LANDSCAPE MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION

Schematic Design (SD)

• 30% completion

• General design concepts in plan

• Color rendered presentation is done for client review

• No written specifications

Design Development (DD)

• ~50-65% complete

• Coordination among the design team

• Approximate cost estimate

• Written specifications

Construction Drawings (CD)

• 100% complete

• Also known as Final or Bid set

• Final drawings for bidding and construction

• Some projects will have a Pre-Final (90%) submittal before

As Built Plans

• Markup of the construction set drawings by the contractor after final landscape installation to record any changes or adjustments of the design drawings as typically relating to site conditions and approved changes

TMK

• Tax Map Key

• A legal number designation that identifies a property to the government

• Required to indicate on a construction drawing for permitting

• Zoning, height limits, and other information when searched

Arial

• Most common font for construction drawings

• AutoCAD standard

• Font size of 1/8” for a full-size drawing (half size printed drawing is still legible)

Romans

• Font commonly used on construction drawings

• Font size of 1/8” for a full-size drawing (half size printed drawing is still legible)

Maintenance Period

• Begins at the time of substantial completion of the project

• Meant to ensure successful establishment of the plantings

• 90 days

Title Block Info

• Architecture/landscape architecture firm name and address

• Project name and location

• TMK

• Sheet name

• Date

• Scale

• Sheet number

Basis of Design (BOD)

• Written description of the existing conditions and proposed design

• For client or owner

Post Contract Document (PCD)

• Changes to drawings and specifications after the contractor is selected

Change Order Procedure (COP)

• Contractor submits a cost estimate for a change order to do the work issued in a PCD

Contour Interval

• Vertical distance or difference in elevation between contour lines

• Bolder or thicker contour lines appear for “major” contours such as 5’, 10’, 15’, 20’

Slope (on grading plans)

• Horizontal distance first, then vertical distance (run over rise)

• Different than slopes for hardscape/ramps (rise over run)

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Ramp: needed if slope is equal to or greater than 5% (1:20)

• Ramp: slope maximum 1:12 or 8.33%. 36” width min

• Handrails: if ramp is longer than 6ft, extend 12” beyond end of ramp or steps

• Railing: 34” min to 38”

• Ramp Top/Bottom Landings: 60” min. diameter. 30 ft maximum distance between landings (at 1:12 slope), 30” max. rise between landings

• Cross Slopes: 1:50 (2%) cross slope

• ¼” max vertical change

• ½” max gaps in paving

Straw Wattle

• Netting filled with straw

• Filters water and prevent soil migration

Compost Sock

• Filled with compost

• Filters water and prevent soil migration

Riprap

• Loose or mortared rocks

• Slows, divert or dissipate energy from water/waves

Erosion Control Blanket

• Short term or permanent erosion control blankets secured to the slope

• Short term blankets are made with straw, coconut fiber and/or jute

Air Spade

• Special tool that uses compressed air to excavate around tree roots

• For transplanting trees or for arborist inspection and mediation

Container Sizes

• A size designation of nursery plants

• Typically 4” pots, 1-gal, 5-gal, 15-gal, 25-gal sizes

• Larger Sizes (boxed or bagged): 60-gal, 80 gal, and 100 gal sizes

• Groundcovers: small pots, “Flats”, sprigs, or rooted cuttings

Hydromulch

• A process of applying a wet slurry mix of fine organic mulch, organic fibers, and seed or stolons

• Often dyed green

• Applied using special spray equipment

Plugs

• Individually grown grass portions that have roots and soil

• Planted in holes in the ground and spaced apart

Root Barrier

• A metal, plastic, or fabric sheet installed between a tree and paving or buildings

• Reduces or delay damage of expanding roots

Sod

• Grass that is fully grown

• Laid down in sheets or rolls

• Instant lawn

Springs

• Grass cut from rhizomes or stolons that include roots but no soil

• Planted in holes in the soil and spaced apart

Stolons

• Grass that is grown using shredded root material

• Applied with hydromulch

Tree Trunk Guard

• Expandable plastic or metal band placed at the base of tree trunks

• Prevents damage from weed whackers and lawn mowers

Tree Spade

• Special equipment that uses tall blades that hydraulically sink into soil around a tree to lift a tree for transplanting

Finish Grade (FS)

• The final set level of soil

• Important for establishing against paving, retaining walls, and other landscape elements

