Programming & Analysis Flashcards from Amberbook Video Lessons
What are buoyant upload forces?
When water in the soil under the building pushes upwards on the structure.
(Anecdotal) when do people usually start noticing a tilt in the floor, due to something like differential settling?
1 degree slope
What are some examples of organic soils?
Peat - incomplete decomposition of plant matter. Often used for vegetable gardens. High porosity, low density, contains lots of water and plant material.
Topsoil - highest concentration of organic matter. Where most of the Earth’s biological soil activity occurs.
These are spongy and cannot be built on.
What is the liquid limit of a soil?
The water content at which the soil transitions from solid to plastic
What is the plastic limit of soil?
The water content at which the soil begins to expand
What is the shear strength of soil?
Shear strength of a soil is indicative of its resistance to erosion. Specifically, it is defined as the resistance to deformation by the action of tangential (shear) stress.
Densely packed coarse grain soils are high
Loosely packed coard grain soils have less
Smaller grain soils (clay, silts, sands) have the lowest
When do we want to use grading to compact soils, or not?
We want the soil to be well graded when we are supporting something, like a building. And we use poorly graded soils where we want to drain water.
What is a well-sorted soil?
Regarding particle distribution. When a soil is well-sorted, that means that particles of a similar size are located near each other and there are lots of air gaps resulting. When we grade a soil it becomes less sorted because all the small particles fill the gaps between the larger ones. Therefore, sorted is the inverse of graded.
What is an EPA superfund site?
A site identified by the EPA with a previous use that’s believed to have likely polluted the land. The EPA created this list and attempted to get the polluters to pay for site remediation. It’s called superfund because there was originally a government fund used to start this process before any polluters started paying.
How is angle of repose measured?
From horizontal!
What are elements 01 and 02 in an excavated site?
- Soldier beams
- Lagging
What is soil mixing?
Without removing the soil, using an auger to mix a binding agent into the existing soil to reinforce it.
What is a slurry wall, and when is it useful?
Where a hole for a foundation pier is dug and a clay/water mixture is poured into the hole to temporarily prevent it from collapsing (using hydrostatic pressure). Rebar reinforcement is then inserted into the liquid hole and concrete is added to displace the liquid and form an excavation wall. Once it solidifies the soil on the excavation side can be removed.
What is this?
A Tremie!
A tremie is a pipe that can be used for pouring concrete below ground level, often underwater. Common applications include piling works, basements, diaphragm walls, caissons, underwater foundations, and so on. A tremie is made of rigid metal or plastic tubes, generally with a diameter ranging from 20 - 30 cm.
What are some common shoring methods used in excavation?
What are some different foundation types and their uses?
What’s the difference between Tie beams and Grade beams?
Tie beams only handle horizontal loads
What are some strategies for mitigating lateral movement during earthquakes?
- Rubber Dampers
- Hydraulic Shock Absorbers
- Base Isolation Pads
What is the difference between a caisson and a pile?
Caissons are drilled and filled.
Piles are hammered in.
When would you use a pile instead of a caisson?
When the soil is such that a hole drilled to pour a caisson would collapse before the caisson could be poured. Think of drilling a hole in the sand on a beach.
When would you use a mini pile or helical pile instead of a full-sized one?
When shoring up an existing building where excess vibration associated with ramming piles would be a problem. (If the adjacent building’s foundations or occupants may be disturbed) or where too much soil displacement may be destructive.
Helical (screw) piles don’t require a hole.
How can you use a shallow foundation in a situation that usually calls for a deeper one?
Soil Improvement!
- Inject foundation area with grout to improve strength
- Compacting the soil to improve strength
- Rammed aggregate piers
How can we improve an existing foundation?
Underpinning!
- Extend the foundation deeper
- Extend the foundation wider
- Improve the earth with imported fill or grout
Used when the new building is heavier than existing, or when it just needs improvement, or when adjacent sitework has weakened the foundation.
What are the two basic principles of keeping basements dry?
- Drainage
- Waterproofing
What are the general slopes involved in drainage away from a building?
