Project Planning & Design

Exam Contents

SECTION 1: Environmental Conditions & Context

• Design for Different Climates

  • • Cold: compact form, high thermal mass, orient south, use evergreen trees to block wind at winter

    • Temperate: long face orient south, deciduous trees on southside to provide shading at summer

    • Hot Acrid: high thermal mass, shade openings, use evaporative cooling, water fountain is helpful.

    • Hot Humid: provide adequate cross ventilation, low thermal mass

• Diagrams

  • • Sun Chart: know how to find altitude and azimuth at a specific time and date

    • Psychometric Chart: know how to find dry/wet bulb temperature, and relative humidity

• Sustainability

  • • General understanding of embodied energy of different building materials

    • Indoor air quality: VOC, formaldehyde, and other contaminants

SECTION 2: Codes and Regulations

• Exit requirements, exceptions apply

  • • 1-49 =1 exit; 50-500 = 2 exits; 501-1000 = 3 exits; 1001 or more =4 exists

    • Required separation: 1/2 diagonal, 1/3 diagonal when fully sprinklered

      • Egress Width requirements, exceptions apply

        1. • Stair: 0.3" per occupant, 0.2" when fully sprinklered

           • Other elements: 0.2" per occupant, 0.15" when fully sprinklered

• ADA requirements

  • • Slope 1:12 max, rise 30” max, run 30’ max

    • Accessible path width: 36” min, 32" allowed for a max length of 24"

    • Turning space: 60”x60” min

    • Landing: 60" min

    • Cane detection zone: 27” high rail if clear height is under 80”

    • Threshold height 1/4" max, 1/2" allowed with 1:2 bevel

SECTION 3: Building Systems, Material, & Assemblies

• Air and Vapor Barrier

  • • Wall: Usually placed on the warmer side

    • Roof: usually placed under rigid insulation

    • Slab on grade: usually placed on top of rigid insulation

    • Ultimate goal is to prevent condensation build up

• Thermal Conductivity

  • • k=thermal conductivity per inch, U=thermal transmittance, R=thermal resistance; R=1/U

    • Know how to calculate the total R value of a wall or window assembly

    • SGHC=solar heat gain coefficient

• Building Materials

  • • Know the span of different materials: dimensional lumber, glulam, flat plate, waffle slab, open web steel joist, steel truss, etc.

• Foundation Systems

  • • Poor bearing condition: use friction pile, pier, or caisson

    • Good bearing condition: use spread footing

SECTION 4: Project Integration of Program & Systems

• Types of Fire Sprinklers

  • • Pre-action: to prevent unnecessary water damage to sensitive materials

    • Deluge: at high hazardous areas

    • Dry Pipe: when sprinkler pipe is subject to freezing

    • Wet Pipe: typical when special conditions don't apply

• Structural

  • • Design for seismic load: avoid discontinuous shear wall, soft story, reentrant corners

    • Design for wind load: know where is positive and negative pressure

    • Know when to use stiffeners, bracing, and blocking

• Acoustics

  • • Sound can transfer through partition, ceiling, ducts, floor, etc.

    • Strategy: build wall all the way up to the deck, use acoustical insulation and sealant, use resilient channels, stagger electrical outlets.

    • STC 45+: loud speech is not audible

    • Reverberation time can be reduced by using sound absorbing materials on ceiling, walls and floors

SECTION 5: Project Cost & Budgeting

• Value Engineering

  • • Know how to calculate cost savings by substituting a different material

    • Know how to select alternative program and systems when project is exceeding budget