PDD BLACK SPECTACLES EXAM 3 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2025-2026
An architect is working on a new commercial building that will have video surveillance, access
control, fire detection, a fire alarm, and intrusion detection - all functioning together.
Where should the architect specify commissioning requirements for the fully functional system?
- Answers Commissioning work that applies to multiple titles from multiple divisions should be
located at 01 91 00 in Division 01.
An architect is preparing plans for a tenant finish project for a dermatology clinic. The owner's
representative is requesting information about the proposed light output from the general
overhead lighting in the patient rooms.
What unit of measurement is used to measure lighting output? - Answers Lumens
An architecture firm has a line item called "curtain drains" in a spreadsheet that they use to
track cost estimates.
Under which section should this item be categorized? - Answers A curtain drain is a trench in the
ground that is filled with gravel and topped with a perforated pipe and drain cover. It is used to
collect stormwater, similar to how a gutter system collects water. The water collects in the
perforated pipe.
An architect has been consulted on the detailing of a brick road. The site is located in a historic
district, and the city would like to maintain a historic look by finishing the new road with bricks.
What is the correct order of materials for the road detail? Use the image below to drag and drop
materials on the chart. - Answers The typical detail for this scenario from top to bottom is: brick,
bituminous setting, concrete slab, compacted gravel, and compacted sub-grade. The brick is the
desired finish material and it should be the top layer; it is placed on a bed of bituminous material
to hold the bricks in place. The road is active to vehicular traffic and therefore requires a
concrete slab to support the extra load and to keep the brick pavers level. The compacted gravel
and subgrade also act as levelers.
A frameless glass door is proposed for an office. The door has glass sidelights on both sides
for a minimal aesthetic.
Which type of hinge should be specified? - Answers Pivot
A new septic system is being planned for a vacation home located in a northern climate. The
home will be built on a small rural site with a high water table, low soil permeability, and scarce
availability of gravel.
What would be the most appropriate septic system for the home, given the site constraints and
variables described? - Answers Chamber system
,An architect is laying out a parking lot with two-way traffic and double-loaded, 90-degree stalls.
What are the benefits of this parking lot layout? Check the two that apply. - Answers Familiarity,
Efficiency
An architect is designing a wood-framed exterior wall and is explaining to the client the
sequence of construction for the project.
Out of the following list of elements, which element of the wall would be installed second? -
Answers Sheathing is installed after the wall is framed, and before a water/air barrier or
windows.
A large HVAC system is required for a high-rise building. The architect is concerned that the
noise of blowing air will disturb the occupants.
Which methods of acoustic mitigation could the architect implement to reduce the noise
generated by the HVAC system? Check the two that apply. - Answers Source control, Sound
masking
A beam deforms under a load but returns to its original shape and location after the load is
removed.
What is this phenomenon called? - Answers The action of a beam returning to its original shape
after removal of a load describes elastic behavior.
A team of architects is halfway through the production of construction documents of a
renovation project.
Which one of the following actions would trigger additional compensation to the design team? -
Answers Coordinating artwork with the owner's consultant would not be part of basic services.
See AIA B101-2017 for more information.
An architecture firm's client requests the firm to design an animal hospital for small pets. The
site is located in a suburban strip mall.
What occupancy classification is appropriate for this use? - Answers An animal hospital falls
within the business category. This building type is typically only occupied during the day and
provides office, professional, or service-type functions.
The architect is preparing their drawing set for coordination with the fire protection consultant
prior to issuing construction documents.
Which drawings should be included in the set? Check the three that apply. - Answers Partition
schedule, Floor plans, Reflected ceiling plans
The architect is preparing specifications for a new three-story multifamily complex of 20
residences. The foundation will be cast-in-place concrete and will be exposed to weather.
, What minimum compressive strength of the concrete should be specified? - Answers The
required compressive strength of concrete is noted in 2018 IBC Section 1904. Per the exception
for R-2 and R-3 structures three stories or less in height, 3,000 psi is the minimum compressive
strength when the concrete will be exposed to weather.
How much compressive load can a round 10-inch-diameter concrete column support? The
allowable unit stress is 2,000 psi.
Use the equation f=P/A where f is stress, P is load, and A is area.Round the value of π to the
nearest hundredth. Express your answer in pounds. - Answers The load will be spread out over
the area of the column, so we will first find the area of a 10-inch-diameter circle. Using A=πr^2,
we solve for A= 3.14 x 25= 78.5 square inches.The strength of the concrete is given to us in the
question as 2,000 psi. This number is "f" in the equation f=P/A. Rearrange the given equation to
solve for P.P=fANow, we can just substitute in the numbers for f and A to solve for P.P = 2000 x
78.5 = 157,000 pounds.
An architect is specifying fasteners for a cellar space in a building that is located in a high-risk
flood zone.
Which one of the following types of metal fasteners should the architect specify? - Answers
Stainless steel fasteners are used throughout construction sites because of their strength and
noncorrosive properties. Since the building is in a high-risk flood zone, it is likely that the cellar
could flood or develop condensation. This means that the fasteners need to be corrosion-
resistant.
An architect is preparing specifications for a large two-story anchored stone veneer wall. The
wall is to be inside the reception area of a new fitness club.
Which specification item would considerably increase the cost of the wall? - Answers Joints
shall be dry stacked with a tolerance of 1/6"
An architecture firm is designing a residential, office, and retail complex in an urban area. The
contract will be design-build and the client has hired an owner's representative.
Information that is project-specific and used to modify contracts may be found in which of the
following documents? Check the three that apply. - Answers Special conditions, General
requirements, Supplementary conditions
A principal architect has asked a senior architect to specify the required door hardware for
several different building typologies.
Which of the following scenarios would require panic hardware? Check the four that apply. -
Answers Panic hardware is required for A and E occupancies with 50 or more occupants. An
outdoor pool is an A occupancy.
An architect is working on a new commercial building that will have video surveillance, access
control, fire detection, a fire alarm, and intrusion detection - all functioning together.
Where should the architect specify commissioning requirements for the fully functional system?
- Answers Commissioning work that applies to multiple titles from multiple divisions should be
located at 01 91 00 in Division 01.
An architect is preparing plans for a tenant finish project for a dermatology clinic. The owner's
representative is requesting information about the proposed light output from the general
overhead lighting in the patient rooms.
What unit of measurement is used to measure lighting output? - Answers Lumens
An architecture firm has a line item called "curtain drains" in a spreadsheet that they use to
track cost estimates.
Under which section should this item be categorized? - Answers A curtain drain is a trench in the
ground that is filled with gravel and topped with a perforated pipe and drain cover. It is used to
collect stormwater, similar to how a gutter system collects water. The water collects in the
perforated pipe.
An architect has been consulted on the detailing of a brick road. The site is located in a historic
district, and the city would like to maintain a historic look by finishing the new road with bricks.
What is the correct order of materials for the road detail? Use the image below to drag and drop
materials on the chart. - Answers The typical detail for this scenario from top to bottom is: brick,
bituminous setting, concrete slab, compacted gravel, and compacted sub-grade. The brick is the
desired finish material and it should be the top layer; it is placed on a bed of bituminous material
to hold the bricks in place. The road is active to vehicular traffic and therefore requires a
concrete slab to support the extra load and to keep the brick pavers level. The compacted gravel
and subgrade also act as levelers.
A frameless glass door is proposed for an office. The door has glass sidelights on both sides
for a minimal aesthetic.
Which type of hinge should be specified? - Answers Pivot
A new septic system is being planned for a vacation home located in a northern climate. The
home will be built on a small rural site with a high water table, low soil permeability, and scarce
availability of gravel.
