Gang Chen SPD Mock Exam

The purpose of a percolation test is to determine the:
a. Absorption Rate
b. soil alkalinity
c. soil density
d. gravel sizes
e. evaporation rate
f. absorption rate of soils

Which of the following loads defines the force of rainwater exerted on roof structures?
a. Hydrostatic b. Dynamic
c. Water d. Wedge
e. Live

An architect needs to set the spot elevations at the perimeter of a one-story supermarket building. If the finish floor elevation is 112.00', what is a proper spot elevation at the front entrance if the front door has a threshold?
a. 111.75' b. 111.96' c. 112.00 d. 112.25'

For the same one-story supermarket building in previous question, what is a proper spot elevation at the front entrance if the front door has no threshold?
a. 111.75' b. 111.96' c. 112.00 d. 112.25'

Which of the following is true? Check the two that apply.
a. Southern Hemisphere: solar altitude angle is lowest in Dec & highest in June.
b. Southern Hemisphere: solar altitude angle is highest in Dec & lowest in June.
C. Northern Hemisphere: solar altitude angle is lowest in Dec & highest in June.
d. Northern Hemisphere: solar altitude angle is highest in Dec & lowest in June.

Which of the following is the most energy efficient orientation of a rectangular building in LA?
a. Locate the building with the long direction oriented along the N-S axis & face the bldg slightly to the east.
b. Locate the building with the long direction oriented along the N-S axis & face the bldg slightly to the west.
c. Locate the building with the long direction oriented along the E-W axis & face the bldg slightly to the east.
d. Locate the building with the long direction oriented along the E-W axis & face the bldg slightly to the west.

An architect is working on a room addition project. The existing single family home has 1,600sf and 2 existing toilets. The owner wants to add 1,000 sf of new area, including 3 new bedrooms & 2 new toilets. The existing 3" interior sewer line connects to the 4" main sewer line at about 6' deep & 3' in front of the house. Which of the following is correct? CHECK THE TWO THAT APPLY.

a. The architect can connect the new toilets to the existing 4" sewer line.
b. The architect can connect the new toilets to the existing 3" interior sewer line.
c. It is better to oversize a sewer line when designing buildings.
d. The architect can ask his plumbing engineer for advice.

If the landing depth at the top of a curb ramp is less than 48", then the slope of the flared side shall not exceed

a. 1:20 b. 1:12 c. 1:10 d. 1:8

Per the IBC section 1010.6, the minimum width of a means of egress ramp between handrails, if provided, or other permissible projections shall be:

a. 32" b. 36" c. 48" d. 60"

Which of the following is unlikely to show up on an ALTA survey plan

a. Metes & Bounds b. Fire hydrants
c. Trees d. Footings
e. Retaining walls

Which of the following is the correct order of arranging the units used in the Public Land Survey System (PLLS) in the US, from large to small?
a. Check, section, township
b. Section, township, check
c. Check, township, section
d. Section, check, township

The developer wants to build an elementary school in an area zone for residential use. Which of the following applications should she submit to the city?
a. Conditional Use Permit
b. Non-conforming Use Permit
c. Incentive Zoning Permit
d. Ordinance Variance Permit

Which of the following statements are correct? CHECK THE TWO THAT APPLY.
a. in a cold climate, an architect should use products with low albedo/high conductivity for ground surfaces.
b. in a cold climate, an architect should use materials with high albedo/low conductivity for ground surfaces.
c. In a tropical climate, an architect should use materials with low albedo/high conductivity for ground surfaces.
d. In a tropical climate, an architect should use materials with high albedo/high conductivity for ground surfaces.

Per the US Environmental Protection Agency, using a ______-based approach to wetland protection ensures that the whole system, including land, air, and water resources, is protected.

Per EPA, which of the following are general categories of wetlands found in the US? CHECK FOUR THAT APPLY.
a. Bos b. Fens c. Lakes
d. Marshes e. Reservoirs
f. Swamps

Per EPA, which of the following is the leading cause of species extinction?
a. Human activities
b. Pollution
c. Habitat degradation
d. Excessive hunting

What is SWPPP?
a. Solid Waste Pollution Prevention Plan
b. Sewer Waste Pollution Prevention Plan
c. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan
d. Soiled Water Pollution Prevention Plan

Which of the following is not the purpose of SWPPP?
a. To prevent stormwater contamination
b. To prevent airborne dust from getting into rivers
c. To control sedimentation and erosion
d. To comply with the requirements of the Clean Water Act
e. To comply with the requirements of CGP
f. None of the above

