ARE 5.0: PA flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Solar azimuth

The horizontal angle of the sun measured clockwise from true north; paired with altitude it plots sun paths used to size overhangs and fins.

Rational method

Q = CiA estimates peak stormwater runoff, where Q is flow, C is the runoff coefficient, i is rainfall intensity, and A is the contributing drainage area.

Base flood elevation

The water surface elevation of the 1% annual chance flood, published on FEMA maps and used by local codes to set minimum first-floor heights and freeboard.

Heat island effect

Warmer urban temperatures caused by dark paving and roofs, sparse vegetation, and lost evaporative cooling; mitigated with high-albedo surfaces, trees, and green roofs.

Prevailing wind

The most frequent wind direction at a site, plotted on a wind rose; it drives natural ventilation design, windbreak placement, and pedestrian comfort studies.

Daylight factor

The ratio of interior illuminance at a point to simultaneous exterior illuminance under an unobstructed overcast sky, expressed as a percentage of exterior light.

Phase I ESA

A records review, site reconnaissance, and interviews identifying recognized environmental conditions; typically required before purchase or redevelopment of property with possible contamination.

Distance sound attenuation

In free space, sound level from a point source drops roughly 6 decibels each time the distance to the receiver doubles; barriers and berms add further reduction.

Floor area ratio

Gross building floor area divided by lot area; a zoning control limiting building bulk that operates independently of lot coverage and height limits.

Occupant load factor

A code table value of floor area per person used to compute occupant load, which in turn sizes egress width and exit counts; offices often use 100 sf/person.

Travel distance

The measured length of the egress path from the most remote point of a floor to an exit; the code caps it by occupancy group and construction type.

Common path of egress

The distance an occupant must travel before reaching a point where two independent egress directions become available.

Maximum ramp slope

In accessible routes, ramps may not exceed a 1:12 slope, and each run may rise no more than 30 inches before a level landing is required.

Type of construction

IBC classifications I through V describing the required fire resistance of structural elements; Type I is most fire resistive and Type V least.

Readily achievable barrier removal

The ADA standard for existing buildings: removing architectural barriers that is easily accomplishable and inexpensive without much difficulty or expense.

Nonconforming use

A use predating current zoning that may continue under a grandfather clause, but typically cannot expand and may not resume after extended discontinuance.

Contour interval

The constant vertical distance between adjacent contour lines on a topographic map; closely spaced lines indicate steep slopes and wide spacing indicates flat ground.

Cut and fill

Earthwork balancing soil excavated from the site against soil placed as fill; balanced grading minimizes hauling cost and unnecessary site disturbance.

Easement

A legal right to use another party's land for a specific purpose such as utilities or access; it burdens the site and must appear on the survey.

Metes and bounds

A property description using bearings, distances, and monumented points beginning at a known corner; common in older parcels and plats.

Bearing capacity

The maximum pressure soil can support without shear failure, established by geotechnical borings and used to size footings and determine foundation type.

Building efficiency ratio

Net usable area divided by gross floor area; it expresses how much building area serves the program rather than core, structure, and circulation.

Parking area rule of thumb

A rough planning figure of 300 to 350 square feet per car including drive aisle, used to test site capacity before a parking consultant refines the count.

Wetland delineation

A field survey by a qualified specialist locating wetland boundaries using soils, hydrology, and vegetation; it triggers federal and state permitting and buffer requirements.

Adjacency matrix

A grid scoring required relationships among program spaces; strong, weak, or undesired adjacencies are then translated into a bubble diagram.

Stacking diagram

A vertical arrangement showing which program functions occupy each floor, aligning structure, core locations, and mechanical zones before floor planning begins.

Net to gross

The ratio of assignable program area to total building area, with the difference absorbed by walls, core, circulation, and mechanical space.

Structural bay

The repetitive column spacing of a building frame; it constrains parking module fit, lease span, and the distribution of mechanical and electrical systems.

Lease span

The distance from the core or corridor to the exterior wall; it governs daylight penetration and the practical depth of lettable office space.

Adaptive reuse

Converting an existing building to a new use; it requires verifying floor-to-floor height, structural capacity, and egress against the new program's needs.

Building core

The clustered elevators, egress stairs, restrooms, and mechanical shafts serving every floor, typically occupying 15 to 25 percent of the plate area.

Thermal bridging

A heat flow path that bypasses insulation through framing, slab edges, or ties, lowering effective envelope performance; mitigated by continuous exterior insulation.