ARCH 635: Landscape Materials and Construction 2

Green Infrastructure

• A design feature on a property that uses landscaped systems or manmade engineered systems to mimic natural systems

Low Impact Development (LID)

• Stormwater management and land developement methods to try to match the way that stormwater traveled over and through the site before development

Bioswales

• Designed planted drainage path to move water that may include check dams and drywell(s)

Rain Gardens

• Like vegetated bioswales but in a natural or man-made depression where rainwater runoff can collect and soak into the soil

Cistern

• Tank for storing water, especialy runoff from roofs in landscape projects

Green Roof

• Vegetation that is planted on top a waterproofed roof

• Three main types:

  • Extensive: limited amount of soil

  • Intensive: up to a few feet of soil

  • Semi-intensive: varies from shallow to deep soil depth

Solar Green Roof

• Combines photovoltaic panels with vegetation

Blue Green Roof

• Combines water retention with vegetation

Green Wall/Living Wall

• Vegetation planted vertically against a wall

• Used indoors and outdoors

POC

• Point of Connection

• Beginning of the irrigation system

• The connection to the domestic water supply

Sub-meter

• A secondary water meter

• Installed after the point of connection

• Helps to monitor irrigation system water use separate from the water used in the building

Backflow Preventer

• Connected after the water meter

• Insures no contamination of the domestic water supply from syphoning of irrigation water into the city water supply

Main Line

• The pipe that comes from the point of connection after the water meter to supply water to the valves

• Constantly under pressure with water

Isolation Valve (gate, ball)

• An in-line mechanical fixture to regulate, typically manually, water flowing through a live (under constant water pressure) pipe run

• Strategically located so water can be turned off when repairing or maintaining equipment

Master Valve

• An electric in-line mechanical fixture that automatically closes when a tolerated leak level id detected by a flow sensor

Remote Control Valve

• Controls an irrigation zone

• An irrigation valve has a solenoid that is wired to irrigation controller and activates the opening or closing of the valve

• Electric valves are commonly sized for the amount
  of GPM the zone will need

• Sizes range between 1”, 1 ½”, or a 2” valve

Lateral Line

• Pipe that runs from the electric valve to the irrigation heads

• Lateral line is only pressurized with water when the valve has been activated, opening the flow of water into the lateral line and to the heads

Sleeve

• Pipe that runs under paving to allow installation of irrigation pipe and wires

• Normally schedule 40 or schedule 80 PVC

PVC Pipe

• Used for irrigation mainline and lateral lines

• 3/4” to 3” general size

• PVC stands for Poly Vinyl Chloride

• Thickness of PVC pipe is referred to as “Class”
  or “Schedule”

• Irrigation mainlines are typically schedule 40 PVC, and lateral lines are typically Class 200

Spray Head Radius

• The distance that an irrigation spray head will throw water out

Head-to-Head Coverage

• An irrigation design that sets the distance and patterns of spray heads such that they spray far enough to reach the next head and provide full coverage

Rain Sensor

• A device that measures rainfall and shuts off the controller during rains to help save water

• Can be wired directly to the controller or can be a wireless connection

PSI

• Pounds per Square Inch

• Measurement of water pressure

• Irrigation heads need a certain minimum water pressure to operate correctly

• Irrigation pipe and valves can reduce water pressure, sometimes leading to not enough pressure for the system to work as needed

• Too much pressure can cause misting and require a pressure regulator, too little PSI can result in the need for a pump to raise the pressure

GPM

• Gallons per Minute

• GPM designation of each spray head is important for calculating the total water needed per minute on an irrigation zone

• Pipe sizing reflects total GPM through the system

Diagrammatic

• A landscape irrigation design and plan are considered to be diagrammatic only, with the irrigation contractor needing to adjust the design as needed to enable full coverage and reduce over spray

Static Water Pressure

• Pressure of water in pipe that is not moving

• High pressure can cause misting of irrigation, low pressure can cause dribbling or non-functioning irrigation

Fall Height

• Vertical distance from the highest designated play surface on a piece of equipment and the protective surface beneath it

Fall Zone / Use Zone

• The area under and around a piece of equipment onto which a child falling from would be expected to land or exit from the equipment

• Defined clear area of cushioned play surfacing required for safety

• Thickness and density of the cushioned surface is determined by the height of an assumed potential fall.