What is NPDES?

a. National Pollutant Discharge Eliminating System
b. National Pollutant Discharge and Exchange System
c. Natural Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
d. Natural Pollutant Discharge and Exchange System

Who is typically in charge of preparing a Best Management Practices (BMP) plan?

a. Owner
b. Architect
c. Civil Engineer
d. Contractor

Which of the following are structural BMPs? CHECK THE FOUR THAT APPLY.
a. Fences
b. Maintaining Equipment
c. Sedimentation Ponds
d. Erosion Control blankets
e. Temporary or permanent seeding
f. Training site staff on erosion & sediment control practices

Which of the following is INCORRECT? CHECK THE TWO THAT APPLY.

a. It is usually easier and less expensive to prevent erosion than it is to control sedimentation.
b. It is usually easier and less expensive to control sedimentation than it is to prevent erosion.
c. A good SWPPP will use both kinds of BMPs in combination for the best results.
d. A good SWPP will use one kind of BMPs for the best results.

Which of the following is typically NOT included in a SWPPP? CHECK TWO THAT APPLY.

a. Site Plans
b. Maintenance/inspection procedures
c. Description of controls to reduce pollutants
d. Plumbing plans

Which of the following are objectives of SWPPP? CHECK TWO THAT APPLY.

a. reduce impervious surfaces & promote infiltration
b. Increase impervious surfaces & promote infiltration
c. Protect surface waters from erosion and sediment
d. Protect groundwater from erosion and sediment

What does fingerprinting your site mean?

a. Obtaining the fingerprint of everyone at your site
b. Obtaining the fingerprint of visitors at your site
c. Identifying the trees in your site
d. Inventorying a site's natural features

Which of the following is true regarding Stormwater PPP? CHECK THE TWO THAT APPLY.

a. Silt fencing is more effective than inlet protection.
b. Silt fencing is less effective than inlet protection
c. Hydromulching is more effective than inlet protection
d. Hydromulching is less effective than inlet protection

Who signs the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans & Inspection Reports?
a. Owner
b. Architect
c. Civil Engineer
d. Concrete Contractor
e. Construction Site Operator

Which of the following is true regarding Runoff Coefficient? CHECK TWO THAT APPLY.

a. Downtown areas tend to have a higher Runoff Coefficient than residential areas.
b. Downtown areas tend to have a lower Runoff Coefficient than residential areas.
c. Drives and walks tend to have a higher Runoff Coefficient than lawns.
d. Drives and walks tend to have a lower Runof Coefficient than lawns.

Which of the following is not a groundwater remediation technology?

a. Bioventing
b. Biocontrol
c. Pump and Treat
d. Air sparging

Which of the following is the correct order of senses in conveying information about a site, arranged from most important to least important?

a. sight, touch, hearing, smell, taste
b. sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste
c. sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste
d. sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste

Which of the following is generally NOT given in a soils report? Check the TWO that apply.

a. Recommended foundation types
b. Slump test results
c. Structural calcs
d. Soil bearing capacity
e. Types of concrete to use

Which of the following is likely to cause differential settlement of building foundations?

a. Moisture level
b. Temperature
c. Soils types
d. Local climate condition
e. All of the above

Which of the following soils types is likely to cause differential settlement of a building foundation?

a. clay
b. sand
c. loam
d. silt-loam

The net movement of solvent molecules through a partially permeable membrane into a region of higher solute concentration to equalize the solute concentration on the two sides is called?
a. Permeability
b. Compressability
c. Osmosis
d. Cohesion

A project has 60,000 square feet of land area and 12,000 sf of building floor area. At a ratio of 2 sf of parking area to 1 sf of gross building area, how many parking spaces are required at 400 sf per car?

Which of the following characteristic of an existing structure will directly affect the thermal environment of adjacent new construction? CHECK TWO THAT APPLY.

a. albedo
b. texture
c. mechanical systems
d. shadow pattern

Which of the following is a common unit used for site area?

a. square yards (meters)
b. cubic yards (meters)
c. Acres (hectares)
d. Tonnage

An architect is working on a residential project. Which of the following are correct statements? CHECK THE TWO THAT APPLY.

a. The architect should review the building codes for FAR information.
b. The architect should contact the Plumbing Dept to obtain info on the existing easement & set back requirements for the front, side, and back yard.
c. The architect should contact the Planning Dept to obtain site coverage ratio.
d. The architect should contact the Planning Dept to obtain zoning information for the site.

