The construction abbreviations are used in all trades in the construction industry. However, some engineers may use construction abbreviations that aren’t standard or well-known.
Here you can find a list of the most common construction abbreviations found in the construction industry. Any engineer who works in the construction industry must be aware of these construction abbreviations List.
Why are Abbreviations used in Construction?
Engineers are responsible for communicating countless things about construction: where it should be located on the lot, how it should be built, what materials should be used, what it should look like, and where the MEP systems that make it function go. To save space on blueprints and simplify information sharing, designers use a set of abbreviations and acronyms.
Most of these construction abbreviations are standard across the trades. But some engineers might use their own abbreviations that aren’t standard or well known.
How do you abbreviate construction?
Following are three ways to abbreviate the word “construction.”
- Const.
- Constr.
- Constrn.
Construction Abbreviations List
Following are the common construction abbreviation:
1.IR: Inspection Request
2.RFQ: Request For Quotation
3.RFB: Request For Bid
4.SWI: Site Work Instruction
5.RFI: Request For Information
6.TOC: Taking Over Certificate
7.SD: Shop drawing
8.MS: Method Statement
9.SWI: Site Work Instruction
10.NSC: Nominated Subcontractor
11.NCR: NON – Conformance Report
12.MIR: Material Inspection Request
13.MAR: Material Approval
14.LOA: Letter Of Acceptance
15.LOI: Letter Of Intent
16.IFB: Invitation For Bid
17.VO: Variation Order
18.IP: Inspection Plan
19.IRP: Inspection Request Plan
20.EI: Engineering Instruction
21.ASCE: American Society of Civil Engineers
22.NOC: No Objection Certificate
23.BCC: Building Complete Certificate
24.A/C: Air Conditioner
25.DWG: Drawing
26.FACP: Fire Alarm Control Panel
27.FL: Floor Level
28.Galv.: Galvanized
29.G.C.: General Contractor
30.HV: High Voltage
31.H.V.A.C.: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
32.H.W.: Hot Water
33.In.: Inch
34.kW: Kilowatt
35.LL: Live Load
36.MH: Manhole
37.QTY: Quantity
38.RC: Reinforced Concrete
39.SQ. FT.: Square Feet
40.SQ. IN.: Square Inches
41.SS: Stainless Steel
42.RFP: Request for Pricing, Request for Proposal
43.ALUM: Aluminium
44.Blvd.: Boulevard
45.BOQ: Bill of Quantity
46.BUA: Built Up Area
47.CO: Change Order
48.DB: Distribution Board
49.AHU: Air Handling Unit
50.FCU: Fan Coil Unit
51.FF: Firefighting
52.FA: Fire Alarm
53.IFC: Issued For Construction
54.IFD: Issued For Design
55.IPC: Interim Payment Certificate
56.RCP: Reflected Ceiling Plans
57.T&C: Testing and Commissioning
58.UPS: Un-interruptable Power Supply
59.VCD: Volume Control Damper
60.CHW: Chilled Water
61.VOR: Variation Order Request
62.C.O: Cleanout
63.Dia.: Diameter
64.F.F.L.: Finished Floor Level
65.FL: Floor Level
66.ASPH: Asphalt
67.TYP.: Typical
68.W/O: Without
69.PC: Precast Concrete
Bottom Line
This construction abbreviations list is very important to be known. Recognizing abbreviations for construction is the first step toward reading construction blueprints.
Download Construction Abbreviations List in PDF
See Also
Agile Project Management In The Construction Industry
Project Closeout in Construction
Types of Contracts
