Armenia Urban Development Engineer Attestation Exam (Urban Development Committee)

Under the Republic of Armenia Law 'On Urban Development' (ՀՀ օրենք «Քաղաքաշինության մասին»), what is the primary authorized public body responsible for state regulation, policy development, and licensing oversight in urban development?

• AThe Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia
• BThe Urban Development Committee of the Republic of Armenia (ՀՀ քաղաքաշինության կոմիտե)
• CThe Cadastre Committee of the Republic of Armenia
• DThe Chamber of Advocates of the Republic of Armenia

What is the mandatory baseline document issued by the local municipal authority (head of community) that defines the architectural, urban planning, and environmental constraints for designing a new building in Armenia?

• AThe Certificate of State Registration of Property Rights (Սեփականության վկայական)
• BThe Architectural-Planning Assignment (Ճարտարապետահատակագծային առաջադրանք - ՃՀԱ / APZ)
• CThe Act of Environmental Inspection (Բնապահպանական տեսչության ակտ)
• DThe Preliminary Bill of Quantities (Նախահաշվային փաստաթուղթ)

According to RA Government Decision No. 2106-N (November 30, 2023), for what duration is a specialist Continuous Professional Development (ՇՄԶ) qualification certificate valid in Armenia?

• A1 year
• B3 years
• C5 years
• DIndefinitely without expiration

Under RA Government Decision No. 2106-N, what are the three tiered classes of licenses and specialist qualification categories established for urban development activities?

• AJunior, Senior, and Principal classes
• B1st Class (highest complexity/risk), 2nd Class (medium complexity), and 3rd Class (baseli…
• CLocal, Regional, and National classes
• DLevel A, Level B, and Level C licenses based solely on turnover

How are construction and building objects classified by risk category (ռիսկայնության աստիճան) under RA Government Decision No. 596-N and Armenian urban development norms?

• AClass A, B, C, D (4 levels)
• BFive categories I to V: low (I), medium (II), above-medium (III), high (IV) and highest (…
• CLow, Medium, High (3 levels)
• DGroup 1 to Group 10 based on gross floor area

Which legal document must be obtained from the local self-government body before physical excavation and structural erection can commence on site for a Category III residential project?

• ADesign Concept Approval Letter
• BConstruction Permit (Շինարարության թույլտվություն)
• CCadastral Map Extract
• DEnvironmental Monitoring Clearance

What is the primary statutory responsibility of the Chief Project Engineer (Գլխավոր նախագծի ինժեներ - ԳՆԻ) under Armenian urban development regulations?

• AProcuring construction materials at the lowest market cost
• BEnsuring comprehensive technical coordination, structural safety, code compliance (ՀՀՇՆ),…
• CPerforming daily on-site safety gear inspections for contractor personnel
• DSigning commercial leasing agreements with future building tenants

Which projects are subject to mandatory State or Complex Expert Examination (Քաղաքաշինական փաստաթղթերի փորձաքննություն) before construction permits can be issued in Armenia?

• AOnly small garden sheds and single-storey farm outbuildings
• BAbove-medium risk (category III) objects undergo simple expertise, high risk (category IV…
• COnly projects funded 100% by foreign private donations
• DNo project requires expertise if the engineer has 10 years of experience

What is the legal objective of Author's Supervision (Հեղինակային հսկողություն) during construction in Armenia?

• ATo negotiate lower subcontracting rates on behalf of the builder
• BTo verify that the physical construction strictly adheres to the approved architectural a…
• CTo supply crane operators and heavy machinery to the site
• DTo take over civil liability if the contractor defaults on bank loans

What is the primary role of the Technical Supervisor (Տեխնիկական հսկիչ) on an Armenian construction site?

• ATo represent the developer/client in providing independent quality control, verifying mat…
• BTo design the building's structural calculation model from scratch
• CTo manage concrete truck batching schedules at the off-site plant
• DTo perform marketing and real estate sales for the building units

Upon finishing construction of a multi-story building, which official administrative document certifies that the building has been completed in compliance with approved designs and is authorized for occupation in Armenia?

• APreliminary Architectural Sketch
• BThe Act of Completion and Operation Permit (Ավարտական ակտ և Շահագործման թույլտվություն)
• CExcavation Shoring Clearance
• DThe Initial Planning Assignment

What is the statutory requirement regarding the Construction Works Logbook (Շինարարական աշխատանքների գրանցամատյան) on an active building site in Armenia?

