Floods are hazards that occasionally affect California landscapes. In the California Supplemental Exam for landscape architects, there may be a question or two about floods and how to mitigate the affects of flooding on project sites. Floods are covered on…
Category: Site Inventory
How to Understand Flood Insurance Rate Zones
Posted in Federal Agencies, Regulatory Agencies, Site Inventory Tagged with: 100 year flood, base elevation, California, California Supplemental Exam, CSE, FEMA, flood insurance rate maps, flooding, Landscape Architect
12 Days of Quizzes - Day 9: Site Inventory Questions
12 Days of Quizzes Day 9 Christmas is in the past and New Years is around the corner. If you have a little down time, you may want to prepare for the CSE exam. Get a cup of eggnog and…
Posted in Quiz, Site Inventory Tagged with: 12 Days of Quizzes, California Supplemental Exam, CSE, hydrologic factors, Landscape Architect, Quiz, site analysis, Site Inventory
How USACE Affects Landscape Architects
Regulatory Agency Series: Part 2 How USACE Affects Landscape Architects Do you know what the Army Corps if Engineers does? Don’t they run around in military uniforms and kill terrorist? Not so! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is officially…
Posted in Federal Agencies, Regulatory Agencies, Site Inventory Tagged with: Army Corps of Engineers, California Supplemental Exam, CSE, CSE landscape architect, general permit, individual permit, Landscape Architect, reclamation project, territorial seas, USACE, waters of the United States, Wetland, wetland mitigation
How to Mitigate Liquefaction Risks On Landscape Development Projects
Liquefaction is a condition where some soils become liquified and lose their ability to support buildings and landscape structures. There are two types of liquefaction failures that plague earthquake-rattled California landscapes after a significant seismic event. First, large-scale liquefaction events…
How to Mitigate Seismic Landslide Risks On A Project
Earthquakes are an uncommon, but serious, risk for California structures and landscapes. During a site inventory, landscape architects may uncover underlying seismic risk factors on their client’s project site. After consulting geologists and registered civil engineers investigate the site and…
Liquefaction: When Solid Ground Turns To Mush
Liquefaction is a rare geological condition caused when certain soils with a high water table are violently shaken by an earthquake. The shaking earth mixes the soil particles with the water table and creates soil with the consistency of a…
Critical Site Investigation Items For A Geotechnical Report
Earthquakes are a fact of life in California. Improved seismic hazard investigation techniques make identifying and inventorying a site’s seismic risk more reliable than in the past. The Seismic Hazards Mapping Act requires most developers and property owners to identify…
Two Ways To Investigate Seismic Hazards In California
Identifying sites with potentially damaging seismic conditions is one step of the site inventory process. As landscape architects, we may be called upon to conduct an initial site investigation regarding seismic hazards. When landscape architects are in the lead on…
Posted in Site Inventory Tagged with: California Supplemental Exam for Landscape Architects, CSE, earthquake, Geological Hazard, liquefaction, Quantitative Evaluation of Hazard Potential, Seismic Hazard, Seismic Hazard Investigation, Seismic Hazard Maps, Seismic Risk Site Investigation, Site Inventory
How Does the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act Affect Site Development?
In 1990 the California State Legislature passed the Seismic Hazards Mapping Act to protect public safety from the effects of strong ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides, or other ground failure, and other hazards caused by earthquakes. Landscape architects practicing in California…
Watch California Landslides in Action
California’s geology is prone to move catastrophically if the environmental conditions are right. Watch these examples of California’s most famous landslides. La Conchita
Posted in Site Inventory, Video Tagged with: CGS, Core Drilling, coring, debris flow, earthquake, La Conchita, Laguna Beach, landslide, liquefaction, mud flow, rockslide, Site Inventory, slope stability, USGS, Vegetation