Site Analysis

Question 1

Solar orientation

Answer 1

key considerations:
orientation of building to control solar heat gain/loss. location of outdoor spaces & activities. location of building entires

Question 2

Solar altitude

Answer 2

angle above horizon

Question 3

azimuth

Answer 3

angle north/south from east-west line

Question 4

climatic regions in us

Answer 4

cool - canada, north/middle US, mountains of wyoming/co
TEMPERATE - middle US, NW & NE
Hot humid - SE
Hot Arid - SW

Question 5

Cold climates general rules of thumb

Answer 5

minimize exposed surface area, compact forms, minimize heat loss. bury in hill/land.
minimize openings on N face, large windows on S face
entries to have air locks
landscape to block winds
mechanical heating & active solar heating - NO PASSIVE
increase thermal mass materials
dark exterior colors

Question 6

Temperate climate general rules of thumb

Answer 6

minimize northern exposure, max southern exposure
block winter winds
provide night time ventilation for exhaust of hot air
passive & active solar heating
medium colors for exterior
block cold winter wind, accept cool summer wind
block summer sun, accept winter sun

Question 7

Hot Humid climates rules of thumb

Answer 7

long, narrow. max cross ventilation. large windows, porches, breezeways
shade needed - trees or double roof
minimize thermal mass
provide shade for all openings
light exterior colors

Question 8

Hot Arid climates rules of thumb

Answer 8

shade from direct sun
max thermal mass
night ventilation
pools of water can reduce local air temp
compact forms, small surface area
minimize openings & provide shade
light exterior colors

Question 9

Passive solar heating

Answer 9

long, narrow building along e-w axis. integrate with daylighting design. thermal mass as design element. deciduous trees

Question 10

Passive solar cooling

Answer 10

shading, natural ventilation, evaporative cooling

Question 11

radiative cooling

Answer 11

thermal mass store heat in day & release at night

Question 12

ground cooling

Answer 12

use coolness of earth to cool a building. uses ground source heat pumps

Question 13

active solar

Answer 13

pv panels, mount to roof

Question 14

Slope

Answer 14

G = d/l x 100%
G - slope of land
d - vertical distance between contours
l - horiztonal distance between points

Question 15

Soil

Answer 15

pulverized upper layer of earth. categorized according to grain size, organic/inorganic

Question 16

Gravel

Answer 16

larger than 2mm diameter
good for construction loads, drainage, sewer fields
not good for landscaping

Question 17

Sand

Answer 17

0.05-2mm diameter. finest grain visible to eye
good for construction loads, drainage, sewer fields
not good for landscaping

Question 18

Silt

Answer 18

0.002mm - 0.05mm diameter. can’t see, but can feel
stable when dry, unstable when wet. swells/heaves
not good for raods or foundations unless extend below layer or are elastic to avoid damage

Question 19

Clay

Answer 19

less than 0.002mm diameter
expands when wet and slippery
not good for foundations or landscaping or sewer fields
retains water & drains slowly

Question 20

Peat & organic materials

Answer 20

good for landscaping
not good for foundations/road bases
usually must remove from site & replace with sand/gravel

Question 21

what soils have highest bearing capacity ?

Answer 21

bedrock, shale, slate

Question 22

hard pan

Answer 22

unbroken mixture of clay, sand and gravel

Question 23

standard penetration test

Answer 23

soil boring that takes a measure of density of granular soils and consistency of clays within sample
- measured in number of blows required to move boring a certain distance

Question 24

auger borings

Answer 24

used only for sand and clay. uses a standard auger bit

Question 25

wash borings

Answer 25

a water jet forces materials into a 2-4” D pipe. results in a heavily mixed boring

Question 26

karst landscape

Answer 26

an area comprised of soluble rocks, limestone, dolomite, or gypsum. the soil dissolves to form caves and peaks and can form sinkholes

Question 27

drainage

Answer 27

used to increased strength of soil

Question 28

fill

Answer 28

undesirable existing soil is remvoed from the site and new fill is brought in. new fill must be compactedp

Question 29

proctor test

Answer 29

determines optimal moisture content at which a given soil type achieves its maximum dry density

Question 30

sheepsfoot roller

Answer 30

machine used to compact fill

Question 31

densification of soil

Answer 31

achieved through on-site compaction, vibration, heavy weights, and piles filled with sand

Question 32

surcharging

Answer 32

pre-loading the ground with fill to compact and settle the underlying soil. then remove fill before constructionm

Question 33

mixing

Answer 33

add a layer of sand or gravel and mix into existing soil

Question 34

frost/frost line

Answer 34

foundations and footings should be placed below the frost line, the deepest point in the ground to which ground water will freeze

Question 35

angle of repose

Answer 35

natural angle a pile of dirt takes when at rest

Question 36

silt fence

Answer 36

used during construction to catch eroded sediment on site before it enters the storm sewer. fences are placed parallel to contours

Question 37

gully erosion

Answer 37

removal of soil along drainage lines by surface water runoff
deep, wide, and unstable channels are formed

Question 38

sheet erosion

Answer 38

uniform overland flow, can be difficult to notice

Question 39

splash erosion

Answer 39

first stage in erosion process that occurs when raindrops hit bare soil

Question 40

rill erosion

Answer 40

removal of soil by concentrated water running through small stremlets