• AIt is optional and used only if requested by insurance companies
• BIt must be kept on site for the whole duration of the works and updated as work proceeds…
• CIt is only maintained after the building is completed during warranty audits
• DIt is kept solely at the municipal office without site access

Under what circumstances can a specialist's urban development qualification certificate be suspended or revoked by the Urban Development Committee?

• AIf the specialist changes their home residential address
• BIf gross professional negligence, unauthorized deviation from approved design leading to…
• CIf the specialist takes an annual vacation longer than 2 weeks
• DIf the specialist uses metric units in their calculations

A specialist holds a continuous professional development (ՇՄԶ) certificate that expires in four months. Under Annex 2 of RA Government Decision No. 2106-N, what must the specialist do?

• ANothing — the certificate renews automatically once the credits are recorded in the regis…
• BApply for the certificate covering the next five years at least three months before the c…
• CWait until the certificate has expired and then apply for a completely new qualification
• DAsk the employer to extend the certificate for one more year

Under Armenian environmental legislation, when is an Environmental Impact Assessment (ՇՄԱԳ - EIA) required as part of the urban development design package?

• AOnly for repainting interior apartment walls
• BFor projects that exceed statutory thresholds for environmental influence, such as large…
• CFor every single-family house regardless of size or location
• DNever, because urban development is completely exempt from environmental laws in Armenia

Under the seismic design code currently in force in Armenia (ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020 'Երկրաշարժադիմացկուն շինարարություն. Նախագծման նորմեր'), what are the three seismic zones and their expected horizontal ground acceleration values?

• AZone 1 (0.05g), Zone 2 (0.10g), Zone 3 (0.15g)
• BZone 1 (300 cm/s² = 0.3g), Zone 2 (400 cm/s² = 0.4g), Zone 3 (500 cm/s² = 0.5g)
• CZone 1 (200 cm/s² = 0.2g), Zone 2 (300 cm/s² = 0.3g), Zone 3 (400 cm/s² = 0.4g)
• DArmenia is classified entirely under a single non-seismic zone

How does ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020 define the dynamic coefficient β_i used in the seismic load calculation, and what governs its value?

• AIt is a wind gust factor with a constant value of 0.5
• BIt is the ratio of the maximum acceleration produced in the structure to the maximum grou…
• CIt is the safety factor for concrete shrinkage, always equal to 1.0
• DIt is a thermal expansion factor ranging from 5.0 to 10.0

In the horizontal seismic load expression of ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020, the load is the product of the concentrated load Q_k, the seismic intensity coefficient A, the dynamic coefficient β_i, the mode-shape coefficient η_ik, the soil-conditions coefficient, the structure–foundation interaction coefficient, the responsibility coefficient k_0 and the coefficient k_1. What is k_1?

• AThe soil moisture content ratio
• BThe allowable damage coefficient — it reduces the elastic seismic force to reflect the in…
• CThe building painting quality index
• DThe snow load density factor

Under ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020, how is the width of a seismic joint (սեյսմիկ կար) between two adjacent sections of a building set?

• AA flat 5 mm gap is sufficient in every case
• BIt must exceed the sum of the horizontal displacements of the two adjacent sections under…
• CExactly 500 mm regardless of building height
• DZero; adjacent sections should always be physically abutted without any gap

A floor level of a 4-storey building carries a concentrated seismic load Q_k = 2000 kN. The parameters are: seismic intensity coefficient A = 0.3 (zone 1), dynamic coefficient β_i = 2.5, allowable damage coefficient k_1 = 0.25, responsibility coefficient k_0 = 1.0, soil-conditions coefficient = 1.0 (soil category II), structure–foundation interaction coefficient = 1.0, and mode-shape coefficient η_ik = 0.8. What is the design horizontal seismic load at this level?

• A150 kN
• B300 kN
• C750 kN
• D1200 kN

What is the structural consequence of a large eccentricity (e) between the Center of Mass (CM) and the Center of Rigidity/Stiffness (CR) in a multi-story building during an earthquake?

• AThe building experiences purely uniform vertical settlement
• BSevere torsional vibration (ոլորում) is induced, causing amplified lateral displacements…
• CThe natural period of vibration drops to zero seconds
• DThe building becomes immune to ground shaking

What defines a 'soft-story' (ճկուն / փափուկ հարկ) irregularity, and why is it dangerous in high-seismicity regions like Armenia?

• AA story constructed with plush carpeted flooring
• BA story whose lateral stiffness is significantly lower (e.g., < 70%) than the story above…
• CA top floor penthouse with large balcony terraces
• DA basement level located below the groundwater table

What is the primary function of boundary elements (եզրային տարրեր / concealed columns) with dense transverse confinement ties at the edges of reinforced concrete shear walls in seismic design?

