Question 1

The four key issues to help define how a project's location affects the sustainability of the project over its lifetime are all of the following except:
A)Site selection
B)Site design
C)Groundwater management
D)Site management

Accepted Answer

Groundwater management is not one of the key issues to define how a project's location affects the sustainability of the project, rather storm water management does. Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil, in rock formations, and in discharge that occurs at springs and seeps. Storm water is water that originates during precipitation.

Question 2

To develop an appropriate sustainable site, one must choose a site that is:
A)A closed space
B)An open space
C)In high density areas, with access to existing infrastructure
D)In high density areas, with access to new infrastructure

Accepted Answer

Sustainable sites are in high density areas with access to existing infrastructure. A sustainable site is one that is located within or near existing development to leverage existing infrastructure and provide basic services to building occupants. Additionally, it prioritizes potential sites that have been previously developed, minimizing the degradation of greenfield sites.

Question 3

Which of the following is not a way motorized transportation affects human health?
A)Climate change
B)Heat island effect
C)Air quality issues
D)Reduction in physical activity

Accepted Answer

Heat island effect is not one of the ways transportation affects human health. Heat island effect describes urban areas that are hotter than nearby rural areas and is apparent when winds are weak. The main cause of heat island effect is modification of the land surface by urban development, which uses materials that effectively retain heat. On the other hand, climate change from greenhouse gas emissions, worsened air quality from exhaust and other vehicular toxins, and the reduction in physical activity are all negative effects of transportation on overall human health.

Question 4

To support alternative transportation, one is encouraged to:
A)Provide a bulletin board with traffic updates
B)Help organize building occupants so they know their options for commuting
C)Provide a list of those who own a small vehicle
D)Offer incentives to those who arrive by a high emitting vehicle

Accepted Answer

To support alternative transportation, one is encouraged to help organize building occupants so they know their options for commuting. Alternative transportation by bike and mass transit reduces the number of vehicles on the road and is a key priority for green projects. To encourage this behavior, making it easy for people to get places is highly encouraged.

Question 5

A sustainable site includes all of the following strategies except:
A)Building out instead of up
B)Choose old buildings
C)Leave undeveloped areas
D)Increase density

Accepted Answer

Building out instead of up is not one of the strategies for developing a sustainable site. Instead of sprawling one-story development, it is encouraged to build up instead of out. This will maximize the square footage inside your building while minimizing the amount of land that is being used.

Question 6

A project team is considering the points in the Sustainable Site section for a LEED for Commercial Interior project and the following credits have been evaluated with the exception of:
A)Selecting a LEED-certified building to occupy the tenants
B)Locating a space with bicycle storage to allow occupants the option for alternative transportation
C)Reusing the captured storm water for toilets
D)Reducing the water use for the building

Accepted Answer

Reducing the water use for the building is not one of the credits being evaluated for the Sustainable Site category for LEED. The sustainability of a project considers subjects that include transportation, site selection, site design and management, and storm water management. By selecting a LEED-certified building, one has considered the site selection; by locating a space with bicycle storage, one has considered transportation; and by reusing captured storm water for toilets, one has considered methods for managing stormwater.

Question 7

Which of the following sites is the not the most sustainable in selection?
A)A site adjacent to a saltwater lagoon
B)A site nearby mixed-use development
C)A site with local climates best for green roofs
D)Brownfield sites

Accepted Answer

A site adjacent to a saltwater lagoon is not the most sustainable in selection. One of the elements that encompasses the sustainability of a project site location is the protection of aquatic ecosystems. A site nearby mixed-use development reduces transportation demand, a site with local climates best for green roofs manages storm water, and a brownfield site is an abandoned site that can be restored.

Question 8

A disused gasworks site with soil contamination from removed underground storage tanks is an example of:
A)Greyfied land
B)Site disturbance
C)Brownfield site
D)Brightfield site

Accepted Answer

A disused gasworks site with soil contamination from removed underground storage tanks is an example of a brownfield site. Brownfield sites are abandoned sites available for re-use. The land may be contaminated by low concentrations of hazardous waste or pollution and has the potential to be reused once it is cleaned up. Redevelopment on brownfields provides an important opportunity to restore degraded urban land while promoting infill and reducing sprawl.

Question 9

To channel development to urban areas with existing infrastructure promotes:
A)Floor area ratio
B)Community connectivity
C)Vehicle miles traveled (vmt)
D)Transit connectivity

Accepted Answer

To channel development to urban areas with existing infrastructure promotes community connectivity. Community connectivity is the amount of connection between a site and the surrounding community, measured by proximity of the site to homes, schools, parks, stores, restaurants, medical facilities, and other services and amenities.

Question 10

A project team member is calculating the square footage of all buildings within a particular area, totaling 893,955 square feet. This member is calculating the:
A)Vehicle miles traveled
B)Transportation demand
C)Development density
D)Footcandle

Accepted Answer

A project team member is calculating the square footage of all buildings within a particular area, totaling 893,955 square feet, which is a calculation to determine the development density. Development density is the total square footage of all buildings within a particular area, measured in square feet per acre or units per acre.

Question 11

A design team is strategizing on building a neighborhood that has a mix of uses, including a community college campus, local transit stops, a grocery store, a bank branch, a nature park with a dog walk route, and live/work spaces. This design team is considering factors that contribute to:
A)Diversity of uses
B)Development density
C)Floor area ratio
D)Transportation demand management

Accepted Answer

Diversity of uses considers the number of types of spaces or housing types per acre that have a diversity of uses, like offices, homes, schools, parks, and stores. These factors encourage walking and residents and visitors are less dependent on personal vehicles.

