Site Inventory and Analysis Flashcards
Site Inventory
a process of documenting various site data
Site Analysis
follows the site inventory, and it requires the landscape architect to interpret the site inventory data to make conclusions relevant to the design process.
Site Inventory-other
A community’s natural and cultural resources need to be identified so that they can be incorporated into decision-making processes by public and private sector interests
Community resource inventory
map wetlands, archeological sites, scenic views and significant wildlife habitats as well as ecological and cultural resources such as forests, floodplains, farmland, aquifers and historic structures
Base Map (Alta survey) will contain
Property boundary***
Public rights-of-way
Easements
Topography
Existing buildings
Existing utilities
Flood zone classifications
Adjacent property uses and owners
Other map data
Site location map (a small-scale map showing the site within its community context)
Title information (i.e. project name, location, designer, consultants)
North arrow
Graphic map scale
Data sources (date of site boundary survey, name of surveyor, and other source data)
USGS Topo map
referred to as USGS quadrangle maps or 7.5-minute quadrangle maps, these maps are generally available at 1:24,000 scale, and they would contain information such as:
Topography (typically at 40’ contour intervals)
Township, range and section information
Transportation infrastructure
Rivers, floodplains, wetlands and basic physiographic data
Buildings and new construction since the last printing (for rural areas)
Public Land Survey System PLSS
Used in most regions of US for dividing land for purpose of sale
PLSS units
The primary units of this nested grid system are townships (six-by-six-mile squares), sections (one-by-one-mile squares, or 640 acres), and quarter sections (160 acres), with the section being the primary unit in this system. At 24-by-24-miles square, the quadrangle is the largest unit of the PLSS system.
As Built Survey
The purpose of an as-built survey is to document a final built work and ensure that a project was constructed according to the construction documents. As-built surveys are generally conducted over the course of construction to fully document all site elements as they exist in the real world, and the location and nature of these site elements may differ from that shown on a landscape architect’s site plans due to a variety of factors.
Boundary Survey
A boundary survey is used to define the boundaries of a parcel of land. Boundary surveys are typically conducted before subdividing, improving, or building on land, and they are often incorporated into other scopes of survey work, including an ALTA survey
Topographic Survey
More detailed than ALTA, Topographic contours with contour intervals determined by the client/designer. Most design work uses 2’ contour intervals with additional spot elevations
Spot elevations (highly accurate measurements of specific site elements – for example the top of a wall or the bottom of a staircase)
Vegetation and physical attributes including streams, rock outcroppings and wooded areas
Utilities
Aerial Photography
generally used for documenting static, high-contrast and large-scale phenomena, such as buildings and differences between vegetated and non-vegetated areas. They may also be used as a raster image in GIS as a background to other data.
Backsite
a point used to determine the elevation and/or angular orientation of the surveying instrument
Bearings
See diagram
Chaining
chain surveying, is a type of basic surveying in which only linear measurements are made and is suitable for the survey of small, relatively flat areas.
Infrared Aerial
used to track the growth of vegetation over time. Color infrared imagery can be used to track tree diseases (e.g., oak wilt blight) and insect damage (e.g. tent caterpillar infestations) and are often supplemented with data collected afterward on-site by a specialist such as an arborist
Leveling
a process of determining the height of one level relative to another. It is used in surveying to establish the elevation of a point relative to a datum, or to establish a point at a given elevation relative to a datum
LIDAR
Light Detection And Ranging, is an imaging technology often used for aerial site surveys. LIDAR sensors can ‘‘see’’ through vegetation to detect topography and can provide more complete and accurate topographic information than aerial photography and at a lower cost and within a shorter period than a field survey
Stadia Measurement
survey technique that uses the observed height of a graduated, upright rod (often 6’ in height) to infer horizontal distance.
Transversing
survey technique that maps an area of land using a series of interconnected lines. A traverse may be considered “open” if it does not form an enclosed area (e.g. a straight road) or “closed” if it does (e.g., a property boundary). Lines in a traverse have both a bearing and a distance
Site Analysis
synthesizes the data collected during the site inventory to identify opportunities and constraints for a specific project/land use. Abiotic/physical, biotic/biological/ecological, and cultural attributes can influence the site’s suitability for the project under consideration
Steps of suitability analysis
Identify suitability criteria for each anticipated land use
Collect and map the relevant site data
Identify and map the site locations with attribute values that meet the suitability criteria for the targeted land uses
Inventory and Analysis Data:Soils
Bearing capacity
Porosity
Stability
Erodibility
Fertility
Permeability
Soil pH
Inventory and Analysis: Topo
Slope
Aspect
Elevation
Inventory and Analysis: Geology
Landforms
Seismic hazards
Depth to bedrock
Inventory and Analysis Data: Hydrology
Surface drainage
Streams and rivers
Floodplains
Aquifers / aquifer recharge areas
Water quality and pH
Water table
IandAD: Climate
Temperature
Humidity
Wind patterns
Precipitation
Solar radiation
Microclimate
IandAD: Vegetation
Plant communities
Wetlands
Specimen trees
Plant health & hazards
IandAD: wildlife
Habitat
Presence of threatened / endangered species
IandAD: Land Use and Regulations
Previous land use
Comprehensive Plan
Zoning regulations
Parcel size and shape
Building Code
IandAD: Financial
Land ownership
Property boundary
Easements
Covenants
Property values
IandAD: Utilities
Water
Sewer
Stormwater
Electric
Gas
Telecommunications
IandAD: Transportation
Access
Traffic volume
Circulation
Mass transit
IandAD: Historic Resources
Buildings and landmarks
Archeological sites
IandAD: Sensory Data
Character
Visibility
Visual Quality
Noise
Odors
