Programming and Analysis Study Items

characteristics for a hot-arid climate

thermal mass, shade, small windows, thick walls, water features, courtyards, low-e windows

bottom of the valley and south of a pond are best build locations

characteristics of hot-humid climate

large openings + orientation for breezes, long east-west dimension, tall ceilings, ceiling fans, sprawling building form

top of a hill and south of a pond are best build locations

vapor control layer on outside (warm-side) of insulation

characteristics of temperate climate

long east-west dimension, insulation, south-facing windows, buffers for winter winds, minimize north face of the building and maximize south facing of the building

plant deciduous trees on south side of building

¾ of the way up a hill is the best location to build

characteristics of a cold climate

compact building form to minimize heat loss (a little longer in the E-W direction), insulation, low u-value windows, airtightness, plant evergreen trees on the windy side of the building as a buffer

¼ of the way up a hill and the north side of a pond are the best sites to build on

vapor control layer on the inside (warm side) of the insulation

superfund

brownfield sites with toxic waste

soil capping

covers contaminated soil with asphalt, clay, concrete or membrane

bioremediation

microbes eat soil’s contaminants

phytoremediation

plant roots suck up contamination

soil washing

soil cleaned with water and detergents

soil mixing

mixing Portland cement with the soil to strengthen the perimeter of the excavation

slurry walls

use a watery clay mix to keep a trench from collapsing in on itself until concrete is poured and displaces the mix

then dig inside the resulting subterranean concrete wall

crosslot bracing

spans between excavation walls

rakers

act as kickstand to hold up slurry walls

tiebacks

hold excavation walls back to the earth from behind

ciassons and end-bearing piles

engage (often deep) competent soil

frictional piles

are used when hard soil or rock is too deep to be reached economically for an end-bearing pile, or when the soil is weak and cannot provide sufficient support at the tip

caissons

are drilled and then filled with concrete or drilled into bedrock

piles

are manufactured, brought to site and driven into the ground to either bear on bedrock/competent soil or can use the friction pile touching the soul around it to support the building

ALTA/ASCM Surveys

show improvements to land, easements, rights-of-way, that impact land ownership

Topographical surveys

show contours of the land

plats

demarcate divisions of land, like property lines

metes and bounds surveys

older and more rural - include start points and may reference landmark

ex of a right-of-way

a shared driveway

ex of an easement

a linear strip of land used for a powerline

eminent domain

government forces you to sell your land for a highway project

step-back

upper floors have a smaller footprint to allow light to reach the street

set-back

can’t build too close to property line

stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPP)

required for large projects that disturb at least one acre of land

defensible space theory

holds that homes with personal spaces are safer

1 acre = ? SF

43,560

cofferdam

temporary enclosed area in a body of water

check dam

small obstruction to slow down water in a stream

riprap

rock used to protect shorelines

max slope for an ADA ramp

1:12 with uninterrupted runs no longer than 30’ (that rise no more than 30”)

max cross-slope for an ADA ramp

1:48 or 2%

how to find the slope angle with percent/ratio slope

tan^(-1) (rise/run)