COSC 153 Midterm Exam with Complete
Solutions Graded A+
Bronze Age Construction Homes - Answer-More advanced and involved precision cut
wood members such as columns and beams and roofs
Construction in Egypt - Answer-- Egyptians best known and bigger projects were tombs
for ruling class.
- Pyramids were a portal into the afterlife
- Main construction method: stone, mortar and gravity for structural purposes
Construction in the Americas - Answer-Mayans made extensive use of limestone in
buildings. Mayan architecture is said to be the conversation of the Gods with man.
Marked with religious and mythical ideas.
Mortar and Concrete - Answer-- Egyptians used calcined gypsum as a cement and the
Greeks and Romans used lime made by heating limestone and added sand to make
mortar, with coarser stones for concrete.
- Romans found that a cement could be made which set under water and this was used
for the construction of barbors.
Greek Column types: - Answer-Doric, Ionic, Corinthian
Construction in Greece (P&E) - Answer-- Parthenon: is a former temple of the Athenian
Acropolis dedicated to the goddess Athena, people considered her their patron.
Construction began in 447 BC and completed in 439 BC
- Erechtheion / Erechtheum: ancient Greek temple on the north side of Acropolis of
Athens in Greece that was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon
Construction in Rome - Answer-- Arch: relied heavy on the rounded arch to span great
lengths. Several rounded arches that are constructed in-line and end-to-end in a series
form an arcade (such as in Roman aqueducts)
- Aqueducts: constructed the bring water from outside sources into cities and towns.
Supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, private households. Also supported mining
operations, milling, farms, gardens.
- Roads: built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the
Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
- Pantheon: cylindrical building with portico of large granite Corinthian columns under a
pediment. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the
world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.
,Construction in Middle Ages: Romantic or Romanesque - Answer-Architectural style of
medieval Europe characterized by semicircular arches (ex Santa Maria Novella in
Florence)
Construction in Middle Ages: Gothic - Answer-Cathedral was consecrated to the Virgin
Mary and considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. Its
pioneering use of the rib vault and flying buttress, it's enormous and colorful rose
windows.
Construction during the late Gothic / early Renaissance - Answer-Filippo Brunelleschi
(1377-1446) constructs the dome of Florence cathedral, often mislabeled as the first
Renaissance structure. Said to be inspired by Pantheon, its construction was fo a
double, shelled type built around a Gothic ripped vault
Construction during the early Renaissance - Answer-First building was Brunelleschi's
Ospedale degli Innocenti in Florence. A founding hospital built on the principals of a
typical medieval monastery floor plan, deviated in employing an axil symmetry similar to
that of antique Roman structures.
Construction during the Renaissance - Answer-- Palazzo Medici, Florence: most
notable changes during Renaissance is the justification of the facade and the
reintroduction of the overhanging cornice as the termination of its vertical elevation.
- St. Peters Cathedral: designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo
Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Most renowned work of Renaissance architecture
and the largest church in the world.
- Northern Europe adopted a distinctly Northern architectural language, not one
influenced by classical forms based on antique Greek and Roman precedents. Strong
architectural feature: gable
Construction during the Industrial Revolution - Answer-- Factory construction, massive
hosing, roads and bridges, railways, sewers, canals
- Housing needed to be close to factory and there needed to be housing for all workers
and families
- Railroads became most used transportation of people and materials. Before highway
system of 1950's, railroad already covered entire continents.
- Bridges were built initially with iron until the end of the industrial revolution when steel
was discovered
- Eads Bridge, St Louis: Andrew Carnegie - First steel bridge to cross over the
Mississippi
- Sewage construction was needed due to the huge increase in population density.
Modern Construction: Mechanization - Answer-The use of machinery to excavate, move
material and build (steam machines and cranes)
, Modern Construction: Elevator - Answer-- Burton and Homer built "ascending room". -
1853 Otis made freight elevator with safety device for fall prevention and increased
public confidence
- New York Flatiron: world's first sky scrapper
Aggregate - Answer-Mixture of sand and stone & is a major component of concrete
Architect - Answer-One who has completed a course of study in building and design
and draws up plans
Backing - Answer-Frame lumber or metal installed between the wall studs to give
additional support for drywall or an interior trim related item (such as handrail brackets,
cabinets, towel bars). Items are screwed and mounted into solid wood or metal rather
than weak drywall that may allow the item to break loose from the wall.
Bearing Walls - Answer-A wall that supports any vertical load in addition to its own
weight.
Concrete - Answer-Mixture of Portland cement, sand, gravel, and water. Used to make
garage and basement floors, sidewalks, patios, foundation walls, etc. Commonly
reinforced with steel rods (rebar) or wire screening (mesh)
Construction Contract - Answer-A legal document which specifies the what-when-
where-how-how much and by whom in a construction project.
A good construction contract includes: - Answer-1. The contractor's registration number
2. A statement of work quality such as 'Standard Practices of the Trades' or 'according
to Manufacturers Specifications'.
3. A set of blue prints or plans
4. A construction timetable including starting and completion dates
5. A set of specifications
6. A fixed price for the work, or a time and materials formula
7. A payment schedule
8. Any allowances (budget for extra expenses)
9. A clause which outlines how any disputes will be resolved
10. A written warrantee
Construction Drawings - Answer-A complete set of construction drawings (drawn to
scale) tends to comprise floor plans, elevations, sections and detail drawings, that
together provide a complete representation of the building
On many projects, each major trade on Construction Drawings will have separate trade
drawings such as: - Answer-- Architectural (including elevations, sections, details)
- Structural (including foundations and superstructure, structure elevations, sections and
details)
- Electrical (including floor plans, elevations and details)
