Perit Warrant Exam cheat sheet

LOE (Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación, 38/1999) defines the roles of promoter, constructor, project director (arquitecto), and site manager (aparejador) for building works.

Ten-year liability for structural failure, three-year liability for habitability defects, and one-year liability for finish defects run from the date of the obra reception (LOE art. 17).

The Código Técnico de la Edificación (CTE) is a reglamento técnico that sets minimum requirements for safety and habitability; non-compliance can trigger administrative sanctions and civil liability.

Ley de Contratos del Sector Público (LCSP 9/2017) governs public works contracts: tender procedures, solvency requirements, and modification limits (max 20% of contract price for additional works).

The pliego de condiciones is the contractual document that specifies technical prescriptions and economic conditions; it prevails over ambiguous drawings in the standard order of precedence.

Ley 38/1999 art. 9 requires the promoter to take out a ten-year insurance policy (seguro decenal) for residential buildings, covering structural damage.

The 'recepción de obra' must be documented in an acta; if the promoter does not sign within 30 days, the work is deemed received with reservations (LOE art. 6).

Ley de Ordenación de la Edificación art. 3 mandates that the project be complete, including all technical documents needed for construction and permits.

Statute of limitations for general contract actions is 5 years under the Código Civil (art. 1964), but LOE sets specific 1, 3, and 10-year periods for building defects.

Measurement units: m² for surfaces (walls, slabs), m³ for earthworks and concrete, m for linear elements (pipes, cornices), kg for steel, and ud for individual items.

The presupuesto de ejecución material (PEM) = sum of (medición × precio unitario) for each unit work item; exclude taxes and general expenses.

Presupuesto de ejecución por contrata (PEC) = PEM × (1 + gastos generales + beneficio industrial), typically 13%–19% in Spain, then add IVA (21% residential).

The principio de medición: measure net dimensions from the project plans, without adding waste; waste is included in the unit price, not the measurement.

For walls, deduct openings larger than 2 m²; smaller openings are not deducted (standard Spanish measurement rules).

The 'cuadro de precios' lists unit prices; 'precios descompuestos' break a unit price into materials, labor, and machinery.

Certificaciones (progress payments) are based on measured work executed, approved by the site manager, and subject to retention (usually 5%).

The 'presupuesto general' includes PEM, gastos generales, beneficio industrial, and IVA; it is the client's total budget before fees.

For earthworks, use the 'perfil transversal' method to compute volumes by average end areas: V = (A1 + A2)/2 × distance.

Concrete strength class (e.g., HA-25) denotes characteristic compressive strength in N/mm² at 28 days; minimum cement content for reinforced concrete in Spain is 250 kg/m³ (CTE EHE-08).

Rebar cover (recubrimiento) depends on exposure class: for XC1 (indoor) minimum 15 mm; for XC4 (alternating wet/dry) 25 mm; for XS3 (marine) 40 mm (EHE-08 table 37.2.4.1).

Brick masonry: perforated bricks have voids >10%; solid bricks <10%; the 'pie' module is 24×11.5×7 cm including mortar joint.

Gypsum board (placa de yeso laminado) types: standard (A), moisture-resistant (H1), fire-resistant (F), and impact-resistant (I); thicknesses 12.5, 15, and 18 mm.

Thermal insulation materials: EPS (expanded polystyrene) λ ≈ 0.035 W/m·K; XPS (extruded) λ ≈ 0.030 W/m·K; mineral wool λ ≈ 0.035–0.040 W/m·K.

Waterproofing: bituminous membranes (LBM) are classified by resistance to perforation and low-temperature flexibility; typical thickness 3–5 mm.

Steel profiles for structural use: S275 and S355 indicate yield strength in N/mm²; the 'S' stands for structural steel (EN 10025).

Concrete curing: keep moist for at least 7 days for normal cement, 3 days for high-early-strength cement; temperature above 5°C (EHE-08 art. 71).

Mortar types: M-5, M-7.5, M-10, M-15, M-20 indicate compressive strength in N/mm²; cement mortar for load-bearing walls should be at least M-5.

Limit states: ultimate limit states (ULS) for safety (rupture, buckling) and serviceability limit states (SLS) for deflection and cracking; design values use partial safety factors (γ).

For reinforced concrete beams, the simplified rectangular stress block uses 0.85fcd over a depth of 0.8x, where x is the neutral axis depth (EHE-08).

Deflection limits: total deflection ≤ L/250 for floors, ≤ L/300 for cantilevers; active deflection ≤ L/400 (CTE DB-SE).

Load combinations (CTE DB-SE): persistent/transient: ΣγG·Gk + γQ·Qk + ΣγQ·ψ0·Qk; γG = 1.35, γQ = 1.50.

Slenderness limit for columns in braced frames: λ = l0/h ≤ 20 (simplified method); for unbraced frames, stricter limits apply.

Steel connections: welded joints are typically stronger than bolted; bolt grades 8.8 and 10.9 indicate ultimate tensile strength (800/1000 N/mm²) and yield ratio.

Shear design in concrete: VRd = VRd,c + VRd,s; minimum shear reinforcement is required when Vd exceeds VRd,c.

Buckling length (l0) of columns: for fixed-fixed l0 = 0.5L, pinned-pinned l0 = L, fixed-pinned l0 = 0.7L, cantilever l0 = 2L.

Seismic design (NCSE-02): base shear Fb = (S · ρ · μ) / (1 + (T/T0)²) · W, with S soil factor, ρ ductility, μ behavior factor.

