PRC ALE flashcards

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

Firmitas, utilitas, venustas

Vitruvius's three criteria for architecture - firmness of structure, usefulness of function and delight of appearance - still used as a framework for judging architectural quality.

Pendentive

A spherical triangular transition that carries a circular dome over a square room and concentrates loads at four corner supports; mastered in Byzantine architecture such as Hagia Sophia.

Flying buttress

An external arched support that transfers the outward thrust of a vault to a detached pier, letting Gothic church walls be thinner and opened up with large stained-glass windows.

Entasis

The slight convex swelling built into a classical column shaft to counteract the optical illusion of a concave waist, visible in the Doric columns of the Parthenon.

Bahay na bato

Philippine colonial dwelling with a stone or brick ground floor and a timber upper floor with wide sliding vented windows, blending Malay, Spanish and Chinese building traditions.

Leandro Locsin

Philippine National Artist for Architecture (1990) known for monumental floating concrete forms such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Church of the Holy Sacrifice.

PD 1096

The National Building Code of the Philippines (1977), which regulates occupancy, setbacks, allowable heights, light and ventilation, and fire safety for all buildings.

Floor Area Ratio

Total gross floor area of all buildings on a lot divided by the lot area; a zoning measure that caps the bulk and intensity of development.

BP 344

The Accessibility Law of 1983, requiring accessible routes, ramps with a maximum 1:12 slope and accessible facilities in public buildings for persons with disabilities.

RA 9514

The Fire Code of the Philippines (2008), which sets requirements for means of egress, fire-resistive construction, alarm systems and fire suppression in buildings.

RA 7160

The Local Government Code of 1991, which devolved zoning, land-use regulation and building permit administration to cities and municipalities through their comprehensive land use plans.

Daylight factor

The ratio of interior illuminance at a point to the simultaneous unobstructed outdoor illuminance under an overcast sky, expressed as a percentage of available daylight.

Amihan and habagat

The northeast monsoon (cool and dry, November to February) and the southwest monsoon (wet, June to October) that drive seasonal wind and rain patterns shaping Philippine building orientation.

Contour line

A line on a map joining points of equal elevation; its spacing indicates slope steepness, and V shapes point upstream where the line crosses a valley.

Cul-de-sac

A dead-end street ending in a turnaround, used in residential planning to limit through traffic and shorten street length while quieting the neighbourhood.

Cut and fill

Earthwork that removes soil from higher ground and places it in lower areas to level a site; balancing cut and fill volumes minimizes hauling cost.

NSCP

The National Structural Code of the Philippines, the governing code for loads and structural design of buildings, adopting ACI, AISC and ASCE provisions with local seismic criteria.

Two-way slab

A reinforced concrete slab supported on all four edges whose long-to-short span ratio is less than 2, so it carries load in both directions.

Strong column-weak beam

A seismic design principle that makes beams yield before columns, forcing plastic hinges into beams and preventing a sudden soft-story collapse.

Grade 60 rebar

Deformed steel reinforcement with a yield strength of 414 MPa (60 ksi); a standard bar grade in Philippine reinforced concrete construction.

Dead load

The permanent weight of a structure's own members, walls and fixed finishes; it differs from live load, which is the movable occupancy load.

Slump test

A fresh-concrete test using a standard metal cone; the measured settlement indicates workability and consistency and helps detect excessive water in the mix.

Type III cement

High-early-strength Portland cement ground finer so it develops strength within days, used for precast work, cold-weather concreting and rapid repairs.

Tempered glass

Heat-treated glass roughly four times stronger than annealed glass that breaks into small blunt fragments; used in doors, guardrails and other hazardous locations.

Running bond

A masonry bond in which each unit overlaps half the length of the unit below, offsetting vertical joints every course; the most common wall bond.

Modular CHB

Philippine concrete hollow block, nominally 400 mm long by 200 mm high, supplied in 100, 150 and 200 mm thicknesses for walls and partitions.

Water-cement ratio

The mass of water divided by the mass of cement in a concrete mix; lower ratios increase strength and durability while higher ratios improve workability.

RA 9266

The Architecture Act of 2004, which regulates the practice of architecture in the Philippines, defines its scope and repealed the older RA 545.

CPD requirement

Under RA 10912, licensed professionals including architects must earn 45 continuing professional development units in each three-year license renewal cycle.

IAPOA

The Integrated and Accredited Professional Organization of Architects; the United Architects of the Philippines holds this accreditation for the architecture profession.

Civil Code Art. 1723

A Philippine Civil Code provision making the architect or engineer liable for damages if a building collapses within 15 years of completion due to defective plans or specifications.

RA 9184

The Government Procurement Reform Act, which prescribes bidding, evaluation and award procedures for publicly funded building and infrastructure projects.