• ATo provide anchor points for installing window frames
• BTo resist high cyclic flexural compression and tension stresses, prevent concrete edge cr…
• CTo reduce the weight of the foundation footing
• DTo facilitate electrical conduit routing through the wall core

Why do Armenian and international seismic codes require dense transverse stirrup confinement (խիտ սեղմակներ) at the top and bottom ends (plastic hinge zones) of reinforced concrete columns?

• ATo protect the columns from termite damage
• BTo confine the concrete core, increase its ultimate compressive strain capacity, and prev…
• CTo make the column surface smoother for plastering
• DTo eliminate the need for longitudinal reinforcement bars

In stone masonry construction in Armenia (e.g., natural tuff or basalt masonry), what seismic reinforcing features are mandatory under Armenian building codes to prevent out-of-plane wall collapse?

• ANo reinforcement is permitted in stone buildings
• BContinuous cast-in-place reinforced concrete seismic tie-belts (հակասեյսմիկ երկաթբետոնե գ…
• CWooden pegs installed at random intervals
• DApplying two coats of waterproof silicone paint on exterior stone faces

Under Table 13 of ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020, how many storeys are permitted for a stone masonry building in seismic zone 3?

• AAt most 2 storeys, and only for the highest masonry quality types (Iա and Iբ); the lower…
• B10 to 12 storeys
• C20 storeys
• DThere is no storey limit for stone masonry buildings

ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020 divides construction sites into soil categories I to IV by seismic properties. How do the weaker categories affect the design seismic action?

• AThe soil category has no effect on the design seismic action
• BWeaker soil keeps the dynamic coefficient high over a longer period range and raises the…
• CCategory I rock eliminates seismic forces entirely
• DSoft soils damp the shaking and are therefore favourable building sites

In seismic design calculations, why is an importance coefficient k_0 > 1.0 (e.g., k_0 = 1.3 - 1.5) assigned to critical facilities such as central hospitals, emergency response headquarters, and major fire stations?

• ABecause their construction contracts use foreign currency
• BTo increase the design seismic force, ensuring these critical post-disaster facilities re…
• CBecause hospitals have more elevators than residential blocks
• DTo reduce the thickness of their concrete foundation slabs

What is the mandatory engineering requirement for non-structural building elements (such as heavy mechanical chillers, rooftop tanks, masonry parapets, and glass curtain walls) in Seismic Zones 2 and 3?

• AThey can rest unanchored on roof surfaces using gravity friction alone
• BThey must be engineered with positive seismic restraints, anchor bolts, and flexible util…
• CThey should be attached using standard double-sided adhesive tape
• DNon-structural components are exempt from seismic safety checks

In beam-column moment frame joints, why does seismic detailing prohibit placing longitudinal rebar lap splices (կցվանքներ) directly within the joint core or in adjacent plastic hinge zones?

• ABecause rebar cannot be cut on site by workers
• BBecause joint cores experience extreme cyclic shear and bond deterioration; lap splices i…
• CTo reduce the amount of concrete needed to fill the column formwork
• DBecause lap splices increase the magnetic field of the building

What is the P-Delta (P-Δ) second-order effect in multi-story building structural analysis under earthquake loading?

• AThe change in water pressure inside fire sprinkler piping during shaking
• BThe additional overturning moment and shear induced in vertical structural members when t…
• CThe price inflation of Portland cement during construction
• DThe reduction of soil density caused by rainfall

What is the fundamental working principle of seismic base isolation (սեյսմամեկուսացում) systems, which have been widely implemented in Armenian school retrofitting and new hospital projects?

• ATo rigidify the building until it cannot move at all
• BTo decouple the superstructure from the substructure using flexible isolators (e.g., elas…
• CTo connect the building to the electrical grid for grounding
• DTo pump water under the foundation during ground shaking

When retrofitting a historical building with seismic base isolation, what must be done to the building's utility lines (water, gas, electrical, sewage) passing through the isolation plane?

• AThey must be cast rigidly inside solid reinforced concrete beams
• BThey must be equipped with flexible, articulated expansion joints capable of accommodatin…
• CAll utilities must be permanently disconnected and removed
• DThey should be replaced with unplasticized rigid glass piping

What phenomenon occurs when loose, saturated, cohesionless sandy soils are subjected to cyclic seismic shaking, leading to sudden loss of shear strength and foundation sinking?

• AConcrete carbonation
• BSoil liquefaction (գրունտի հեղուկացում)
• CHydraulic head loss in copper pipes
• DThermal expansion of bedrock

Under Armenian concrete design standards, what is the required stagger distance between adjacent mechanical couplers or welded splices of longitudinal reinforcement bars in columns?

• AAll splices must always be located at the exact same cross-section
• BSplices must be staggered such that not more than 50% of the total longitudinal tensile r…
• CZero stagger distance is required for any bar diameter
• DSplices must be staggered by 10 meters

Two adjacent sections of one building have calculated horizontal displacements under the code seismic loads of Δ_A = 35 mm and Δ_B = 45 mm. Applying point 77 of ՀՀՇՆ 20.04-2020, what seismic joint width satisfies the code?

• A30 mm, because that is the minimum the code names
• B45 mm, matching the larger of the two displacements
• CAny width greater than 80 mm
• DExactly 80 mm

For precast large-panel concrete residential buildings (պանելային շենքեր) constructed in Armenia, what connection method between precast panels is mandatory to resist seismic shear forces?

• ADry mechanical interlocking without grout or welding
• BWelded embedded steel plates (ներդիր դետալներ / закладные детали), looped rebar dowels, a…
• CPolyurethane expanding foam injection
• DExternal magnetic strips

What is a dual structural system (կարկասադիաֆրագմային / կարկաս-կապակցված համակարգ) in seismic engineering?

• AA building with two front entrance doors
• BA combined structural system consisting of moment-resisting frames and reinforced concret…
• CA building with dual heating systems (gas and solar)
• DA structure designed with two identical basements

What is the core principle of the 'Strong-Column / Weak-Beam' (ուժեղ սյուն / թույլ հեծան) design philosophy in seismic moment frame engineering?

• ABeams must have larger cross-sections than columns under all circumstances
• BColumns must have greater flexural strength than the framing beams at joint intersections…
• CColumns should be made of timber while beams are made of titanium
• DBeams must be designed to snap completely during minor wind gusts

Why are cast-in-place monolithic reinforced concrete floor slabs considered 'rigid horizontal diaphragms' (բացարձակ կոշտ հորիզոնական դիաֆրագմաներ) in multi-story seismic analysis?

• ABecause they prevent any furniture from moving inside rooms
• BBecause their high in-plane stiffness ties vertical structural elements together and dist…
• CBecause they reduce the building's dead load to zero
• DBecause they eliminate the need for concrete curing

What does a concrete compressive strength class such as 'B25' signify under the Armenian concrete norms ՀՀՇՆ 52-01-2021 'Բետոնե և երկաթբետոնե կոնստրուկցիաներ'?

• AThe concrete takes exactly 25 days to cure
• BA characteristic compressive strength of 25 MPa tested on standard 150 mm cubes at 28 day…
• CA maximum aggregate grain diameter of 25 mm
• DA slump cone settlement of 25 cm

What do the concrete durability grades 'F' and 'W' indicate in Armenian engineering specifications (e.g., F150, W6)?

• AFire resistance in minutes (F) and Wind load capacity in kPa (W)
• BFrost resistance grade (F: number of freeze-thaw cycles without > 5% strength loss) and W…
• CFlexural ductility (F) and Weight per cubic meter (W)
• DFormwork type (F) and Water-cement ratio percentage (W)

What is the characteristic yield strength (f_yk) of the commonly specified deformed reinforcing steel grade 'A500C' (Ա500C) used in Armenian reinforced concrete construction?

• A240 MPa
• B400 MPa
• C500 MPa
• D1000 MPa

What is the fundamental difference between the First Limit State (1-ին սահմանային վիճակ) and Second Limit State (2-րդ սահմանային վիճակ) in structural engineering design?

• AThe First Limit State checks aesthetic paint color, while the Second checks plumbing fixt…
• BThe First Limit State governs ultimate load-bearing capacity, strength, and structural st…
• CThe First Limit State is for residential buildings, while the Second is for industrial wa…
• DThere is no difference; they use identical load combinations and safety factors

Crack opening in a reinforced concrete element is a second limit state check. For ordinary members in normal atmospheric conditions, what order of magnitude is the permissible crack width the designer must verify against?

• AAbout 0.01 mm
• BA few tenths of a millimetre — typically 0.3 mm under sustained action and 0.4 mm under s…
• CAbout 5.0 mm
• DAbout 25.0 mm

A reinforced concrete rectangular beam has a total height h = 500 mm. The concrete cover to stirrups is c = 35 mm, the transverse stirrup diameter is φ_st = 10 mm, and the main longitudinal tensile reinforcement consists of φ_b = 20 mm bars in a single layer. What is the effective flexural depth d of the beam?

• A400 mm
• B445 mm
• C465 mm
• D490 mm