Sub-grade

• Soil elevation prior to landscape soil

• By general contractor

Typical Concrete Finishes

• Broom Finish

• Trowel Finish

• Rock Salt Finish

• Exposed Aggregate Finish

• Stamped Concrete

Broom Finish

• Uses an actual broom to sweep a pattern

• Straight lines or swirled

• Skid resistance

Trowel Finish

• Uses a large metal trowel (like a flat triangle) to rotate over wet concrete and draw water to the surface

• Smooth finish or “troweled” finish with swirled surface texture

Rock Salt Finish

• Uses actual salt crystals that are scattered over concrete while wet

• Creates a pocketed texture

• Salt washed away

Exposed Aggregate

• Surface of concrete is lightly washed with water before hardening

• Exposes the stone in the concrete mix

Stamped Concrete

• Template pattern pressed into freshly poured cement

• Typically, ±¼” depth

Concrete Color

• Stained: acid stain applied after concrete has hardened

• Dry Shake: topically applied to freshy poured and leveled cementations concrete surface

• Integral Color Dyes: a powder color mixed into concrete cement before pouring

Curing / Setting

• Time it takes for concrete to harden

Floating

• Process of spreading freshly poured cementitious concrete with long poles with steel plates attached to level it

Aggregate

• Sand and gravel mixed with cement and water to make concrete

Rebar

• Metal rods, usually steel

• Used to reinforce concrete construction

Pre-cast Concrete

• Concrete which is cast and cured in a different location than its final designated position

Construction Joint

• A joint in concrete paving formed by different placements of concrete

• Planned stopping point where two separate concrete pours mix

Control (Score) Joint

• Joint formed by a special metal trowel or by saw cutting

• Helps control cracking

• Provides an aesthetic design pattern

• Typically, ¼” depth (most effective, should go down ¼ the thickness of the pavement)

Edges

• Filet: rounded

• Chamfer or Bevel: angled

• Created by a tool before concrete hardens

• Takes away sharp edges

• Makes the edge less likely to break and chip, and edges of concrete benches less sharp

Expansion Joint

• Separation between concrete areas

• Allow for expansion and contraction of concrete

• Filled with rubber or fiber compound to maintain a level surface

Spalling

• Result of water entering concrete

• Causes breaking, flaking, or cracking

• Can result from rebar rusting and expanding. In cold climates can result from freeze and thaw cycles

Efflorescence

• White powdered deposits due to the evaporation of water from the concrete surface from moisture within the concrete

• Waterproofing the back side of retaining walls helps to reduce efflorescence

GFRC

• Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete

• Used to make lightweight concrete forms, or for naturalistic forms

• Textured with latex molds and tools then color stained for a desired appearance

Cement

• A powdered lime ingredient used to make concrete

• Concrete is the hardened form of cement

Mortar

• A paste which is used to bind building blocks such as brick, stones, to fill gaps between them

• Often made with cement

Base Course

• Compacted base below paving, usually gravel or sand

Header / Edging

• Made of plastic, metal, stone, or brick

• Separates lawn areas from shrub and groundcover areas

Permeable Paving

• Paving that is designed to allow water percolation

• Grass block, permeable brick, permeable concrete are examples of permeable paving

Brick Paving Patterns

• Most Common: Herringbone, running bond, basket weave patterns

Walls

• Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE)/ Keystone walls: interlocking blocks

• Gabion wall: metal wire wrapped around boulders or large gravel

• Weep Holes: holes through retaining walls to allow drainage

• Battered wall: face of wall leans back so wall is wider at the base

• Cantilever: face of the wall leans forward so the wall is wider at the top

• Shotcrete: reinforcing frame put against the slope and high-strength concrete mix is sprayed on

• Footing: base structure of wall, usually concrete reinforced with rebar

Model Space

• Default working space where you draw

• 1:1 scale

Layout (Paper) Space

• Used for creating a finished layout for printing and plotting

• Viewports in paper space bring in your design in model space

• At a specified scale.

EJ

• Common abbreviation used for calling out an expansion joint on a hardscape plan

TYP

• Abbreviation for typical

EQ

• Abbreviation for equal

• Used to call out equal spacing for score joints for example

Dimension

• Numerical value representing the distance or size of what is being dimensioned

Dimension Line

• Line that is related to the dimension

• Ends with a symbol such as arrowheads or tick marks

Extension Line

• Lines perpendicular to the dimension line that almost touch the object

• Thinner than dimension lines

• Extension lines can cross other extension lines but should not cross another dimension line

Hardscape (Paving) Plans

• Shows the types of hardscape (paving), color, joints, finishes, references to related details, walls, and main features

• Directions to the contractor for what to construct and how

• Key or legend is helpful

• Curves can be called out with a radius (complex can be shown with a grid system)