Deck 10: Principles of Sustainable Construction

Question 1

The total number of environmental impact categories in the latest version of LEED BD+C rating system, as given in this text, is

A)5)
B)7)
C)9)
D)10.
E)none of the above.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The embodied energy in a building is a measure of the energy consumed

A)to extract raw materials from the earth and manufacture a finished building product.
B)in the administrative functions related to product manufacturing.
C)to transport the finished product to the building site and install it in the building.
D)all of the above.
E)A and C only.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Per LEED BD+C rating system, a building may receive recognition as a green building at the following levels.

A)Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Bronze
B)Gold, Silver, and Merit
C)Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Certified
D)Gold, Silver, and Bronze
E)Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Certified

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Theoretically, all materials renew in nature within 50 to 100 years.

Question 5

In the process of pursuing LEED rating for a project, the role of category-Integrative Process (IP)-comes

A)during construction phase.
B)during design development phase.
C)before or during schematic design phase.
D)during postconstruction phase.
E)during construction document phase.

Question 6

Which of the two products, Product A or Product B, is considered by LEED v4 to contain larger amount of recycled content? Product A has 15% pre- consumer recycled content and 35% post- consumer recycled content. Product B has 35% pre- consumer recycled content and 15% post- consumer recycled content.

A)Product A
B)Product B

Question 7

Per LEED v4, what is the total percentage of recycled content in a product which has 20 lb of pre- consumer recycled content and 25 lb of post- consumer recycled content? The total weight of the product is 100 lb.

A)32.5%
B)35%
C)45%
D)37.5%
E)None of the above

Question 8

The terms "commissioning authority" and "commissioning agent" mean the same.

Question 9

Which of the following building materials is most renewable?

A)Iron
B)Wood
C)Natural stone
D)Aluminum

Question 10

One of the major U.S. organizations that deals with sustainable architectural design is

A)USGBC.
B)USFBC.
C)USHBC.
D)USEBC.
E)none of the above.

Question 11

Architects generally did not consider the effect of the natural environment on buildings prior to the environmental revolution begun in the early 1970s.

Question 12

BREEAM is a building sustainability rating system, which originated in the United Kingdom.

Question 13

Which is the latest version of LEED as given in this text?

A)LEED v2
B)LEED v3
C)LEED v4
D)LEED v5
E)None of the above

Question 14

Per LEED v4, a material or product is considered locally produced if all its raw materials and manufacturing takes place within

A)200 miles of the manufacturing facility.
B)100 miles of the construction site.
C)50 miles of the manufacturing facility.
D)500 miles of the construction site.
E)50 miles of the construction site.

Question 15

The environmental impact category in LEED BD+C to which the greatest number of points have been assigned is

A)Water Efficiency.
B)Sustainable Sites.
C)Indoor Environmental Quality.
D)Energy and Atmosphere.
E)Materials and Resources.

Question 16

The term "EPD" is an acronym for

A)environmental product declarations.
B)environmental purity data.
C)environmental performance data.
D)environmental parameter declarations.
E)none of the above.

Question 17

The total number of points assigned to all impact categories (excluding, IP, IN, and RP)in LEED v4 BD+C is

A)80.
B)90.
C)100.
D)110.
E)none of the above.

Question 18

The maximum number of points a building may earn in LEED BD+C rating system is

A)75.
B)100.
C)25.
D)50.
E)none of the above.

Question 19

The process of commissioning of a building occurs

A)during construction phase.
B)during postconstruction phase.
C)before or during schematic design phase.
D)during construction document phase.
E)during design development phase.

Question 20

A building that receives a total score of 55 points in the LEED- NC rating system is recognized at

A)Silver level.
B)Gold level.
C)Green level.
D)Sustainable level.
E)Certified level.

Question 21

The C2C certification of a product is a multi- attribute certification.

Question 22

The sustainability rating of a building based on the International Green Construction Code may be

A)Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.
B)Certified or Silver.
C)Gold or Platinum.
D)Silver or Gold.
E)none of the above.

Question 23

Explain what embodied energy in a building means.

Question 24

The EPD of a product is a single- number index.

Question 25

The sustainability of a building is not simply a function of the design of the building but also a function the sustainable practices used in construction. State at least two items where the contracting community contributes toward a sustainable building.

Question 26

Why is soil erosion a concern on construction sites and an important item for a sustainable building construction?

Question 27

Of the total annual energy consumption in the United States, approximately what percentage is consumed in buildings?

Question 28

USGBC sustainability rating system for buildings is based on the building's impact on the natural environment, which is divided into six categories, called environmental impact categories. For example, one of the environmental impact categories is "water efficiency" (WE), which assesses the impact of the use of water in the building on the environment. Of the six categories, one of them has been dealt with in greater detail (in Chapter 10: "Principles of Sustainable Construction")than the other categories. Name the category.

Question 29

The C2C certification of a product is available at

A)a single level.
B)two levels.
C)three levels.
D)four levels.
E)five levels.

Question 30

The USGBC's LEED rating system has gone through a number of updates (referred to as versions). Which is the current LEED version, as given in the text, and the year in which it came into effect?

Question 31

The Certified Wood label considers all aspects of sustainability of wood.

Question 32

USGBC's sustainability rating system for buildings is based on the building's impact on the (natural)environment, which is divided into six categories, called environmental impact categories. One other category deals with building interior. Name this category.

Question 33

LEED is a sustainability rating system for buildings provided by USGBC. Give the spelt out version of LEED.

Question 34

The EPD of a product is classified under two types, which are

A)60- year EPD and 100- year EPD.
B)cradle- to- gate EPD and cradle- to- grave EPD.
C)cradle- to- grave EPD and cradle- to- cradle EPD.
D)50- year EPD and 100- year EPD.
E)100- year EPD and life- cycle EPD.

