Sustainable Sites Flashcards
Which actions should a project team take to complete a site assessment? (Choose 3)
A. Describe how the project will comply with local standards and code
B. Conduct a site inventory
C. Follow the EPA Construction General Permit (CGP) or local equivalent
D. Gather information on the property condition
E. Engage local experts
B. Conduct a site inventory
D. Gather information on the property condition
E. Engage local experts
When restoring disturbed and compacted soils, which action must the project team take to restore soils in areas being revegetated?
A. Restore the soil with any type of imported soil
B. Restore the area with specific soil restoration criteria
C. Restore the soil by digging it up as means of un-compacting it
D. Restore the soil using any soils from any other greenfield sites
B. Restore the area with specific soil restoration criteria
This is correct. See the reference guide for the specific soil restoration criteria required.
Which fact should project teams consider for SS Credit Site Development Protect or Restore Habitat in an urban versus a rural environment?
A. Urban projects must include a vegetated roof for at least 40% of the building footprint.
B. Urban projects can only achieve the credit by providing financial assistance.
C. Urban projects have higher density, which changes the strategies for development.
D. Urban projects cannot achieve the credit.
C. Urban projects have higher density, which changes the strategies for development.
This is an issue with urban projects. There may not be a greenfield
Encouraging human interaction with wetland and natural areas for open space can be accomplished with all of the following EXCEPT:
A. Educational signage
B. Observation stations
C. Walking trails
D. Side slopes of 1:4 or more
D. Side slopes of 1:4 or more
Wetland or naturally designed ponds count as open space if the side slope gradients are 1:4 or less (not more)
On which factor will a site’s lighting design be based?
A. The availability of BUG ratings for luminaires
B. The availability of a demand response program
C. The lighting zone in which the project is located
D. The location of adjacent properties
C. The lighting zone in which the project is located
Prior to any design, the project team must determine what lighting zone the project is in and justify why that lighting zone was selected.
A project team has decided to pursue LEED certification during early construction. Which statement is true about the project’s ability to achieve SS Prerequisite Construction Activity Pollution Prevention?
A. Only those areas that are relevant to the site at the time of project registration must be followed in the ESC Plan.
B. The project cannot earn the prerequisite.
C. The prerequisite does not apply, since construction has already begun.
D. A compliant ESC plan must have been in place prior to construction to earn the prerequisite.
D. A compliant ESC plan must have been in place prior to construction to earn the prerequisite.
A project in the design phase may have to create or modify an ESC plan for certification.
A project in the construction phase that doesn’t have a compliant ESC plan cannot be LEED-certified, since the prerequisite can’t be met.
A project team is collecting information for a site assessment. Which documentation would likely not be used to gather property condition information?
A. Climate data
B. An ESC Plan
C. Previous assessments
D. Soil surveys
E. Topographical maps
B. An ESC Plan
Notes:
The features to include in the site assessment are as follows:
Topography Hydrology Climate Vegetation Soils Human use Human health effects
A project team is discussing synergies to achieve both SS Credit Rainwater Management and SS Credit Heat Island Reduction. The project design will include covered parking. Which strategy would help earn both credits?
A. Include a vegetated roof
B. Include parking by shaded by trees
C. Include decking with a three-year aged SRI of at least 32
D. Include a photovoltaic system that will recharge green vehicles
A. Include a vegetated roof
Notes:
Any roof used to shade or cover parking must (1) have a three-year aged SRI of at least 32 (if three-year aged value information is not available, use materials with an initial SRI of at least 39 at installation), (2) be a vegetated roof, or (3) be covered by energy generation systems, such as solar thermal collectors, photovoltaics, and wind turbines.
When considering rainwater management look at LID/GI strategies.
Only the vegetated roof accomplishes both goals.
A project team has calculated the runoff volume of a project that will need to be managed. The site includes impervious hardscapes and a parking lot, as well as preserved open space. How much runoff does the project need to manage for the 95th percentile storm event for SS Credit Rainwater Management?
A. Only the runoff from the developed portion of the site
B. Only the runoff from the impervious areas of the site
C. 100% of the total site runoff
D. 95% of the total site runoff
C. 100% of the total site runoff
The strategies used must manage 100% of the runoff volume for the entire developed site.
A school will be providing the community with access to some of the school’s facilities including playing fields and a gymnasium. What must be provided for SS Credit Joint Use of Facilities when a school is providing the facilities?
A. Adequate parking
B. Shower facilities
C. Separate entries to the spaces intended for joint use
D. Access to toilets after normal school hours
D. Access to toilets after normal school hours
Notes:
When a school is providing the facilities (Options 1 and 2) the facility must have access to toilets.
Which strategies meet the requirements of an erosion, sedimentation, and control (ESC) plan?
A. Install structural controls such as earth dikes, silt fences, sediment traps, and catch basins to divert water and to capture sediment from the storm water runoff.
B. Plant vegetation such as grass, ground covers, trees, and shrubs to stabilize soils.
C. Cover soils with products including mulch, tarps, filters, and fabrics so that soil won’t erode.
D. Incorporate grade changes as necessary to allow construction vehicles access to the site.
E. Remove all hazardous trees and trees under a 40% condition rating.
This is a type of minor improvement allowed for wetlands and water bodies as part of LT Credit Sensitive Land Protection.
A. Install structural controls such as earth dikes, silt fences, sediment traps, and catch basins to divert water and to capture sediment from the storm water runoff.
B. Plant vegetation such as grass, ground covers, trees, and shrubs to stabilize soils.
C. Cover soils with products including mulch, tarps, filters, and fabrics so that soil won’t erode.
A site master plan includes the development of stores, restaurants, and other businesses. The site is not a LEED-ND project. For a LEED BD+C: New Construction project that is part of the site master plan, which statement is true about open space as it relates to SS Credit Open Space?
A. Turf areas will not count toward the credit.
B. A vegetated roof on the project can count as open space if the density of the building is at least 1.0 FAR.
C. Open space adjacent to the building could count toward the credit.
D. Open space at another location in the site master plan would not count toward the credit.
C. Open space adjacent to the building could count toward the credit.
Shared open spaces, such as a park, that are used by multiple buildings within the same site master plan that are not LEED projects can be included in the open space and vegetation calculation.
A project team reviews a project design and finds that the design does not comply with SS Credit Heat Island Reduction using the standard non-roof/roof calculation due to the project having multiple roof angles and materials that fall above and below the minimum SRI and SR values. Which action should the project team take next?
A. Locate at least 50% of the parking spaces under cover
B. Use the weighted non-roof/roof calculation to see if the design will comply
C. Incorporate additional mitigation strategies
D. Submit a CIR for clarification on the how the roof angles can be calculated
B. Use the weighted non-roof/roof calculation to see if the design will comply
The next step is using the second equation.
A developer is building an office project in an urban area. The project has a zero-lot line. Which design feature must the building have to achieve SS Credit Rainwater Management?
A. A green roof for at least 30% of the building footprint
B. A density of at least 1.5 FA
C. Pervious roof decking
D. A rainwater cistern
B. A density of at least 1.5 FAR
For Option 1 Path 3, projects must manage the rainfall for the 85th percentile of rain events. For this option, the project must have a density of at least 1.5 FAR.
