MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Building Technology 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a building's electrical distribution system, the main service entrance panel's primary function is to:
- Step down utility voltage to usable building voltage via a transformer
- Receive utility power and distribute it to branch circuits via circuit breakers (Correct answer)
- Store backup power for emergency lighting systems
- Convert AC power to DC power for sensitive equipment
Correct answer: Receive utility power and distribute it to branch circuits via circuit breakers
The service entrance panel contains the main breaker and distributes incoming utility power to all branch circuits throughout the building.
Question 2: Which type of roof membrane system is mechanically fastened to the deck and left exposed to wind, relying on ballast or fasteners rather than adhesive bonding?
- Fully adhered TPO
- Mechanically attached single-ply membrane (Correct answer)
- Built-up roofing (BUR)
- Self-adhering modified bitumen sheet
Correct answer: Mechanically attached single-ply membrane
Mechanically attached single-ply systems use fasteners and plates to secure the membrane to the substrate at seams rather than bonding across the entire surface.
Question 3: The purpose of a seismic base isolator in a building structure is to:
- Stiffen the building's core to resist lateral drift
- Decouple the superstructure from ground motion by allowing controlled horizontal movement at the foundation (Correct answer)
- Increase the building's mass to dampen oscillation
- Anchor the building to bedrock to prevent differential settlement
Correct answer: Decouple the superstructure from ground motion by allowing controlled horizontal movement at the foundation
Base isolators introduce a flexible layer at the foundation that absorbs and filters seismic energy before it reaches the structure above.
Question 4: Daylight autonomy (DA) as a lighting performance metric measures the percentage of:
- Floor area that receives any daylight throughout the year
- Annual occupied hours when a target illuminance level is met by daylight alone (Correct answer)
- Electric lighting energy offset by daylight harvesting controls
- Glazing area required to achieve a 2% daylight factor
Correct answer: Annual occupied hours when a target illuminance level is met by daylight alone
Daylight autonomy calculates, for each sensor point, the fraction of occupied hours per year when natural light alone meets or exceeds the target illuminance.
Question 5: In wood-frame construction, blocking installed between studs at mid-height of a wall assembly serves primarily to:
- Provide nailing surface for horizontal siding and act as a fireblock to slow vertical flame spread (Correct answer)
- Transfer lateral wind loads from cladding to floor diaphragms
- Stiffen the wall against out-of-plane buckling under axial load
- Support the weight of window and door headers
Correct answer: Provide nailing surface for horizontal siding and act as a fireblock to slow vertical flame spread
Mid-height blocking provides a nailing base for lap siding transitions and, critically, interrupts concealed wall cavities to prevent chimney-effect fire spread.
Question 6: A post-tensioned concrete slab differs from a conventionally reinforced slab in that its tendons are:
- Bonded to concrete with deformed ribs that provide mechanical interlock
- Stressed after concrete cures by jacking against the hardened slab (Correct answer)
- Placed in the compression zone to resist compressive failure
- Replaced by fiber reinforcement distributed throughout the mix
Correct answer: Stressed after concrete cures by jacking against the hardened slab
Post-tensioning applies compressive prestress to the slab after concrete reaches sufficient strength by stressing high-strength steel tendons against anchors.
Question 7: Which passive ventilation strategy drives airflow through a building by exploiting the temperature difference between indoor and outdoor air without mechanical assistance?
- Cross-ventilation
- Stack effect (buoyancy-driven ventilation) (Correct answer)
- Mechanical displacement ventilation
- Wind-driven pressure ventilation
Correct answer: Stack effect (buoyancy-driven ventilation)
Stack effect occurs because warm indoor air is less dense and rises, escaping through high openings and drawing cooler outdoor air in through low openings.
MArch Master of Architecture Master of Architecture: Building Technology 5
In a building's electrical distribution system, the main service entrance panel's primary function is to: