Sunday, December 29, 2013

We have moved all our forums to GeeForum.com


We have moved all our forums to GeeForum.com

 

We have moved all our forums to GeeForum.com


 

Gee or GEE means GreenExamEducation.com. That is how we form the forum name:

GeeForum.com

 

It is a better service for all our members and you can post photos or jpeg files of your vignettes for other users' review. It includes ARE Exams Forums, LEED Forums, Music Forum, Off-Topic Forum, Market Place and various sub-forums. Please sign up/register for a free account. We give out free review books to registered users at GeeForum.com every now and then. If you have friends and co-workers who are taking ARE exams or LEED exams or are interested in music, please help us spread the word and let them know about GeeForum.com and encourage them to sign up.

 

Please note GeeForum.com is paid for and sponsored by GreenExamEducation.com.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

“Structural Systems ARE Mock Exam” has been published!


Many readers ask about this book. Your wait is over!

 

Here is more info:

 

Structural Systems ARE Mock Exam (SS of Architect Registration Exam): ARE Overview, Exam Prep Tips, Multiple-Choice Questions and Graphic Vignettes, Solutions and Explanations

 

ISBN: 9781612650012   

 

It is available at:


 

Synopsis

 

A Practical Guide & Mock Exam for the Structural Systems (SS) Division of the ARE!

 

Every July, NCARB begins to recreate the Architect Registration Examination (ARE) questions based on a new guide and scope. We always incorporate this latest information into our books.

 

To become a licensed architect, you need to have a proper combination of education and/or experience, meet your Board of Architecture’s special requirements, and pass all seven divisions of ARE.

 

This book provides an ARE exam overview, suggested reference and resource links, exam prep and exam taking techniques, tips and guides, and a realistic and complete mock exam with solutions and explanations for the Structural Systems (SS) Division of the ARE. More specifically this book covers the following subjects:

·         ARE, IDP, and education requirements

·         ARE exam content, format, and prep strategies

·         the design and construction of buildings

·         general structures

·         seismic forces

·         wind forces

·         lateral forces

·         principles (building design; the implications of design decisions; building systems and their integration)

·         materials & technology (construction materials, construction details, and constructability)

·         codes & regulations (government and regulatory requirements and permit processes)

·         concrete, steel, and wood structures

·         foundation systems

·         connections

·         famous engineers and structures

·         statics and strength of materials

·         structural and truss analysis

·         retaining walls and other walls

·         two graphic vignettes with step-by-step solutions using the NCARB practice program software

·         instructions on installing alternate dwg files for use with NCARB software

·         instructions on saving and installing various solution files for use with NCARB software

 

The mock exam includes 125 challenging questions of the same difficulty level and format as the real exam (multiple-choice, check-all-that-apply, and fill-in-the-blank), as well as two graphic vignettes. It will help you pass the SS division of the ARE and become a licensed architect!

 

 


Can you study and pass the ARE Structural Systems (SS) Exam in 2 weeks?

The answer is yes:  IF you study the right materials, you can pass with 2 weeks of prep.

If you study our book, "Structural Systems ARE Mock Exam," you have an excellent chance of studying and passing the ARE Structural Systems (SS) Exam in 2 weeks. We have added many tips and tricks that WILL help you pass the exam on your first try. Our goal is to take a very complicated subject and make it simple. " ARE Structural Systems (SS) Exam " will save you time and money and help you pass the exam on the first try!

 

 

 

About the author

 

Gang Chen holds a master’s degree from the School of Architecture, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s degree from the School of Architecture, South China University of Technology. He has more than 20 years of professional experience. Many of the projects he was in charge of or participated in have been published extensively in Architecture, Architectural Record, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, and more. He has worked on a variety of unusual projects, including well-known, large-scale healthcare and hospitality projects with over one billion dollars in construction costs, award-winning school designs, highly-acclaimed urban design and streetscape projects, multifamily housing, high-end custom homes, and regional and neighborhood shopping centers. 

 

Gang Chen is a LEED AP BD+C and a licensed architect in California. He is also the internationally acclaimed author of other fascinating books, including Building Construction, Planting Design Illustrated, the ARE Mock Exam series, and the LEED Exam Guides series, which includes one guidebook for each of the LEED exams. For more information, visit www.GreenExamEducation.com

Friday, April 12, 2013

What's everyone using for their downspout guideline?


Question: "What's everyone using for their downspout guideline?

I was following the one every 15' of gutter, but maybe taking it too literally, because I got a few comments that I had too many. If I had like a 32' gutter, I would put 3 d.s. figuring to divide by 15 and round up.

Let me know what I should do tomorrow AT THE TEST!"

Answer:
This subject has been discussed many times.

Two downsprouts at each gutter should be OK for this vignette. Any kind of rule of thumb is just some suggestions by third parties and not enforceable by NCARB.
There are NO specific requirements in the NCARB codes of the vignette, and no location of the project, so there is NO way for NCARB to enforce any rule of thumb numbers.

I just did a room addition project for one of my properties, and several rain gutter contractors who have been doing nothing but rain gutters and downsprouts for 30 years say one downsprout is adequate for a 32’-long rain gutter for our area because the rainfall is so little.

I ask them to put in two in case one gets clogged, and the other is still working.

You can look up the actual sf of maximum roof area for a certain size of the downsprout from Table 1106.2 of IPC .Here is the link:
http://publicecodes.cyberregs.com/icod/ipc/2009/icod_ipc_2009_11_sec006.htm?bu2=undefined



Gang Chen, Author, AIA, LEED AP BD+C


Check out “ARE Mock Exam Series,” and FREE ARE exam prep tips, ARE forums, slides, and mnemonics at GreenExamEducation.com

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

When you draw the joist, do you have to draw it over the bearing wall by a few inches or not?


Question:
It seems like there is a debate going on the way to draw joist.
When you draw the joist, do you have to draw it over the bearing wall by a few inches or not? I understand that in your book you stopped the joist at the face of the wall.
Looking at the NCARB passing solution, they also stopped the joist at the faceof the bearing wall.
I am little confused now.

Response: Either way is OK.
The joists can be shown anywhere from touching thebearing walls to extend half-way into the bearing walls.

Check out “ARE Mock Exam Series,” and FREE ARE exam prep tips, ARE forums, slides, and mnemonics at GreenExamEducation.com

Sunday, March 24, 2013

How close can contour lines of the same elevation come together?



Question: How close can contour lines of the same elevation come together? (IE: the angle of the triangle of the swale)

Response:
You mean the tips of the two swalves? Very close, but not a magic number. I’d say 6”, 1’ or 2’ is fine.

You want to bring the two tips as close to close to each other as possible to avoid water from flowing onto the pad.

In realty, there is a High Point (HP) at that location.

Gang Chen, Author, AIA, LEED AP BD+C


Check out “ARE Mock Exam Series,” and FREE ARE exam prep tips, ARE forums, slides, and mnemonics at GreenExamEducation.com
 

Saturday, March 23, 2013

I wonder if some ARE vignettes are faulty...


Question:
"I'm so sorry. I had a similar experience with PPP. MC fine, but failed b/c of a "moderate" deficiency on the vignette. And that vignette was so very easy. I spoke with someone else who took it around the same time and the exact same thing happened to him. I wonder if some vignettes are faulty. But maybe I'm just paranoid...."

Response:
Most people fail ARE exams or any other exams because of the errors they made but were NOT and still are NOT aware of. Well, if you knew it was an error, you’d not have made it.

People also tend to make the same errors again and again. Maybe you can post your solution to the NCARB sample vignette for others to review if you have not already done so.

PPP vignette seems easy, but it actually is very tricky with a few traps, such as:
1)      The existing drainage easement area can still be a secondary construction area. 
2)      The program states, “On the grid, draw the profile of the maximum building envelope for each lot at Section A-A,” NOT at the side yard setback lines. It is VERY easy to make the mistake of drawing the building profile all the way to the side yard setback lines, especially after NCARB requires you to draw the 30-degree height restriction angle from a property line...

Gang Chen, Author, AIA, LEED AP BD+C


Check out “ARE Mock Exam Series,” and FREE ARE exam prep tips, ARE forums, slides, and mnemonics at GreenExamEducation.com