Ballast Practice Questions Full Exam - DONE

What is crystalline silica? Where can it be found?

Natural material found in sand or stone that becomes breathable when masonry is cut or dust is released, irritating the respiratory system Can be found in masonry products and latex paints

Architect thinks blocking is installed in wrong place and asks for work to be uncovered to check. Turns out it is in the right place. Who pays?

Owner - bc the contractor had to uncover it and they only have contract w the owner (eventually arch may have to pay the owner bc it is arch's fault, but the arch was just protecting the owner's interests)

Where can lead be found in buildings?

Paint in older buildings Plumbing pipes Roof flashings

Where can PCB's be found? What does it stand for?

Polychlorinated biphenyls Found in older electrical equipment

Commissioning process helps the owner with _____ _____

Quality control

When an arch makes an impartial interpretation of the contract docs during CA, in accordance with A201, in what capacity are they considered to be acting?

Quasi-judicial (bc it is judicial capacity to be interpreting contract documents)

The contractor is responsible for record drawings (as builts) - what do they do with them when the project is complete?

Submit to arch for delivery to owner

Contractor is responsible for notifying ____ of any change orders issued during project

Surety Bc they have a stake in the retainage and the amount of the bonds is based on the cost of the project. Retainage and bond amounts will be affected by change orders

Who does the contractor submit their affidavit (stating that all bills have been paid) to?

The architect so they can keep it in project records The arch will then forward it to owner

No building may be occupied until ____

The building official has issued a certificate of occupancy

Allowance or unit price - what would you use to determine cost for concrete piles in uncertain subsurface conditions?

Unit price - you know the cost per linear foot of piles but don't know how deep down the piles will have to go, so unit cost can help determine total cost

What are 2 of the conditions upon which the contractor receive final payment and retainage?

When they receive consent of the surety and pass the architect's final inspection

Where can radon be found?

Where building comes in contact with the earth, such as a basement or crawl space

An arch is on site to observe progress of work on a rainy day when a construction worker slips and is injured. What should the arch do?

-Call 911 - first responsibility is to safeguard human life -then notify superintendent -then document incident with written report and photos (not investigation, just documentation)

What types of things are included in an advertisement to bid?

-Description of project -owner and architect name and address -instructions for obtaining bid docs -pre-bid conference date and time -bid due date and time -bid bond requirements -bid opening date and time, and public or not Note: bid forms are included in the bid docs, but they are not a part of the advertisement to bid

During which period in the curing process does concrete gain the most compressive strength?

0-3 days - this is why it is crucial to protect concrete from freezing or evaporation during this time and while pouring

What is the typical fee for commissioning?

0.5 - 6% of total construction cost Larger project = larger commissioning fee

5 reasons an arch may withhold a certificate for payment

1. Defective work not remedied 2. Claims or probable claims against project 3. Failure of C to pay SCs 4. Evidence that work will not be completed within contract time 5. Repeated failure to carry out work in accordance w contract documents

Cut sheet

A short-format summary of a material or product's properties and characteristics and is often included in the product data submission. Typically require review and approval of arch before proceeding

What should the contractor follow if the drawings and specs disagree?

A201 states that no document takes precedence if a drawing or spec disagrees with the rest of the info; "what is req'd by one shall be as binding as if req'd by all" If there is a conflict, contractor should ask arch for clarification or interpretation

Contractor submits bid 3 min late bc they were stuck in traffic. What should the arch do according to A701?

A701- instructions to bidders Arch should refuse to accept the bid, stating that deadline has passed (Well that sucks)

When does the contractor get the retainage back?

After SC but reduced for FC retainage

Change orders, CCDs, and ASI's - which are considered modifications to the contract and therefore part of the contract docs?

All of them - they all change the contract

Allowance or unit price - what would you use to defer specific design decisions until pricing info is available later?

Allowance - when cost of material cannot be specifically determined at time of bidding so it gives you time until CDs to determine quality or specifics

Where can glass fiber be found? Why does it require special handling per OSHA req'ts?

Can be found in insulation Prolonged unprotected exposure to glass fiber can irritate the skin

Define sick building syndrome and give an example of an illness caused by it

Condition where a significant number of building occupants report some type of physical issue or discomfort within specified period of time (~ 2 weeks) Symptoms generally disappear or are significantly reduced when they leave the building Legionnaire's disease is an example of an SBS illness

A201 requires ____ to be responsible for all costs made necessary by failures, including costs of repeated tests (ex: pressure tests on plumbing supply piping reveals leak in system, who pays for the fix?)

Contractor

Why is the architect required to provide the owner with consent of surety to release retainage, and Lien and bond waivers, at the end of a project?

Contractor provides to arch and arch provides to owner Note: it is not the consent of the arch's surety bc the arch doesn't have one. The arch doesn't have a bond waiver so that doesn't come from the arch either. These are items that the contractor provides and the arch just passes on

What is the difference between a cylinder test, an electrical impedance test, and a Kelly ball test?

Cylinder test: used to determine compressive strength of concrete by breaking a cylinder of concrete to test strength during the curing process Electrical impedance test: used to assess moisture level of slab by measuring electricity conducted thru slab Kelly ball test - measures workability (how formable it is) of uncured concrete by dropping a metal ball into freshly poured concrete and measuring the depression formed by the ball (this helps measure how much it can still be molded or formed)

If a desk has an allowance of $5000 and actually ends up costing $7000, and the contractor's labor on it is $600 and overhead and profit is 15%, what is the total change order cost?

$2000 (the difference bt the allowance and the actual) Contractor labor and OH and profit shouldn't matter bc they should've accounted for it in their bid price

What 3 circumstances do not require a decision by the IDM?

1. Hazardous materials (contractor should stop work without consulting IDM) 2. Emergencies (contractor should do whatever is necessary without consulting IDM) 3. Losses covered by insurance (bc the insurance company will deal with it, not the IDM) NOTE: terminating the contract for cause is an issue that would be referred to the IDM

Building commissioning can be expected to provide ___ (4 benefits)

1. Increased energy efficiency 2. Improved IAQ (indoor air quality) 3. Comprehensive training program for maintenance staff 4. O&M manuals

Application for payment must be submitted to the arch at least ___ days in advance of ____. Arch has ___ days to review it and respond with certificate of payment or explanation for why rejected

10 days in advance of the scheduled payment date Arch has 7 days to review

How would you solve this: A change needs to be made from the contract documents. The labor and material for the change is $500, and the overhead and profit is 20%. Coordination is an additional 5% on change orders. What is the total value of the change order?

500 x 1.2 = 600 600 x 1.05 = $630 NOTE: Coordination fee is on top of overhead and profit

When owner wants to make sure some amount of money is included in the bid before the exact amount of the item is known, the architect should use _____

An allowance

If the contractor discovers an error on the drawings or specs, who pays for it?

Arch must correct error in documents at no cost (so arch is basically paying for it) Architect is not responsible for cost of construction to correct the error unless it can be proven that the arch was negligent.

What should the arch do if the contractor is putting items on the pay applications that have been purchased but not yet used? (4 things)

Architect's responsibility is to protect interest of the owner. Arch should: 1. Request copy of the bill of sale 2. Visit the location where items are being stored 3. Verify that contractor has secured insurance coverage for the materials 4. Verify that storage conditions comply w the spec req'ts

Why is the owner architect agreement not part of the contract between the contractor and the owner?

Bc there is no contract bt the arch and contractor - no contractual relationship

___ has the final decision on matters of interpretation of code requirements

Building code official

How is liability related to building officials?

Building officials cannot be held liability for decisions made in a professional capacity provided that those decisions are made in good faith

What is the process for substitution requests before receipt of bids? What about after the construction contract has been awarded?

DURING BIDDING: Contractor must submit written request of substitution at least 10 days before receipt of bids Arch must issue addenda with decision at least 4 days before receipt of bids AFTER CONTRACT AWARDED: Contractor should consult instructions in Div 01 of the specs (aka "Front end documents")

If the roof starts leaking, but it was installed and built according to contract docs, who is responsible for paying for correction?

Depends on the roof warranty and how long it is for - if still covered, the roofing manufacturer would pay for correction If arch incorrectly specified a product that didn't perform well, arch would pay for correction Not contractor's fault bc they built as designed

What should the contractor do if they discover asbestos on an existing building renovation project? What if the owner and contractor cannot agree on the price of the expenses incurred as a result of this issue?

Discovery of hazardous materials: Contractor should stop work and notify owner Owner should engage testing agency to determine if hazard is present Contractor has the right to extend time and cost for this issue - negotiated bt owner and contractor, modified by change order If owner and contractor cannot agree, contractor may assert a claim that goes to the IDM. They may decide to use a CCD after that

T/F: the architect must approve the contractor's proposed construction schedule and proposed schedule of submittals

False The architect is not responsible for approving the construction schedule but they are responsible for approving the schedule of submittals bc they will be held to that schedule later in the project

Safety data sheet

Form that provides printed information regarding the hazards of materials that contain chemicals - req'd by OSHA but does not require approval by arch - just an informational submittal

According to A701, bids must be submitted on ____

Forms provided with the bidding documents (A701 = instructions to bidders)

What are grade stakes, batter boards, corner pins, and a transit used for? (Separate answers)

Grade stakes: used to indicate how much cut or fill is req'd at a specific location to reach finish grade Batter boards: temporary supports used to hold wires or strings that indicate excavation line for a building site - set back from the excavation line so will not be disturbed during construction Corner pins: similar to batter board, used to indicate excavation lines but only show the corners Transit: surveying tool used to determine elevation of points on a site

What is the process if a contractor discovers unforeseen site conditions?

Inform architect and owner about the conditions within 21 days of discovery Arch investigates and reports findings to owner Owner decides how to proceed bc it is their property and their money

What are the duties and responsibilities of a building code official?

Interpret code and inspect projects for compliance

What type of submittal would be used for electrical conduit, elevator cab flooring, or gyp board to confirm compliance with the specs?

Material cut sheets and product data

What is the difference between a nanometer, blower door, flow hood, and duct blower?

Nanometer measures differences in pressure between two spaces Blower door: fan mounted in door frame to pressurize/depressurization a building to measure air infiltration or leakage Flow hood: placed over register or diffuser to measure output Duct blower: fan attached directly to ductwork to check for leaks

A subcontractor drops off samples to the architect for review. What should the arch do?

Return them TO THE SUBCONTRACTOR unreviewed - the sub must have the contractor review them first. It is not the arch's job to give to contractor first if the sub gives to the arch. Just return to where it came from.

When a lower cost product is substituted instead of an expensive one, what is not affected? When a more expensive product is substituted for a cheaper one, what is affected?

The contractor's overhead and profit stays same if cost becomes less (reasoning is that their income should not be based on the owner's inability to commit to decisions from when the design was bid on) If cost increases, overhead and profit increase bc more work will probably be req'd by contractor

Why do change orders, ASIs for minor modifications in work, and CCDs count as contract modifications?

They change the original contract so they become a new part of the contract

5 parts of the ADA Accessibility Guidelines

Title I: Employment Title II: Public Services, including public transit and gov't facilities Title III: Public Accommodations, including restaurants, retail, hotel, etc. Title IV: Telecommunications Title V: Miscellaneous

What is asbestos? Where can it be found?

a silicate mineral fiber that is a major cause of lung disease Found in old buildings in wall and pipe insulation, floor and ceiling tiles, and equipment Banned in the 1970-1980s