Sustainable Design & Green Building Practices Flashcards
7 cards from real CSC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Sustainable Design & Green Building Practices flashcards as text
Which ASHRAE standard specifically governs energy efficiency requirements for new commercial buildings in the United States?
Answer: ASHRAE 90.1
ASHRAE 90.1, 'Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings,' sets minimum energy efficiency requirements and is the baseline for most U.S. commercial building energy codes.
A net-zero energy building (NZEB) is best defined as one that:
Answer: Generates as much energy as it consumes on an annual basis
A net-zero energy building balances its total annual energy consumption with equivalent renewable energy generation, typically measured at the site or source level.
What is the purpose of a building information model (BIM) in sustainable design?
Answer: To integrate multidisciplinary data for analysis, coordination, and lifecycle decision-making
BIM creates a shared digital representation of a building's physical and functional characteristics, enabling energy, daylighting, water, and lifecycle analyses to inform sustainable design decisions.
Which water conservation strategy directly addresses the largest single use of water in typical U.S. commercial office buildings?
Answer: High-efficiency restroom fixtures (toilets and urinals)
In U.S. commercial offices, restroom fixtures (toilets and urinals) account for the majority of indoor water consumption, making high-efficiency fixtures the highest-impact conservation measure.
A building's continuous air barrier is best described as:
Answer: A system of materials that controls air flow between conditioned and unconditioned spaces
An air barrier system—which may incorporate multiple materials including sheathing, tape, and sealants—controls infiltration and exfiltration of air, reducing energy losses and moisture problems.
In a whole-building life cycle assessment (LCA), which life cycle stage typically has the highest environmental impact for a steel-framed commercial building?
Answer: Operational energy use over 60 years
For most commercial buildings, operational energy consumed over decades of use dominates total lifecycle environmental impact, though embodied carbon is increasingly significant as grids decarbonize.
Which acoustical design strategy is MOST effective at reducing low-frequency noise transmission between adjacent spaces?
Answer: Increasing the mass of the separating wall assembly
Low-frequency sound is difficult to block; mass law dictates that heavier wall assemblies provide greater attenuation at low frequencies compared to absorption treatments.