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A201 is the General Conditions of the Contract for Construction and outlines duties, rights, and responsibilities of the contractor. This includes site supervision, safety, and conformance with documents. ARE Handbook Objective 1.4 focuses on interpreting contract documents.

Step-by-Step Reasoning

1. Mezzanine Area Limitations — IBC Section 505.2.1

From the exhibit:

The aggregate area of a mezzanine within a room shall be not greater than one-third of the floor area of that room/space.

Given:

Main floor = 9,000 SF

Maximum mezzanine size = 1/3 × 9,000 SF = 3,000 SF

2. Openness Requirements — IBC Section 505.2.3

From the exhibit:

A mezzanine must be open to the room below unless it qualifies for one of the listed exceptions.

3. Relevant Exception for Enclosed Mezzanine

Exception 1:

Mezzanines (or portions thereof) are not required to be open to the room if the occupant load of the enclosed space is not greater than 10.

Exception 3:

Mezzanines (or portions thereof) are not required to be open to the room if the aggregate floor area of the enclosed space is ≤ 10% of the mezzanine area.

However — the scenario says:

The mezzanine will have one exit (so it’s not an open floor requiring multiple exits)

The architect notes there are adequate exits on the main floor to handle additional occupant load from the mezzanine → This means it could be enclosed if allowed by exceptions.

4. Evaluate Each Option:

A. 2,500 SF open lounge for 20 people

Size < 3,000 SF → OK on area.

Open mezzanine → Complies without needing an exception.

But 20 occupants means more than 10 occupant load, so it can’t be enclosed unless open — this one is already open, so fine.

This works, but the question asks for which method should the architect design, and the key is the one-exit enclosed scenario.

B. 2,750 SF enclosed business center for 15 people

Size < 3,000 SF → OK.

It is enclosed, and occupant load is 15, which is greater than 10. That means Exception 1 doesn’t apply.

But Exception 3 says: enclosed space can be allowed if enclosed area ≤ 10% of mezzanine area. Here:

10% of 2,750 SF = 275 SF.

If the enclosed portion is the business center itself (full area enclosed), then it fails Exception 3.

Wait: This would only be code-compliant as enclosed if the occupant load is ≤ 10 (Exception 1) OR enclosed area ≤ 10% of mezzanine (Exception 3).

This option might work only if the mezzanine is considered enclosed but the occupant load doesn’t require multiple exits and is allowed due to adequate exit capacity on the main floor — this appears to be the intended IBC Exception 1 scenario, but since OL = 15 > 10, it technically fails Exception 1.

The problem statement says “adequate exits available on main floor to pick up additional occupant load” — which would allow designing an enclosed mezzanine as long as total egress capacity is fine.

C. 3,250 SF open dining for 30 people

Size exceeds 3,000 SF → FAILS area limitation. Not allowed.

5. Conclusion

Given the constraints:

Must fit within 1/3 floor area rule (≤ 3,000 SF)

Must work with one exit and available exit capacity on main floor

Option C fails on size

Option A is possible but doesn’t use the enclosed condition in the prompt

Option B meets area limit, occupant load works with available exit capacity, and provides an enclosed use that matches the problem’s “program requirement” scenario

The upper nut at the top connection in Option 2 (the nut above the upper tube beam, highlighted at left).

By moving the threaded rod off the member’s centroid in Option 2, the connection becomes eccentric. That eccentricity introduces a prying/bending moment at the rod/beam interface in addition to the vertical load from the banner and beam. In a through‑rod with a nut above and below the member, the bottom nut primarily resists the direct gravity load in the concentric case (Option 1). When eccentricity is added (Option 2), rotation of the member about the rod induces additional uplift on the top nut (prying action), thereby increasing the force in the top nut relative to the concentric case.

Hence, the nut that will realize the greater load due to the proposed change is the upper nut at the top connection.

References

NCARB ARE 5.0 PDD Handbook – Structural Systems & Detailing: Connections and eccentric loading.

AISC Steel Design Guide: Prying Action in Bolted Connections (eccentric connections increase tensile force on the “prying” fastener).

Ching, Building Construction Illustrated – Steel connections and load paths.

Generated image

To identify the discrepancy between the drawings and the Room Finish Schedule for Room 101, compare what’s shown in the restroom elevation and plan versus the listed finishes.

Step-by-step comparison:

Room 101 (Women’s Restroom) is shown with:

Wall finish: Clearly shows tile (CT) on the lower half of the walls in the elevation.

But in the finish schedule, Room 101 has “PT” (paint) listed under wall finish.

✅ Therefore, the error is in the wall finish cell for Room 101, which should show CT (ceramic tile), not PT (paint).

Sheet piling is a type of earth retention system used in excavations to prevent soil collapse. Reasons include:

D. When the natural soil slope is too steep to remain stable, sheet piling acts as a vertical barrier.

E. When soil cannot support itself during excavation, sheet piles provide lateral support.

F. When excavation is adjacent to a property line or existing structure and adjacent soil must not be disturbed.

Options A (grade beam support), B (raked shoring), and C (pile cap support) are not typical or primary uses of sheet piling.

The detail shows a metal connector fastening a vertical framing member (stud or post) to a horizontal member (likely a top plate or beam). This type of metal connector—often a hurricane tie or hold-down—is designed to anchor the vertical framing to the horizontal framing to prevent separation caused by uplift forces.

Key points:

Uplift occurs when wind loads or seismic activity try to pull the roof or upper framing away from the wall below.

The connector wraps over and around members, securing them together.

Commonly used in roof-to-wall connections to comply with wind resistance requirements in the IBC and ASCE 7.

This does not primarily resist sliding (shear) or racking (lateral deformation of a frame), nor is it designed mainly for twisting (torsion).

PDD ARE Objective Tie-in:

ARE 5.0 PDD Objective 3.2 – Evaluate and integrate structural systems with architectural elements, ensuring proper load path continuity for resisting vertical and lateral loads, including uplift forces.

A battered (leaning back) face on a dry-stacked retaining wall improves stability against lateral earth pressure by shifting the wall’s resultant closer to/within the middle third of the base, increasing frictional resistance and reducing overturning. It does not significantly change permeability (C) or directly increase cohesion between stones (D), and erosion resistance (B) is secondary compared to stability.

PDD References: Site & foundation systems—retaining wall behavior, active/passive earth pressures; IBC/Geotechnical fundamentals; CSI Div. 32 site improvements.

Understanding the Diagram

The image shows a pump installation detail with various vibration and alignment control devices:

A — Typically a pipe hanger or suspension support to reduce strain on piping.

B — Likely a flexible electrical conduit (for pump motor connection).

C — Spring vibration isolators under the pump base to prevent vibration transmission into the building structure.

D — A flexible pipe connector (also called a flex connector or braided flexible coupling).

Purpose of Flexible Pipe Connectors

Flexible pipe connectors (D in the diagram) are designed to:

Absorb minor misalignment between connected piping systems.

Reduce stress on pump flanges due to thermal expansion, settlement, or installation tolerances.

Isolate vibration from the pump so that it is not transmitted along rigid piping to the building structure.

This makes them essential in mechanical systems where pumps, chillers, or other vibrating equipment connect to rigid building piping.

Why Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. Pipe hangers/supports — Maintain alignment and support vertical loads but do not allow for misalignment or vibration isolation in the same way as flexible connectors.

B. Electrical conduit/flexible connection — Relates to electrical supply flexibility, not piping alignment.

C. Spring vibration isolators — Isolate vibration from equipment to the floor but do not address piping misalignment.

NCARB ARE 5.0 PDD Study Guide References:

Content Area: Integration of Building Materials & Systems — Mechanical Systems Coordination

Source References:

Mechanical and Electrical Equipment for Buildings (MEEB) — Chapter on Vibration Isolation & Pump Installation

Architectural Graphic Standards — Flexible Connector & Piping Details

Key Point: Flexible connectors at pumps and equipment protect against misalignment, vibration, and stress transfer to the piping system.

When a GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) is established before the design is 100% complete and specific materials are not yet chosen, the correct approach is to specify allowances in the project manual.

An allowance is a fixed monetary amount for a specific scope item (e.g., flooring finishes) that allows the contractor to carry a cost in the bid/GMP until the actual product is selected. This ensures the GMP covers the item without delaying pricing.

A. Contingency — Is for unforeseen conditions, not specific unselected finishes.

B. Schedule of unit prices — Typically used for variable-quantity work, not for unknown product selection.

D. Alternate — Provides an option for substitution, but does not guarantee a base cost in the GMP.

PDD Reference: ARE 5.0 PDD “Project Manual and Specifications—Allowances, Alternates, and Unit Prices,” AIA A201 §3.8, CSI Division 01—General Requirements.

Division 01 governs administrative procedures across all trades—submittals, project meetings, temporary utilities, etc. It sets the framework for other divisions. Objective 2.1 addresses the structure and function of specifications.