Civil Engineering Abbreviations

A list of common abbreviations found on drawings or in general use in structural engineering, architecture and construction. As a rule it is poor practice to use specialist abbreviations on technical drawings. The space and time saved are rarely significant, and the possibility of the drawing being misunderstood is even more serious in these times when many of those working on UK building sites learnt their trades in other countries. Where an abbreviation is mainly found on a particular kind of drawing the type of drawing is indicated in brackets. A: AB ABR A/C ACoP AIStructE ALT AMIStructE AMICE B: BBA BCA BCO BCSA BCWS BH BHWS BIG BLK BM BOQ BRW BS BSI BW BWF BWIC BWK C: C CA CAD CAM CBF CBW C/C CDM CE CEng CGI air brick alternate bars reversed (reinforcement) alternating current or air conditioning approved code of practice Associate of the Institution of Structural Engineers alternate, alternately (reinforcement) Associate Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers Associate Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers British Board of Agrment British Cement Association building control officer British Constructional Steelwork Association boosted cold water service (services) bore hole or beam height (survey) boosted hot water service (services) back inlet gully blockwork bending moment or bench mark bill of quantities brick retaining wall (survey) British Standard British Standards Institution brick wall (survey) or builders' work (services) barbed wire fence (survey) builders' work in connection with (services) brickwork cill height (survey) contract administrator computer aided design computer aided manufacture close boarded fence (survey) concrete block wall (survey) centre to centre Construction (Design and Management) Regulations conformit europene chartered engineer corrugated galvanized iron

CHS CI CIF CJ CL CLF CP CPF CPS CR CRS CRW CS CV CW CWS CWT D: D DC DCV DHW DL DOV DP DPC DPDT DPM DPST DRG DS DSSO E: ECB ECUK EL EngTech EPP ERV F: FB FBTA FC FF FFL FH FICE FIStructE FL FoS FS FSC

circular hollow section cast iron corrugated iron fence (survey) construction joint cover level or centre line chain link fence (survey) code of practice concrete panel fence (survey) concrete paving slabs (survey) crown height of arch (survey) centres concrete retaining wall (survey) Concrete Society commissioning valve (services) concrete wall (survey) cold water service (services) hundredweight diameter drain cock (services) double check valve (services) domestic hot water dead load drain off valve (services) down pipe damp-proof course double pole double throw switch (electrical) damp-proof membrane double pole single throw switch (electrical) drawing District Surveyor double switched socket outlet (electrical) electricity control box Engineering Council United Kingdom existing level engineering technician expanded polypropylene or environmentally preferred product expansion relief valve (services) flower bed (survey) or from below (services) from below to above (services) flexible connection (services) far face (reinforcement) finished floor level fire hydrant (survey) Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers Fellow of the Institution of Structural Engineers floor level factor of safety full size or fused spur (electrical) forest stewardship council (timber)

G: G GGBS GS H: H or HT HAC HDF HL HSFG HT HWS I: IC ICE ID IEng IL INTER IRF IStructE IV IWF J: JCB JCT K: kg kN L: L LA LL LOLER LP LSL LSV M: m MC MCW MDF MH MHSW MICE MIStructE mm MMMF MS N: N NASC

gully (survey) ground granulated blastfurnace slag general structural (timber) window head height (survey) high alumina cement high density fibreboard high level high strength friction grip (steel connection) high tensile hot water service (services) inspection cover (survey) or inspection chamber Institution of Civil Engineers inside diameter incorporated engineer invert level intermediate switch (electrical) iron railing fence (survey) Institution of Structural Engineers isolating valve (services) interwoven fence (survey) J C Bamford - manufacturer of wheeled excavators Joint Contracts Tribunal kilogramme kiloNewton light (survey) local authority live load Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 lamp post (survey) laminated strand lumber lockshield valve (services) metre mass concrete or moderately conservative mains cold water (services) medium density fibreboard manhole Management of health and Safety at Work Regulations Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers Member of the Institution of Structural Engineers millimetre man made mineral fibres mild steel Newton National Access and Scaffolding Confederation

NF NRV NTS O: OD OH OPC P: P PALF PC PCC PF PFA PFC PKT PL or PLT PPE PRF PWD PWF Q: QS R: R RAD RC RE RHPC RHS RIBA RICS RMC RSA RSJ RWP S: SC SE SHS SI SL SOL SOP SP SPDT SPS SPST SRC SS SSL SSSO

near face (reinforcement) non return valve (services) not to scale outside diameter or Ordnance datum over head ordinary Portland cement post palisade fence (survey) precast concrete Portland cement concrete picket fence (survey) pulverised fuel ash parallel flange channel pocket (RC) plate (steel connection) personal protective equipment, Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations post and rail fence (survey) Permanent Works Designer post and wire fence (survey) quantity surveyor render (survey) radiator reinforced concrete rodding eye (survey) rapid hardening Portland cement rectangular hollow section Royal Institute of British Architects Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors ready-mixed concrete rolled steel angle rolled steel joist rain water pipe stop cock structural engineer square hollow section Systeme Internationale soffite level or sky light or sill level setting-out line setting-out point arch springer height (survey) single pole double throw switch (electrical) stone paving slabs (survey) single pole single throw switch (electrical) sulphate resisting cement stainless steel or simply supported or special structural (timber) structural slab level single switched socket outlet (electrical)

STG STR SV SVP SW T: TA TBM TIStructE TMICE TOB TOC TOS TOW TP TPO TPRV TWC TWS T&G U: UB UC UF UNO U/S UTL V: V VP W: W WAHR WL WMF WPF

staggered (RC) strainer (services) safety valve (services) soil and vent pipe stone wall (survey) to above (services) temporary bench mark Technician of the Institution of Structural Engineers Technician Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers top of beam top of concrete top of steel top of wall town planning or trial pit tree preservation order temperature/pressure relief valve (services) temporary works coordinator temporary works supervisor tongued and grooved universal beam universal column urea formaldehyde unless noted otherwise underside unable to lift (survey) vent (survey) vent pipe (survey) window (survey) Work at Height Regulations water level (survey) wire mesh fence (survey) wooden panel fence (survey) diameter