COSC 354 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
7 Pillars of Sustainable Construction - Answer -- Sustainable Design
- Durability
- Energy Efficiency
- Waste Reduction
- Indoor Air Quality
- Water Conservation
- Sustainable Building Materials
Sustainable Design - Answer -- Also known as "Green Design"
- The holistic approach from the design team to provide the intention of minimizing or
circumventing negative environmental impacts
- Step 1 of the process
Durability - Answer -- Selecting building materials that can stand the test of time.
- By selecting materials that will last, thus reducing the environmental impact over the
lifespan of the building - less frequent maintenance, less frequent replacements, which
decreases the net-impact.
Energy Efficiency - Answer -- Design strategies and techniques to minimize energy use
during the planning, build, and ongoing upkeep of any building or project.
Waste Reduction - Answer -- Processes and strategies that minimize waste during the
construction of a project
- Promotes the need for recycling and using recycled materials.
- Pushes for the reuse of existing buildings (renovations) rather than new builds.
- Note: 32% of construction materials in landfills were because of demolition of
buildings.
Indoor Air Quality - Answer -- Improving and Promoting indoor air-quality which in-turn
promotes healthy and comfortable spaces.
- The #1 compliant in a building is "comfort".
Water Conservation - Answer -- Minimizing the use of water during the material
production but also during the use of the building.
- Low-flow water fixtures (toilets and urinals)
, - Rainwater Harvesting
- Efficient Irrigation - or no irrigation (plants that don't need much water for survivability)
- Monitoring water use through technology
Sustainable Building Materials - Answer -Using materials that have been created
usingrenewable or recycledmaterials, produced withminimal waste output andthose that
are designed forlong-term use andreusability.
Integrated Design Process - Answer -The Integrated Design Process(IDP) is a holistic
understanding from all parties (owner, architect, engineers, contractors) of the buildings
design, construction, and operations. Helps optimize sustainability, energy efficiency,
and overall project performance.
Why is sustainable building not done on every project? - Answer -Higher Costs
- Eco Friendly Materials
- Technologies
- Higher initial labor costs in design
- Specialized knowledge and skills during construction
Life Cycle Analysis - Answer -The method to quantify the environmental impacts
associated with materials and buildings.
Cradle-to-Grave - Answer -tabulates the environmental impact of the material
extraction up until it leaves the factory
Design-Bid-Build - Answer -- Most Common delivery method
- In this phase, the contractor does not start work until the design is complete, and a bid
is selected (usually after an interview process)
- Three distinct phases that do not overlap
Pros and Cons of Design-Bid-Build - Answer -- There is little to no collaboration
between the general contractor and the design team (architects and engineers)
- Most of the time the owner selects the low proposer - which is not always the most
qualified
- The advantage to the owner is that there is typically a full set of documents when the
design is complete, so the risk of exceeding the GMP is the contractors
- The risk for the owner is that anything that is not explicitly shown on the contract
documents will be an increase in the contract value to the contractor.
- The DBB is synonymous with Completive Sealed Proposals (CSP)
7 Pillars of Sustainable Construction - Answer -- Sustainable Design
- Durability
- Energy Efficiency
- Waste Reduction
- Indoor Air Quality
- Water Conservation
- Sustainable Building Materials
Sustainable Design - Answer -- Also known as "Green Design"
- The holistic approach from the design team to provide the intention of minimizing or
circumventing negative environmental impacts
- Step 1 of the process
Durability - Answer -- Selecting building materials that can stand the test of time.
- By selecting materials that will last, thus reducing the environmental impact over the
lifespan of the building - less frequent maintenance, less frequent replacements, which
decreases the net-impact.
Energy Efficiency - Answer -- Design strategies and techniques to minimize energy use
during the planning, build, and ongoing upkeep of any building or project.
Waste Reduction - Answer -- Processes and strategies that minimize waste during the
construction of a project
- Promotes the need for recycling and using recycled materials.
- Pushes for the reuse of existing buildings (renovations) rather than new builds.
- Note: 32% of construction materials in landfills were because of demolition of
buildings.
Indoor Air Quality - Answer -- Improving and Promoting indoor air-quality which in-turn
promotes healthy and comfortable spaces.
- The #1 compliant in a building is "comfort".
Water Conservation - Answer -- Minimizing the use of water during the material
production but also during the use of the building.
- Low-flow water fixtures (toilets and urinals)
, - Rainwater Harvesting
- Efficient Irrigation - or no irrigation (plants that don't need much water for survivability)
- Monitoring water use through technology
Sustainable Building Materials - Answer -Using materials that have been created
usingrenewable or recycledmaterials, produced withminimal waste output andthose that
are designed forlong-term use andreusability.
Integrated Design Process - Answer -The Integrated Design Process(IDP) is a holistic
understanding from all parties (owner, architect, engineers, contractors) of the buildings
design, construction, and operations. Helps optimize sustainability, energy efficiency,
and overall project performance.
Why is sustainable building not done on every project? - Answer -Higher Costs
- Eco Friendly Materials
- Technologies
- Higher initial labor costs in design
- Specialized knowledge and skills during construction
Life Cycle Analysis - Answer -The method to quantify the environmental impacts
associated with materials and buildings.
Cradle-to-Grave - Answer -tabulates the environmental impact of the material
extraction up until it leaves the factory
Design-Bid-Build - Answer -- Most Common delivery method
- In this phase, the contractor does not start work until the design is complete, and a bid
is selected (usually after an interview process)
- Three distinct phases that do not overlap
Pros and Cons of Design-Bid-Build - Answer -- There is little to no collaboration
between the general contractor and the design team (architects and engineers)
- Most of the time the owner selects the low proposer - which is not always the most
qualified
- The advantage to the owner is that there is typically a full set of documents when the
design is complete, so the risk of exceeding the GMP is the contractors
- The risk for the owner is that anything that is not explicitly shown on the contract
documents will be an increase in the contract value to the contractor.
- The DBB is synonymous with Completive Sealed Proposals (CSP)
