Site Specific Environmental Issues

Question 1

what is typical interval of contour lines?

Answer 1

1’

Question 2

“the cut” and “fill”

Answer 2

if need to adjust slope for building, can ‘cut’ into and remove ‘fill’. more sustainable to reuse fill elsewhere on project as a berm

Question 3

swale

Answer 3

ditch, cut in. good for blocking water
‘point up hill’

Question 4

berm

Answer 4

mound, add up. good for blocking sound/light
‘point down hill’

Question 5

ways to deal with water run off on a ramp/pavement?

Answer 5

add cross slope
add crown (similar to road)

Question 6

1:20 slope

Answer 6

sloped walkway, no handrails needed

Question 7

1:12 slope

Answer 7

ramp, handrails needed. steepest allowable slope per ada ramp

Question 8

slope is given in % (#:100)

Answer 8

100% slope is a 45degree angle

Question 9

expressway

Answer 9

limited access, high speed road, large, less quantity

Question 10

arterial road

Answer 10

prominent/important, higher speed, connector of one part of a city to another

Question 11

collector road

Answer 11

big street, traffic lights, streets filter into it

Question 12

local road

Answer 12

not major, don’t route traffic through, lower importance, more of

Question 13

alley

Answer 13

direct use, specifics to adjacent buildings only

Question 14

typical size of parking space

Answer 14

9’ x 19’
300-350sqft per parking space

Question 15

typical size of parking lot

Answer 15

60’-64’ wide x # of parking spaces (9’w each)

Question 16

best practices for designing parking lots

Answer 16

drive through enter/exit
bump out for back up if not a drive through
shade/trees for cooling and sustainability
do not add extra space at drive aisle, stick to typical dimensions
keep enter/exit 100’ from street corner
don’t make handicap spots walk across drive aisle

Question 17

site triangle

Answer 17

view angle, keep open so can keep traffic moving

Question 18

T.O.D.

Answer 18

Transit oriented development
discourage private car traffic, encourage public transit. local adjacent to major hubs of transportation. cities offer incentives

Question 19

what are typical incentives for TOD?

Answer 19

1. increase size of building
2. more units
3. no/low parking requirements
   *all noted in zoning overlay, granted by municipality

Question 20

asset maps/market conditions

Answer 20

a map that shows neighborhood zones/key programs. ie. highschool, high end residential zone.
these are things that could impact design of project

Question 21

what are environmental design concepts that are important to each project?

Answer 21

1. project goals/appetite for green
2. site analysis
3. cost benefit analysis
4. energy
5. health (of user)
6. healthy planet
7. resilience

Question 22

pump and treat (brownfield treatment)

Answer 22

common for addressing groundwater concerns. contaminated water is removed from soil and treated before disposed of

Question 23

vitrification (brownfield treatment)

Answer 23

increases impermeability of soil by adding cement to soil. soil can also be heated and melted to increase impermeabilty. $$$$$$

Question 24

removal of material (brownfield treatment)

Answer 24

least common and most expensive option

Question 25

solidification (brownfield treatment)

Answer 25

removes water and changes soil chemically to reduce permeability and reduce the transportation of contaminants by percolation

Question 26

soil vapor extraction (brownfield treatment)

Answer 26

uses vacuum pressure to remove VOC’s from soil through use of vapor extraction wells dug into soil

Question 27

air sparging (brownfield treatment)

Answer 27

injection of air into groundwater to flush out volatile contaminants

Question 28

incineration (brownfield treatment)

Answer 28

controlled burning of soil or solids

Question 29

bioremeditaion (brownfield treatment)

Answer 29

microoraganisms from plant matter are used to degrade hazardous organic compounds

Question 30

phytoremeditaion (brownfield treatment)

Answer 30

specific form of bioremeditaion, selected plants consume or break down contaminants in soil, sediments or water

Question 31

soil washing (brownfield treatment)

Answer 31

water is used to flush out contaminants

Question 32

solvent extraction (brownfield treatment)

Answer 32

solvents are used to remove contaminants in lieu of water

Question 33

dechlorination (brownfield treatment)

Answer 33

chemical treatment to remove chlorine atoms bonded to hazardous chemicals

Question 34

passive treatment wells (brownfield treatment)

Answer 34

barriers are constructed of reactive materials and installed in an aquifer to promote a chemical reactions between the barrier and a contaminant in the groundwater

Question 35

capped sites (brownfield treatment)

Answer 35

sometimes necessary to isolate excavations by lining them to prevent contamination. caps are constructed of impermeable geo-textiles
caps need mainentance and have life cycle costs