The most important factor for locating a supermarket is

a. its proximity to potential clients
b. the availability of utilities
c. a downtown location
c. its proximity to high income households.

A practice or device designed to keep eroded soil on a construction site, so that it does not wash off and cause water to nearby water body is called

e. erosion control
b. sedimentation control
c. pollution control
d. defoliation control

Land use restrictions imposed by the Planning Dept typically include all of the following EXCEPT (CHECK TWO THAT APPLY)

a. setbacks
b. CC&R
c. height and area limitations
d. zoning
e. exit widths

All of the following are considered land use restrictions EXCEPT

a. setbacks regulations
b. slenderness ratio
c. height and area limitations
d. zoning ordinances
e. site coverage ratio

In a cold climate, which of the following is the minimum requirement for a building footing?
a. the footing should be above the frost line.
b. the top of a footing should align with the frost line.
c. the bottom of a footing should align with the frost line
d. the center line of a building footing should align with the frost line.

A roof overhang on which of the following facades of a building built in the southern hemisphere will provide seasonal adjustment for radiation?

a. North b. South
c. East d. West

Which of the following are the most important factors in the design of residential units? CHECK TWO THAT APPLY.

a. orientation
b. The heights & locations of adjacent buildings
c. Bedrooms facing the dominant wind
d. Avoiding west facing units

Which of the following are correct? Check the two that apply.

a. Detention Ponds are also "dry ponds."
b. Retention ponds are also "dry ponds."
c. Detention ponds are used to hold stormwater for a short period of time.
d. Retention ponds are used to hold water for a short period of time.

High moisture in soils can have which of the following effects? Check the TWO that apply.

a. Uneven settlement
b. Increased bearing capacity
c. Heaving
d. Decreased compatibility

Methods to prevent a retaining wall failure would include which of the folliowing? Check the FOUR that apply.

a. Over-excavate below footing grade and fill with compacted gravel
b. Drain surface water away from a retaining wall
c. Waterproof the foundation to reduce filtration
d. Use perforated pipe to release hydropressure
e. Weep holes
f. Proper footing design to overcome the turning moment
g. Extend footings and foundations to a depth of consistent ground moisture

The following are considered environmental impact issues for site analysis EXCEPT (check THREE that apply):

a. reflections
b. dominant wind direction
c. recommended footing design
d. archaeological discoveries
e. sun and shadow patterns
f. demography
g. traffic condition

Which of the follwing needs a grease interceptor? CHECK THE TWO THAT APPLY.

a. A single family residence
b. A restaurant
c. An office building
d. A supermarket

Restrictive covenants are typically controlled by

a. city
b. contractor
c. HOA
d. EPA

Biophilia means
a. nearsightedness
b. farsightednes
c. love at first sight
d. humans beings' latent desire of being loved
e. an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems

Looking at the cost of purchasing and operating a building or product, and the relative savings is called

a. life cycle approach
b. life cycle assessment (LCA)
c. Life cycle analysis
d. life cycle costing
e. Life cycle cost & savings analysis
f. Low impact development (LID)

Sheepsfoot is often used in

a. excavation
b. shoring
c. cribbing
d. soil compaction

A water district is building a new water processing plant. Which of the following is an ideal location?

a. A location close to the lowest elevations of the city
b. A location close to power plant
c. A location close to residential properties
d. A location close to commercial properties

An architect is reviewing a set of civil plans. If the finish floor elevation of an office building is 103', and the building has 24" wide spread footings at 5'-0" deep, then has a 6" thick slab over 2" sand over moisture barrier over 2" sand, what should the building pad elevation on the grading plan be?
a. 97.17' b. 98.0' c. 102.17' d. 102.6'

An architect is working on a retail building with a 25' wide sidewalk in front of the building. If the FF elevation of the building is 106', the sidewalk has a 6" high curb, and the cross slope for the sidewalk is 1.5%, what should the bottom of the curb elevation at the outside edge of the sidewalk next to the driving aisle be?

a. 105.02 b. 105.12 c. 105.22 d. 105.32

An architect is planning a single family residential project near a freeway. Which of the following is the most effective way to alleviate noise from the freeway? check the TWO that apply.

a. Use insulated glazing for windows
b. Plant a row of 25'-high cypress trees between the freeway and homes
c. Plant a row of 25' high sycamore trees between the freeway and homes
d. Building a 12' high CMUwall with an additional 6' high glass screen on top