Site Analysis Flashcards
solar altitude
angle above the horizon
azimuth
angle north or south from the east-west line
radiative cooling
uses thermal mass to store heat during the day and release heat at night
ground coupling
uses the stable coolness of the earth to cool a building - typically by using a ground-source heat pump
metes and bounds description
defines the perimeter of the site by using a starting point and describing each boundary line by angle of bearing and length
topography
describes the surface features of land
topographic map
shows slope and contour of the land
topographic survey
information on the contours of a site, property boundaries, easements, existing buildings, utility poles, roads and other manufactured features, trees and other natural features
contour lines
show elevation of the land in plan view
contour interval
different in elevation between adjacent contour lines
slope
G=d/L x 100%
water table
underground level below which the soil is saturated with water
runoff coefficient
fraction of total precipitation that is not absorbed into the ground
silt fence
temporary fence designed to allow water to pass through while filtering out sediment and allowing sediment to settle
soil
pulverized upper layer of the earth
gravel
2mm in diameter - excellent for construction loads, drainage, and sewage drain fields but unsuitable for landscaping
sand
.05 mm to 2 mm in diameter - finest grains visible to the eye - excellent for construction loads, drainage, and sewage drain fields but unsuitable for landscaping
silt
.002 mm to .05 mm in diameter - stable when dry or damp but unstable when wet - occasionaly plastic in their behavior
clay
under .002 in diameter - smooth and floury when dry and plastic and sticky when wet - poor for foundation unless it can be kept dry - unsuitable for drainage
peat
organic material excellent for landscaping but unsuitable for building foundation and road base
hardpan
unbroken mixture of clay, sand, and gravel - good base for building foundation
shale and slate
soft rocks with fine texture
bedrock
solid rock that forms the earth’s crust - highest bearing capacity of all soil types
borings
undisturbed samples of soil are removed at regular intervals and type of material is recorded in a boring log
standard penetration test (spt)
a common borehole test that is a measure of the density of granular soils and the consistency of some clays
test pits
trenches dug at the job site that allow visual inspection of the soil strata and direct connection of undisturbed samples
auger borings
raise samples of the soil by using a standard auger bit and is best used in sand or clay for shallow or intermediate depths because the auger cannot penetrate hard obstructions such as bedrock
wash borings
made with a 2in to 4in diameter pipe through which a water jet is maintained to force up the soil material. Can extend down about 100 ft or more but samples are so thoroughly mixed that analysis is difficult
dry sample boring
material is extracted by driving a pipe with a split sampling pipe on the leading edge about 5in into the soil
soil load test
involve building a platform on the site, placing incremental loads on it, and observing the amount of settlement during given time periods until settlement becomes regular after repeated loading
brownfield
property whose redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminate
karst
landscape in which soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum have dissolved forming caves and other voids below the surface
conductivity
rate at which heat flows through a material
slope statements
- a 1.5% slope is suitable for rough paving
- landscaped areas near buildings should have at least a 2% slope away from the structure
- a safe sidewalk slopes in the direction of travel no more than 2.5%
- sidewalk cross slopes must be a max of 2%
- grass slopes for recreation should have a max of 3%
