LARE LARE 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which plant hardiness zone system is most commonly referenced by landscape architects in the United States for cold tolerance?
- Sunset Climate Zones
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (Correct answer)
- Köpen Climate Classification
- AHS Heat Zone Map
Correct answer: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, based on average annual minimum winter temperatures, is the standard reference for cold hardiness in the US.
Question 2: A client requests a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant planting design. Which design approach best achieves this goal?
- Specifying high-water-use annuals with drip irrigation
- Using non-native ornamentals requiring regular fertilization
- Selecting regionally native and climate-adapted plants in naturalistic groupings (Correct answer)
- Installing a formal parterre with boxwood hedging
Correct answer: Selecting regionally native and climate-adapted plants in naturalistic groupings
Native and climate-adapted plants in naturalistic groupings require minimal supplemental water and maintenance once established.
Question 3: What does the term 'right-of-way' (ROW) refer to in site planning?
- The legal right of a property owner to build a fence
- A strip of land reserved for transportation or utility infrastructure (Correct answer)
- The maximum allowable building height
- The area between a building and the property line
Correct answer: A strip of land reserved for transportation or utility infrastructure
Right-of-way is a legally reserved corridor of land dedicated to transportation corridors, utilities, or public access.
Question 4: In LARE design scenarios, a 'section drawing' is used primarily to:
- Show the plan layout of a space from above
- Illustrate a vertical cut through a site to reveal grade changes and spatial relationships (Correct answer)
- Document material quantities for bidding
- Present a bird's-eye perspective of a garden
Correct answer: Illustrate a vertical cut through a site to reveal grade changes and spatial relationships
A section drawing cuts vertically through the site to reveal topography, spatial proportions, and relationships between ground and built elements.
Question 5: Which type of retaining wall relies on the weight of the wall itself and the soil it sits on for stability?
- Cantilever retaining wall
- Gravity retaining wall (Correct answer)
- Tieback retaining wall
- Sheet pile wall
Correct answer: Gravity retaining wall
A gravity retaining wall uses its own mass and the friction of its base to resist the lateral pressure of soil behind it.
Question 6: Which ASTM standard governs the specification of concrete paving units (segmental pavers)?
- ASTM C936 (Correct answer)
- ASTM D1557
- ASTM C150
- ASTM F1292
Correct answer: ASTM C936
ASTM C936 is the standard specification for solid concrete interlocking paving units used in segmental paving systems.
Question 7: A landscape architect is designing a playground. Which ASTM standard governs the acceptable impact attenuation of surfacing materials beneath play equipment?
- ASTM C936
- ASTM F1292 (Correct answer)
- ASTM E2097
- ASTM D6270
Correct answer: ASTM F1292
ASTM F1292 establishes standard requirements for impact attenuation of surfacing materials under and around playground equipment.
LARE LARE 5
Which plant hardiness zone system is most commonly referenced by landscape architects in the United States for cold tolerance?