Question 35

A home with a HERS index of 50 is more energy efficient than one with a HERS index of 60.

Question 36

The environmental parameters used in determining the HPD of a product are

A)the same as those used in determining the EPD of a building.
B)the same as those used in determining the life- cycle assessment of a building.
C)the same as those used in determining the EPD of a product.
D)not required.

Question 37

What does the acronym USGBC stand for?

Question 38

The number of environmental parameters considered in determining the EPD of a product are

A)five.
B)four.
C)seven.
D)six.
E)three.

Question 39

The architects have almost always been conscious of the "impact of the environment on buildings" by designing buildings in harmony with the (natural)environment. Approximately when did the opposite of the above-"the impact of the buildings on the environment"-begin to dawn on the architectural community?

Question 40

Explain what embodied energy in a building product means.

Question 41

The building activity, like most human activities, has a negative impact on the environment. A metric that measures the impact of a building product on the environment is called environmental product declaration (EPD). This metric is provided by the manufacturer of the product and is prepared in one of the following two ways:
(i)By the manufacturer without an independent third- party validation, called ISO Type II EPD, also called
self- declared EPD.
(ii)By an independent third party specializing in EPD preparation, called ISO Type III EPD.
Which of the two EPDs is given greater weighting in LEED v4 rating system? Note: ISO is an acronym for Intern Standards Organization.

Question 42

What is post- consumer waste recycling of a product?

Question 43

The use of locally produced materials in the manufacturing of a product has been recognized as a sustainability attribute. How does LEED v4 rating system define local production?

Question 44

What information does health product declaration (HPD)of a product contain?

Question 45

Give an example of pre- consumer waste recycling of a product.

Question 46

In LEED v4 sustainability rating system, a building may earn a maximum of 110 points. Of these 110 points, 99 points may be earned from the impact of a building on six environmental impact categories, which are: 1. Location and Transportation (LT); 2. Sustainable Sites (SS); 3. Water Efficiency (WE); 4. Energy and Atmosphere (EA); 5. Materials and Resources (MR); and 6. Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ). Each category has been assigned points, so that the sum total of points in all six categories is 99. The number of points assigned to a category gives its relative importance to sustainability of the building. The MR category deals with the impact of materials used in the building on the environment. How many points are assigned to this category?

Question 47

Both cradle- to- cradle (C2C)certification and EPD+HPD ratings deal with the sustainability of a building product. What is the advantage of C2C over EPD+HPD ratings?

Question 48

List the sustainability rating levels in USGBC's LEED v4 rating system for a building.

Question 49

In LEED v4 sustainability rating system, a building may earn a maximum of 110 points. Of these 110 points, 99 points may be earned from the impact of a building on six environmental impact categories, which are: 1. Location and Transportation (LT); 2. Sustainable Sites (SS); 3. Water Efficiency (WE); 4. Energy and Atmosphere (EA); 5. Materials and Resources (MR); and 6. Indoor Environmental Quality (EQ). Each category has been assigned points, so that the sum total of points in all six categories is 99. The number of points assigned to a category gives its relative importance to sustainability of the building. Which of the six impact categories carries the greatest importance?

Question 50

What is pre- consumer waste recycling of a product?

Question 51

Does cradle- to- cradle (C2C)sustainability certification apply to a building product or an entire building?

Question 52

What is the minimum number of points that a building must earn to attain Platinum certification level in USGBC's LEED v4 rating system, and out of how many total number of points?

Question 53

The building activity, like most human activities, has a negative impact on the environment. A metric that measures the impact of a building product on the environment is called environmental product declaration (EPD).
This metric is provided by the manufacturer of the product and can either be cradle- to- gate EPD or cradle- to- grave EPD. Which of the two EPDs is more commonly available?

Question 54

A product may have some pre- consumer recycled content and some post- consumer recycled content. Per LEED v4, which of the two recycled contents contributes more to sustainability, assuming that both contents are equal in weight in the finished product?

Question 55

Explain what commissioning of a building is and its purpose.

Question 56

The lowest sustainability rating for a building in USGBC's LEED v4 is Certified. What is the minimum number of points required to attain this rating, and out of how many total number of points?

Question 57

What is the difference between renewability and recyclability of a material?

Question 58

Is environmental product declaration (EPD)a single- number declaration or a multiple- number declaration?

Question 59

ISO Type III EPD can be either product- generic EPD or product- specific EPD. Product- specific EPD applies to the product of a specific manufacturer. Product- generic EPD is an industry- wide EPD of a product. Which of the two ISO Type III EPDs is given greater weighting in LEED v4 rating system? Note: ISO is an acronym for International Standards Organization.

Question 60

What is the objective of health product declaration (HPD)in LEED v4 rating system?

Question 61

Using a sketch and notes, explain the HERS index and its relationship with IECC.

Question 62

List various certification levels in LEED v4 (BD+C)and the differences between them.

Question 63

List various types of EPD, per the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the differences between them.

Question 64

The International Green Construction Code (IGCC)is a sustainability code. How many sustainability rating levels does IGCC contain?

Question 65

List various attributes that determine the sustainability of a building product and briefly describe their roles.

Question 66

Describe the difference between EPD and HPD.

Question 67

For LEED v4 (BD+C), list the environmental impact categories used in determining the sustainability rating of buildings.

Question 68

List the environmental parameters used in determining the EPD of a product.

Question 69

Explain what C2C certification is, its purpose, and the levels of certification.

Question 70

Describe the role of commissioning in LEED BD+C rating system.

Question 71

Explain the purpose of the following items in LEED v4.
a. Integrative Process (IP)
b. Regional Priorities (RP)