What would be the most appropriate septic system for the home, given the site constraints and
variables described? - Answers Chamber system
,An architect is laying out a parking lot with two-way traffic and double-loaded, 90-degree stalls.
What are the benefits of this parking lot layout? Check the two that apply. - Answers Familiarity,
Efficiency
An architect is designing a wood-framed exterior wall and is explaining to the client the
sequence of construction for the project.
Out of the following list of elements, which element of the wall would be installed second? -
Answers Sheathing is installed after the wall is framed, and before a water/air barrier or
windows.
A large HVAC system is required for a high-rise building. The architect is concerned that the
noise of blowing air will disturb the occupants.
Which methods of acoustic mitigation could the architect implement to reduce the noise
generated by the HVAC system? Check the two that apply. - Answers Source control, Sound
masking
A beam deforms under a load but returns to its original shape and location after the load is
removed.
What is this phenomenon called? - Answers The action of a beam returning to its original shape
after removal of a load describes elastic behavior.
A team of architects is halfway through the production of construction documents of a
renovation project.
Which one of the following actions would trigger additional compensation to the design team? -
Answers Coordinating artwork with the owner's consultant would not be part of basic services.
See AIA B101-2017 for more information.
An architecture firm's client requests the firm to design an animal hospital for small pets. The
site is located in a suburban strip mall.
What occupancy classification is appropriate for this use? - Answers An animal hospital falls
within the business category. This building type is typically only occupied during the day and
provides office, professional, or service-type functions.
The architect is preparing their drawing set for coordination with the fire protection consultant
prior to issuing construction documents.
Which drawings should be included in the set? Check the three that apply. - Answers Partition
schedule, Floor plans, Reflected ceiling plans
The architect is preparing specifications for a new three-story multifamily complex of 20
residences. The foundation will be cast-in-place concrete and will be exposed to weather.
, What minimum compressive strength of the concrete should be specified? - Answers The
required compressive strength of concrete is noted in 2018 IBC Section 1904. Per the exception
for R-2 and R-3 structures three stories or less in height, 3,000 psi is the minimum compressive
strength when the concrete will be exposed to weather.
How much compressive load can a round 10-inch-diameter concrete column support? The
allowable unit stress is 2,000 psi.
Use the equation f=P/A where f is stress, P is load, and A is area.Round the value of π to the
nearest hundredth. Express your answer in pounds. - Answers The load will be spread out over
the area of the column, so we will first find the area of a 10-inch-diameter circle. Using A=πr^2,
we solve for A= 3.14 x 25= 78.5 square inches.The strength of the concrete is given to us in the
question as 2,000 psi. This number is "f" in the equation f=P/A. Rearrange the given equation to
solve for P.P=fANow, we can just substitute in the numbers for f and A to solve for P.P = 2000 x
78.5 = 157,000 pounds.
An architect is specifying fasteners for a cellar space in a building that is located in a high-risk
flood zone.
Which one of the following types of metal fasteners should the architect specify? - Answers
Stainless steel fasteners are used throughout construction sites because of their strength and
noncorrosive properties. Since the building is in a high-risk flood zone, it is likely that the cellar
could flood or develop condensation. This means that the fasteners need to be corrosion-
resistant.
An architect is preparing specifications for a large two-story anchored stone veneer wall. The
wall is to be inside the reception area of a new fitness club.
Which specification item would considerably increase the cost of the wall? - Answers Joints
shall be dry stacked with a tolerance of 1/6"
An architecture firm is designing a residential, office, and retail complex in an urban area. The
contract will be design-build and the client has hired an owner's representative.
Information that is project-specific and used to modify contracts may be found in which of the
following documents? Check the three that apply. - Answers Special conditions, General
requirements, Supplementary conditions
A principal architect has asked a senior architect to specify the required door hardware for
several different building typologies.
Which of the following scenarios would require panic hardware? Check the four that apply. -
Answers Panic hardware is required for A and E occupancies with 50 or more occupants. An
outdoor pool is an A occupancy.
