ARCON PPCE flashcards

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

Standard of care

The degree of skill and care ordinarily exercised by similarly situated licensed professionals under similar circumstances; it is a reasonableness standard, not a guarantee of perfect outcomes.

Conflict of interest disclosure

A written disclosure to the client of any financial or personal interest that could compromise professional judgment, made before acceptance of the engagement and updated as circumstances change.

Responsible control

The authority an architect has over the preparation of drawings and specifications, exercised through direct supervision and review; only work under responsible control may be sealed.

Statute of repose

A statute setting an absolute time limit after substantial completion within which a claim may be brought, regardless of when the injury is discovered; commonly 6 to 12 years.

Floor area ratio

The ratio of a building's gross floor area to the area of its lot; a zoning bulk control that caps the total building envelope regardless of height or footprint arrangement.

Net-to-gross ratio

Usable or rentable floor area divided by gross floor area; a measure of planning efficiency, with office buildings typically achieving values between 0.75 and 0.85.

Occupant load factor

The area per person assigned to an occupancy by code (for example, 100 square feet per person for business), used to compute egress width and exit requirements.

Daylight penetration rule

Useful daylight reaches roughly one and a half to two times the window head height into a room; a ten-foot head height yields usable daylight to about fifteen to twenty feet.

Thermal transmittance U

The overall rate of heat flow through an assembly, equal to one divided by the sum of all layer resistances plus surface film resistances, expressed in Btu per hour per square foot per degree Fahrenheit.

Vapor retarder placement

In heating-dominated climates the vapor retarder goes on the warm interior side; in mixed climates a Class II or III retarder is used and at least one side is allowed to dry.

Water-cement ratio

The mass of water divided by the mass of cementitious material in a concrete mix; lower ratios increase strength and durability, with 0.40 to 0.50 typical for exterior exposure.

Air barrier continuity

The requirement that the air barrier be continuous across the entire enclosure and sealed at all penetrations, joints, and transitions to control infiltration and exfiltration.

Euler buckling load

The critical axial load at which a slender column becomes unstable, calculated as pi squared times modulus times moment of inertia divided by the square of the effective length.

Effective length factor K

A multiplier applied to a column's unbraced length to account for end restraint: 1.0 pinned-pinned, 0.5 fixed-fixed, 0.7 fixed-pinned, and 2.0 fixed-free.

Simply supported beam moment

For a uniformly distributed load the maximum moment is load times span squared divided by eight; for a point load at midspan it is load times span divided by four.

Seismic base shear

The total design lateral force at the base of a structure, equal to the seismic response coefficient multiplied by the effective seismic weight of the building.

Ton of cooling

A refrigeration capacity equal to 12,000 British thermal units per hour, roughly the heat removed by melting one ton of ice in twenty-four hours.

Sensible heat ratio

Sensible heat divided by total heat in a space; office values typically run 0.80 to 0.90, and low values require reheat or dedicated outdoor air to control humidity.

Voltage drop limit

The permitted loss of voltage along a circuit, commonly three percent for a branch circuit and five percent for the feeder plus branch combined, calculated from length, current, and resistance.

Drain pipe slope

The pitch required for gravity drainage: one quarter inch per foot for pipe three inches and smaller, and one eighth inch per foot for four inches and larger.

MasterFormat Division 01

The General Requirements section of a specification, covering submittals, substitutions, quality control, temporary facilities, project meetings, and closeout procedures.

Closed versus open specification

A closed specification names a proprietary product with no substitutions; an open specification sets performance criteria and permits any product that complies.

AAMA 2605 coating

The highest-performance architectural finish for aluminum extrusions, a fluoropolymer coating offering superior color and gloss retention in exterior exposure.

Tempered glass strength

Heat-treated glass roughly four times stronger than annealed glass, which breaks into small granular fragments rather than sharp shards.

Construction change directive

A written order from the owner directing a change in the work before the contractor and architect agree on price and time, later formalized into a change order.

Critical path method

A scheduling technique identifying the longest path through the activity network; activities on that path have zero float and determine the project duration.

Substantial completion

The stage at which the work is sufficiently complete for its intended use, triggering owner occupancy, warranty start, and partial retainage release.

Retainage

A percentage of each payment withheld by the owner, typically five to ten percent, released in part at substantial completion and the balance at final completion.

IBC occupancy groups

The classification of buildings by use: A assembly, B business, E educational, F factory, H high-hazard, I institutional, M mercantile, R residential, S storage, and U utility.

Construction type

The classification of a building by combustibility and fire resistance, from Type I noncombustible through Type V combustible, with subtypes A and B indicating fire-resistance levels.

Certificate of occupancy

A document issued by the building official after final inspection confirming that a structure complies with code and may be legally occupied for its stated use.

LEED water efficiency prerequisite

A mandatory twenty percent reduction in indoor water use relative to the baseline, achieved through low-flow fixtures and efficient irrigation or process water strategies.