Water supply: minimum pressure at the most unfavourable point is 100 kPa for taps, 150 kPa for flush valves (CTE DB-HS4).

Drainage: minimum slope for horizontal pipes is 1% for DN 100, 2% for DN 50; ventilation stack required for buildings over 4 floors (CTE DB-HS5).

Electrical: for a typical dwelling, the 'grado de electrificación' (elevado) requires 9,200 W at 230 V; basic is 5,750 W (REBT).

Fire protection: evacuation routes must have a minimum width of 1.00 m (CTE DB-SI); maximum travel distance to an exit is 25 m in a single exit, 50 m with two exits.

HVAC: ventilation rates for dwellings: 0.63 dm³/s per m² for living areas, 0.42 dm³/s for bedrooms (CTE DB-HS3).

Gas installations: pipes must be protected and ventilated; the gas meter must be located in a ventilated space, not in bedrooms (RIG).

Telecommunications: CTE DB-HS7 requires a 'infraestructura común de telecomunicaciones' (ICT) with a rooftop antenna and a distribution box per dwelling.

Lifts: for buildings with more than 4 floors or height >12 m, a lift is required; cabin dimensions must allow a wheelchair (CTE DB-SUA).

Solar thermal: CTE DB-HE4 requires a minimum contribution of 30%–70% of domestic hot water demand depending on climate zone and fuel type.

Critical Path Method (CPM): the critical path is the longest sequence of dependent activities; its total float is zero.

Earned Value Management: CPI = EV/AC; SPI = EV/PV; a CPI <1 indicates cost overrun.

Site layout: locate the crane to cover the entire work area with a load chart that respects the maximum radius and capacity; avoid overlapping with power lines.

The 'libro de órdenes' is the official site log where the site manager records instructions, incidents, and daily progress; it is legally required in Spain.

Safety plan (estudio de seguridad y salud) must be approved before work starts; the 'coordinador de seguridad' is mandatory when multiple contractors are involved.

Schedule compression: crashing adds resources to critical activities; fast-tracking overlaps design and construction, increasing risk.

Quality control: the 'plan de control de calidad' must specify tests for concrete (slump, specimens), steel (tensile), and compaction (Proctor).

Site waste management: a 'estudio de gestión de residuos' is required for construction projects, estimating m³ of waste per m² built (typically 0.1–0.2 m³/m²).

Progress measurement: use 'certificación de obra' based on measured quantities; retain 5% as guarantee until final acceptance.

The 'Plan General de Ordenación Urbanística' (PGOU) classifies land as urban, developable, or non-developable; only urban land has full development rights.

Building parameters: 'edificabilidad' (floor area ratio) = total built area / plot area; 'ocupación' = footprint / plot area.

Setbacks (retranqueos) are minimum distances from plot boundaries to the building; typical front setback 3–5 m, rear 3 m in residential zones.

The 'licencia de obra' is required before construction; minor works may need only a 'declaración responsable' (Ley 12/2012).

Height regulation: maximum height is measured from the street level to the top of the parapet or cornice; penthouses may be allowed in some zones.

Minimum plot size for a single-family dwelling is often 200–500 m² depending on the municipality's PGOU.

The 'cesión de aprovechamiento' in developable land requires transferring 10% of the buildable area to the municipality (Ley de Suelo).

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is required for large projects (e.g., >50 ha urban development) under Ley 21/2013.

Heritage protection: buildings listed in the 'Catálogo de Bienes Protegidos' have restrictions on facade changes and demolitions.

CTE DB-HE1 limits global thermal transmittance: for walls in climate zone D, U ≤ 0.66 W/m²K; for roofs U ≤ 0.50 W/m²K.

The 'certificado de eficiencia energética' (CEE) is mandatory for selling or renting a dwelling; scale from A (most efficient) to G (least).

Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (nZEB): by 2020 all new buildings must be nZEB; by 2018 public buildings (Directive 2010/31/EU).

Solar photovoltaic: CTE DB-HE5 requires PV for buildings >5,000 m² in some zones; minimum power depends on climate zone and building use.

Thermal bridges: linear thermal transmittance (ψ) values for typical junctions are given in the 'Catálogo de Elementos Constructivos' (CEC).

Ventilation heat loss: Q = ρ · cp · V̇ · ΔT, where ρ·cp ≈ 0.33 Wh/m³K for air.

Renewable energy: CTE DB-HE4 requires solar thermal for DHW; biomass or geothermal can substitute with justification.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): embodied carbon of concrete is ~0.1–0.3 kg CO2e/kg; steel ~1.5–2.5 kg CO2e/kg.

Water efficiency: CTE DB-HS4 requires flow limiters (6 l/min taps, 12 l/min showers) and dual-flush toilets (3/6 L).

The 'aparejador' (technical architect) is legally empowered to direct building execution (site management) and sign 'certificados finales de obra' under LOE.

Professional liability insurance (seguro de responsabilidad civil) is mandatory for architects and technical architects in Spain (Ley 38/1999).

Conflict of interest: a professional must not accept commissions from suppliers while specifying their products; disclose any relationship.

Fees: professional fees are freely negotiable (Ley 2/1974), but a written contract must specify scope, deliverables, and payment schedule.

Confidentiality: client information must be kept confidential unless required by law or court order.

Competence: accept only work within your expertise; if not, collaborate with a qualified professional.

The 'visado colegial' is required for projects to be submitted to the municipality; it verifies document completeness and professional standing.

Ethical duty: report safety hazards on site immediately; failure to do so can lead to criminal liability for omission.

Continuing education: the 'formación continua' is not legally mandatory but is required by some professional associations for registration.