8” drop at foundation of building
5% minimum grade for the first 10 feet
2% minimum grade on lawn areas
.5% minimum grade on pavement
What is backfilling?
The process of reusing or replacing the soil that is removed during the excavation of foundations, ground bearing slabs or other groundworks to support and strengthen a structure.
What are some ways a retaining wall can fail?
- Overturning
- Sliding
- Undermining
What are some ways to prevent a retaining wall from failing?
- Cantilevered footing to prevent overturn
- Footing key to prevent sliding
- Proper drainage or weep holes to prevent pressure buildup
What is an ALTA survey?
ALTA/ASCM = land ownership! Easements, utilities, rights-of-way
What is the difference between a zoning ordinance and a variance?
The zoning ordinance is the rule, and the variance is the exception.
These pertain to local government rules (density, allowable uses, parking requirements, setbacks)
What are some advantages and disadvantages of zoning ordinances?
Adv - No factories in your backyard
Disadv - Creates sprawl, historically racist
What is the first right-of-refusal?
A right of first refusal is an agreement between a property owner and a second party who wants to have the first chance to purchase the property when it comes on the mar- ket.
What is the maximum cross-slope of an ADA ramp?
1:50
What are the ADA dimensions for a bathroom?
What are the ADA requirements for a curb cut?
What are the code requirements for a firelane?
- 20’ wide
- 10’ from building overhang
- 30’ and 54’
What is Solar Noon?
When the sun is straight above you! Regardless of actual time
What are the quick calculations for solar geometry?
Spring & Fall = 90 degrees minus the latitude
Summer = add 23.5 to (90 degrees - latitude)
Winter = subtract 23.5 to (90 degrees - latitude)
Why is it better to have larger, isolated wind turbines? Instead of smaller ones directly on the building?
Because the energy generated is a squared factor of blade size and a cubed factor of wind speed. Putting huge turbines in isolated windy areas will generate more energy without vibrating the building or losing wind speed due to building barriers.
How many square feet are in an acre?
43,560
*Remember 7/11 (the sum of the first two digits, then the sum of the last 3)
What is this?
A standpipe! Used as a sort of indoor fire hose.
What is ASTM E1527
Environmental Site Assessment: Phase 1
What is ASTM E1903
Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
What is ASHRAE 55?
Thermal Environmental Conditions
What is ASHRAE 62
HVAC Design and Indoor Air Quality
What is ASHRAE 90.1?
Energy Standards
Preservation
- Sustains the existing form.
- Focuses on the maintenance and repair of existing historic materials and retention of a property’s form as it has evolved over time.
- Same use historically, or new use that BEST keeps materials, features, spaces…
How to Remember: You are not building anything new, or removing anything that is there, simply preserving what you see, regardless of original historic appearance.
Rehabilitation
Acknowledges the need to alter or add-to a historical property to meet continuing or changing uses while retaining the property’s historic character.
- Same use historically, or new use that BEST keeps materials, features, spaces…
How to remember: Just like rehab for people, a rehabilitation building project seeks to alter or add-to something while retaining it’s historic character.
Restoration
Depicts a property at a particular period of time in its history, while removing evidence of other periods.
Example: Removing post-modern additions and restoring a Gothic library.
Reconstruction
Re-creates vanished or non-surviving portions of a property for interpretive purposes.
Example: Reconstructing Notre Dame to 12th century form after its fire.
If something is broken or missing pieces, you must reconstruct it.
Arterial Roads
Interstates, freeways, multilane highways.
Connect urbanized areas, cities, and industrial centers.
Collectors
- Major and minor roads that connect local roads and streets with arterials.
- Collectors provide less mobility than arterials at lower speeds and for shorter distances.
- They balance mobility with land access.
- Speed limit usually between 35 and 55 mi/h.
Local Roads
- These roads provide limited mobility and are the primary access to residential areas, businesses, farms, and other local areas.
- Local roads, with posted speed limits usually between 20 and 45 mi/h, are the majority of roads in the U.S.