Question 12

Flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream is experiencing water flows at it travels downstream. This is an example of:
A)Flood fringe
B)Stream channel
C)Floodplain
D)100 year flood

Accepted Answer

Flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream that experiences water flows at it travels downstream is an example of floodplain. A floodplain is land that is likely to be flooded by a storm of a given size (e.g. a 100-year storm).

Question 13

A project team is working within a specific total building floor area to determine the allowable land area the building can cover, while maximizing its use for occupancy by building up rather than building out. The project team is studying the relationship of:
A)Floor-area ratio
B)Building-area ratio
C)Allowable land density
D)Development density

Accepted Answer

A floor-area ratio is the relationship between the total building floor area and the allowable land area the building can cover. In green buildings, the objective is to build up rather than out because a smaller footprint means less disruption of the existing or created landscape.

Question 14

A museum requires 35-foot candles of light levels carefully controlled to conserve light-sensitive objects for the prints, photographs, and paintings to prevent fading of colors. The foot-candle is equal to one ________ per square foot:
A)Lumen
B)Lux
C)Illuminance
D)Light intensity

Accepted Answer

The foot-candle is equal to one lumen per square foot. A foot-candle is a measure of the amount of illumination falling on a surface. Minimizing the number of foot-candles of site lighting helps reduce light pollution.

Question 15

A concrete pavement with a large volume (15% to 35%) of interconnected voids was specified on a project for the parking lot that takes in storm water at a rapid rate of 3 to 5 gallons per minute per square foot of surface area. This concrete material is considered:
A)Pervious
B)Impervious
C)Impermeable
D)Cellular foam

Accepted Answer

A concrete material that is pervious in character is a concrete pavement with large volume of interconnected voids. Pervious material captures storm water and allows it to seep into the ground, reducing storm water runoff. An impervious material/surface prevents storm water from infiltrating into the ground and as a result increases runoff, reduces groundwater recharge, and degrades surface water quality.

Question 16

A characteristic of an adapted plant is that :
A)grows in a given location and ecosystem
B)is not native to a given location
C)grows with great need of human attention
D)requires pesticides

Accepted Answer

A characteristic of an adapted plant is that it is not native to a given location. Native plants occur naturally in a given location and ecosystem. Adapted plants are not native to a location, but grow reliably with minimal attention from humans. Adapted plants can reduce the amount of water required for irrigation, as well as the need for pesticides or fertilizers and may provide benefits for local wildlife.

Question 17

One method to protect the surrounding habitat is to:
A)Minimize street grid density
B)Minimize foot candle
C)Minimize site disturbance
D)Maximize solar reflectance index

Accepted Answer

One method to protect the surrounding habitat is to minimize site disturbance. Site disturbance is the amount of a site that is disturbed by construction activity. On undeveloped sites, limiting the amount and boundary of site disturbance can protect surrounding habitat.

Question 18

A specific paint color for a roof measured 89 for the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI). This paint color is considered:
A)Highly reflective
B)Least reflective
C)Neutral reflective
D)Zero reflective

Accepted Answer

A specific paint color for a roof measured 89 for the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) is a paint color that is considered highly reflective. SRI is a measure of how well a material rejects solar heat; the index ranges from 0 (least reflective) to 100 (most reflective).

Question 19

A green roof using "cooler" materials helps prevent __________.
A)High heating bills
B)Runoff
C)Site disturbance
D)Urban heat effect

Accepted Answer

Using "cooler" materials helps prevent the urban heat island effect (which is the absorption of heat by roofs and pavement and its radiation to the ambient air) and minimizes demand for cooling of nearby buildings.

Question 20

One of the prime factors in determining the site use for prime farmland is:
A)Water consumption
B)Pervious ratio
C)Adapted plant growth
D)Soil

Accepted Answer

One of the prime factors in determining the site use for prime farmland is soil. Prime farmland is previously undeveloped land with soil suitable for cultivation. Avoiding development on prime farmland helps protect agricultural lands, which are needed for food production.

Quiz 6: Sites

The four key issues to help define how a project's location affects the sustainability of the project over its lifetime are all of the following except:

To develop an appropriate sustainable site, one must choose a site that is:

Which of the following is not a way motorized transportation affects human health?

To support alternative transportation, one is encouraged to:

A sustainable site includes all of the following strategies except:

A project team is considering the points in the Sustainable Site section for a LEED for Commercial Interior project and the following credits have been evaluated with the exception of:

Which of the following sites is the not the most sustainable in selection?

A disused gasworks site with soil contamination from removed underground storage tanks is an example of:

To channel development to urban areas with existing infrastructure promotes:

A project team member is calculating the square footage of all buildings within a particular area, totaling 893,955 square feet. This member is calculating the:

A design team is strategizing on building a neighborhood that has a mix of uses, including a community college campus, local transit stops, a grocery store, a bank branch, a nature park with a dog walk route, and live/work spaces. This design team is considering factors that contribute to:

Flat or nearly flat land adjacent to a stream is experiencing water flows at it travels downstream. This is an example of:

A project team is working within a specific total building floor area to determine the allowable land area the building can cover, while maximizing its use for occupancy by building up rather than building out. The project team is studying the relationship of:

A museum requires 35-foot candles of light levels carefully controlled to conserve light-sensitive objects for the prints, photographs, and paintings to prevent fading of colors. The foot-candle is equal to one ________ per square foot:

A concrete pavement with a large volume (15% to 35%) of interconnected voids was specified on a project for the parking lot that takes in storm water at a rapid rate of 3 to 5 gallons per minute per square foot of surface area. This concrete material is considered:

A characteristic of an adapted plant is that :

One method to protect the surrounding habitat is to:

A specific paint color for a roof measured 89 for the Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) . This paint color is considered:

A green roof using "cooler" materials helps prevent __________.

One of the prime factors in determining the site use for prime farmland is: