Questions that were different on Midterm

Question 1

Select one or more:

a. Shear
b. Tension
c. Compression
d. Torsion

Answer 1

c. Compression

Question 2

The most cost effective method form of excavation cave in protection is?

Select one or more:

a. Sloped or benched
b. Sheet piling
c. Solider piles and lagging
d. Slurry walls

Answer 2

a. Sloped or benched

Question 3

Select one or more:

a. Wall
b. Slab on grade
c. Column
d. Strap

Answer 3

a. Wall

Question 4

A reinforced concrete slab on grade is suitable for?

Select one or more:

a. All types of buildings on stable soil dependent that the slab is 12” thick
b. Lightly loaded low rise buildings on stable soil.
c. Lightly loaded low rise buildings on expansive soil or stable soil
d. All types of buildings on stable soils, provided that it comprises perimeter and intermediate beams in both directions
e. Lightly loaded low rise buildings on expansive soil

Answer 4

b. Lightly loaded low rise buildings on stable soil.

Question 5

From the list below which is a deep foundation system?

Select one or more:

a. Slab on grade
b. Raft Foundation
c. Mat foundation
d. Pile foundation

Answer 5

d. Pile foundation

Question 6

What type of tree is dimensional construction lumber primarily made of?

Select one or more:

a. Conifers (Pines)
b. Deciduous ( Broad Leaved)

Answer 6

a. Conifers (Pines)

Question 7

Pressure treated wood prevents what?

Select one or more:

a. Warping
b. Mold and insect damage
c. Deflection
d. Buckling

Answer 7

b. Mold and insect damage

Question 8

Select one or more:

a. Knoxville Dried
b. Knotty Deciduous
c. Kaufman Direct
d. Kiln Dried

Answer 8

d. Kiln Dried

Question 9

Carbon does what to steel

Select one or more:

a. Carbon has no factor on the strength of steel
b. Carbon decreases strength but increases ductility
c. Carbon increases ductility but decreases brittleness
d. Carbon increase strength but also brittleness

Answer 9

d. Carbon increase strength but also brittleness

Question 10

A W14x150 wide flanged beam is?

Select one or more:

a. 14 inches wide by 150 inches tall
b. 14 inches tall by 150 lbs. per foot
c. 14 inches tall by 15 lbs. per foot
d. 14 inches wide by 15 inches tall

Answer 10

b. 14 inches tall by 150 lbs. per foot

Question 11

A #9 rebar is what diameter?

Select one or more:

a. 1-1/8”
b. 9/16”
c. 9”
d. 9 mm

Answer 11

a. 1-1/8”

Question 12

Select one or more:

a. Inverted T
b. Hollow Core
c. Solid plank
d. Double T

Answer 12

b. Hollow Core

Question 13

Rebar reinforcement cement masonry units CMU’s is used to:

Select one or more:

a. Act as an electrical grounding system in case of lightning strike
b. Resist gravity loads from the floor and roof
c. Increase the unit weight of the wall
d. Resist lateral loads such and wind and earthquake

Answer 13

d. Resist lateral loads such and wind and earthquake

Question 14

In a short paragraph provide examples of the three different building load types. Live load, dead load, dynamic load.

Answer 14

Live load- a live load is generally considered to be a load that changes overtime. Examples of live loads would be snow loads, and furniture .

Dead Load- a dead load is a load that is generally considered to be static or constant. It does not change. Examples of dead loads would be the weight of walls, and floors.

Dynamic Load- A dynamic load is a load that is said to be neither dead or alive. Examples of dynamic loads would be wind loads and seismic loads.

Question 15

In a short paragraph describe how you would handle a site for a small residence that is slated to be built on 4’ deep substrate of silt and clay. What are two options for dealing with the unstable soils?

Answer 15

Typically, no builder would want to build on unstable soils. This is because soils like clay and silt (unstable soils) change based on the amount of water that is present. It is mentioned that only 4’ deep is unstable soil. I would suggest that a cut and fill or a capping of the site is done. I would use a cut and fill to remove the unstable soil that is not wanted and replace it with a soil type that is much more stable like gravel. This would allow me to still be able to build in the same location without having to worry about the unstable soil that I could have been potentially building upon. Another method could be capping of the site. In this method, I could compact the site using rollers and then place the preferred building soil on top of it. In both methods, I would be able to build upon a soil type that is much more suitable for building. Failing this, I would use a Mat/raft foundation for the building. These types of foundations are considered to be “floating” foundations which allow them to be built upon weaker soil. They tend to be made up of highly reinforced concrete. This foundation can also work since it is only a small residence that is being built. The amount of load being imposed on the soil from the small residence should be within the soil’s bearing capacity.

Question 16

You are building a small one-story convenience store commercial building in Delhi NY. What foundation system would be the most cost-effective for this building typology?

Answer 16

A slab on grade is typically utilized in coordination with grading and compacting.

Question 17

What are two advantages and two disadvantages of using concrete in building construction?

Answer 17

Advantages

1. Strength - Concrete, especially when reinforced, is generally considered to be a strong building material. In the Caribbean, which is prone to hurricanes, it is heavily advised that structures are built out of concrete to withstand the winds of catastrophic hurricanes.
2. Fire resistance - Concrete has a high resistance to fire. In fact, steel can be encased in concrete when trying to increase the steel structure’s resistance to fire.

Disadvantages

1. Cost - Concrete, especially when compared to building materials like wood, are generally more expensive to build with. A house made out of concrete will cost more money than the same exact house built using wood framing.
2. Low tensile strength- Concrete has a low tensile strength which can result in the cracking of a structure. To mitigate this, rebar is used in concrete to increase its tensile strength.

Question 18

When building with concrete masonry units what are three important elements to include to make sure that the assembly is structurally sound?

Answer 18

1. Vertical reinforcement - Vertical reinforcement can help masonry units to resist bending, and overturning. As mentioned before, the tensile strength of concrete is low which can result in the bending of walls when exposed to lateral loads. Vertical reinforcement helps to prevent this.
2. Bond beams - Bond beams are used to help and create continuous horizontal reinforcement in masonry structures. It helps to resist any diaphragm tension that is imposed onto the structure. Naturally, masonry structures (Like walls and floors) are not able to resist diaphragm tension.
3. Grout - Is a substance (cementitious) used to fill the voids found in masonry units that bonds the unit with the reinforcement. Beyond this, grout can also be used to increase termite resistance and the fire ratings of a building.