial, and Residential Code applies to residential
The IECC addresses mixed occupancies by stating that commercial occupancies must comply with the Commercial portion of the Code, and residential occupancies must comply with the Residential portion of the Code.
What is another name for the “Entitlement Phase”?
Permitting Phase
The process of Entitlements is the legal method of obtaining discretionary approvals for the right to develop and/or construct on a property for its desired use(s). This phase addresses the applicable zoning regulations, municipal codes, General Plan, and neighborhood council/community groups’ requirements, resulting in project approval from a planning commission or city council.
What is a Bulk Plane?
The bulk plane is really a series of planes which limit the allowable volume of space the building can occupy. As with the height limitations, the bulk plane requirements are separated into limits. Bulk plane is a standard that lowers height limits near the edges of a lot by establishing an inclined plane over which buildings may not protrude.
What is cumulative zoning?
allows any use permitted in a higher-use, less intensive zone to be permissible in a lower-use, more intensive zone. For example: Under this method, a house could be built in an industrial zone, but a factory could not be built in a residential zone.
What is Exclusionary Zoning?
the utilization of zoning ordinances to exclude certain types of land uses from a given community. This type of zoning gained prominence in land use regulations throughout the United States in the late 19th century.
What is an Easement of Support?
is an easement acquired by grant or by prescription by which an Owner of a structure on the land has a right to rest or support it in whole or in part upon the land or the structure of an adjoining Owner by inserting beams in the adjoining wall on the boundary. Used in cases of a shared party wall.
What is an Affirmative Covenant?
is a type of agreement in a contract in which the covenantor makes a promise to a covenantee to do some action (affirmative covenant) or not do some action (negative covenant).
Which type of survey would you most likely need to fulfill the requirements of a lending institution?
The ATLA/ACSM Survey
-often used to fulfill the requirements of a lending institution or purchaser. ALTA/ACSM stands for American Land Title Association / American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. This type of survey is one of the most comprehensive types of land surveys and it includes all the features of a property.
What is the minimum required width when planning the accessible routes to circulate a site?
3’-0”
What is a geodetic survey?
a survey of a large land area in which corrections are made for the curvature of the earth’s surface. A plane survey presents the site as a flat plane. Although technically distorted, this is the one used most often.
What is another name for “as-built” survey?
possession survey
What is the test used in order to determine proper compaction and moisture levels in the soil?
Proctor Test
The Proctor compaction test is a laboratory method of experimentally determining the optimal moisture content at which a given soil type will become most dense and achieve its maximum dry density.
What are the characteristics of well graded soil?
A well graded soil is a soil that contains particles of a wide range of sizes and has a good representation of all sizes from the No. 4 to No. 200 sieves. Soil gradation is very important to foundation design. It is an indicator of engineering properties such as compressibility, shear strength and hydraulic conductivity.
Will well graded or poorly graded soil have better drainage?
A poorly graded soil will have better drainage than a well graded soil because there are more void spaces in a poorly graded soil.
What is an Arroyo
-a steep-sided gully formed by the action of fast-flowing water in an arid or semi-arid region, found chiefly in the southwestern US.
Note:
An arroyo on site would represent a fairly major land feature that could indicate major water flow at certain times of the year. Most likely there would be locally required setbacks from these features, depending on their depth.
What are “Adjacency Requirements”?
-requirements requested by the client or owner for certain spaces to be next to other ones. Also know as “Space Adjacency”. Can be shown in a bubble diagram, matrix diagram, or in the written project scope.
What is Programming?
The process that seeks to identify and analyze the architectural problem, and then find and preliminarily test solutions for this problem that are satisfactory to the client.
What is Proxemics?
the study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behavior, communication and social interaction. It helps us to understand the cultural influences on the spacing between people and territoriality.