Protective Safety Surfacing Material

• Shock absorbing (impact reduction), cushioned surface material in the fall/use zone to help absorb falls

• Materials

  • Unitary (poured in place rubber, rubber tile mats, cork, and synthetic turf)

  • Loose-fill (rubber mulch, sand, pea gravel, and wood mulch)

Critical Fall Height

• Rating of a protective surface that approximates the fall height below which a life- threatening head injury would NOT be expected to occur

Transformer

• The power supply for the lighting system

• Alters electrical voltage from “line” voltage , typically at 110v from the building electrical supply, to “low” voltage, typically 12v

• Sized based on electrical needs of the system

• Typically 100, 200, 300, or 600 watt sizes

Photo Cell

• Device attached to the transformer that will automatically turn on and off the lighting with darkness and sun light

Well Light

• A light fixture that is sunk into the ground with the top flush to grade

• Usually in lawn areas to up light tree canopies

Low Voltage Lighting

• A system of lighting that has electrical voltage reduced to 12 volts by a transformer

Direct Burial Wire

• Wire typically 12 volt capacity, that is buried in soil directly instead of passing though a conduit

• Can be extended from a transformer to the light fixtures in a chain forming a circuit

• Voltage can drop over distances of long wire due to resistance, can result in not enough power for each fixture

• Lager diameter wire can help to reduce voltage drop

• 10,12,14, or 16 gauge typical (the larger the number the thinner the wire)

K (Kelvin)

• Used to measure the color '“temperature” of a light source

• LED landscape lighting fixtures use between 2w and 8w or power

• For landscape lighting 2700K or 3000K are the typical temperatures of lighting used in landscaping

• 2700K is warmer or yellow, 3000K is colder

Watts

• Is a unit of power that describes energy transfer required for a light fixture

• LED landscape lighting fixtures use between 2w and 8w or power

• Adding up the fixture watt requirements determines the capacity needed for the transformer

• Watts used directly affects the power charges from the electrical company, in terms of kilowatts per hour (kWh) of energy use

Ambient

• The pre-existing general lighting of the surroundings, such as from street lightings or from windows

Bollard

• Poles with embedded lights

• Often used to demarcate pathways, or to control traffic at entryways

• Generally 3ft in height

LED

• Light emitting diode

• Use less energy and last much longer than incandescent bulbs

Lumen

• International unit of measurement to describe the brightness of lighting

• Higher the lumen the brighter the light

Niche Light

• A light fixture embedded into the face of a wall or step

Wire Gauge

• Size of wire

• Typical for low voltage lighting, 8 to 14 gauge

• The smaller the number the larger the size

Voltage Drop

• Power lost across an electrical circuit

Fully Shielded

• Light fixture design does not allow for light directed above the horizontal

Hot-Dipped Galvanized

• Finish process where steel is dipped into a kettle or vat of molten zinc forming an alloy coating

• Better corrosion resistance

Powder Coat

• Finish that protects the metal while also adding color

• Pieces are sprayed with an eclectically charged powder that adheres to the metal, then is baked to a liquid to cover the metal

• Corrosion resistance

Surface Mount

• Holes are drilled into the mounting surface, wedge anchors pounded into the holes, furniture put over anchors and secured in place with nuts

Embedded (In-Ground) Mount

• Core drill is used to make a hole through the mounting surface

• Extended parts of the furniture are placed into the hole and epoxy grout is poured into the hole to secure the furniture

ROM (Rough Order of Magnitude)

• ROM cost estimates are often the first type of estimate done early on during the design of a project using rough “ballpark” numbers’

• Gives the design team and client an idea if the project is in budget or if the design needs to change to get in budget

Unit Cost

• Cost per measured unit of an item

Lump Sum

• The complete materials and installed cost of an item or service

Contractor Submittals

• Material submittals for approval by Landscape Architect

RFI

• Request for Information

• Documented formal request typically from a contractor or owner to the designer, architect, or engineer for clarification of a subject(s) or item(s)

Written (Technical) Specifications

• Standard numbered sections

• Part of Bid Documents

• Usually includes planting and irrigation for landscaping

• Specifications supersede the drawings

Punch List

• A list of items or work that does not conform to contract specifications

• Contractor then corrects the problems so the project can be completed

LEED

• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design

• Widely used green building rating system

SITES

• Like LEED, but instead of focusing on buildings, focuses on the area around buildings

CHPS

• Collaborate for High Performance Schools

• Pronounced “CHIPS”

• The Department of Education in Hawaii used to use a modified version called HI-CHPS for schools locally but has since gone back to LEED

Surge Tank

• Tank at base of water features

• Allows for extra water storage to prevent overflow

Weirs/Spill Way

• Lip where water overflows

• Calculate water flow 100 gph = 1/2”height x 1” width

Foot of Head

• 1ft of head = 0.433 psi

GFI

• Ground Fault Interrupter

Pool Fencing Height

• 4ft

• Self closing gate

Pump

• Typically sized for 1 ½ time head

Pressure

• Problems cause misting or dribbling