A

A - Ampere

A/C - Air Conditioning

A/H - After Hours

AB - As Built

AEC - Architecture, Engineering, and Construction

AFL - Above Floor Level

AFL - Above Finished Level

AG - Agricultural pipe drain

AGL - Above Ground Level

AHD - Australian Height Datum

AHU - Air Handler Unit

APPROX - Approximately

AS - Australian Standard

ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ATF - Along Top Flange

B

B - Basin or Bottom

BLDG - Building

BNS - Business Network Services

BOT - Bottom

BQ - Bendable Quality

BSP - British Standard Pipe

BT - Bath Tub

BT - Boundary Trap

BTM - Bottom

BW - Both Ways

C

C - C shaped steel purlin

C/C - Cross Centres

C.J. - Control Joint (or Construction Joint)

CAD - Computer Aided Design. Less commonly use is Computer Assisted Drafting.

CCTV - Closed Circuit TeleVision

CFW - Continuous Fillet Weld

CHS - Circular Hollow Section

CL - Center Line

CLG - Control Joint

CLR - Clearance

CMU - Cement Masonry Unit

CNJ - Construction Joint

COL - Column

COMMS - Communications

CONN - Connection

CONT - Continuous

CS - Cleaners Sink

CT - Controller

CTR(S) - Centre/S

CTRL - Control

CTRS - Centers

CU - Dental Cuspidor

CVR - Cover

°C - Degrees Celsius

D

DAR - Dressed All Round

DD - Design Drawing

DIA - Diameter

DIM - Dimension

DN - Diameter Nominal

DP - Down Pipe

DR - Dryer

DW - Dishwasher

DWG - Drawing

DWG(S) - Drawing/S

E

EA - Equal Angle (steel)

EF - Each Face

EL - Elevated Level

EL - Elevation

ELEC - Electrical

EQ - Equal

EQUIP - Equipment

EW - Each Way

EWB - Electric Water Boiler

EWC - Electric Water Cooler

F

FB - Footing Beam

F'c - Characteristic Concrete Strength

FCU - Fan Coil Unit

FFL - Finished Floor Level

FL - Floor Level

FOC - Fibre Optic Cable

FS - Far Side

FSBL - Full Strength Butt Weld

FTG - Footing

FTP - Fibre Termination Panel (fibre optical cable)

FW - Fillet Weld

FWF - From Web Face (steel)

G

GALV - Galvanized

GCI - Galvanized corrugated iron.

GIS - Graphic Information System

GSM - Global System of Moblie or "Groupe Speciale Mobile" in French

H

H - Prewash Hose Reel

HOR - Horizontal

HORIZ - Horizontal

HP - High Pressure

HWB - Hair Wash Basin

I

ID - Inside Diameter

IE - Invert Elevation

IL - Invert Level

IO - Inspection Opening

IP - Intersection Point

ISO - International Standard Organisation

J

JIS - Japanese Industry Standard

K

kHz - Kilohertz

K.J. - Key Joint

KS - Kitchen Sink

KWh - Kilo Watt Hour (metre)
L

L - Steel Angle

LAN - Local Area Network

LGX - Line Group Cross (Connector, fibre optical cable)

LH - Left Hand

LPG - Liquid Petroleum Gas

LT - Laundry Trough

M

m - Metres (English) or Meters

MAX - Maximum

MDF - Main Distribution Frame (Telecommunications)

MFR - Manufacturer

MHz - Megahertz

Micky Mouse - A toy project, of very low quality.

MIN - Minimum

MISC - Miscellaneous

M.J. - Movement Joint

mm - Millimetres

MS - Mild Steel

N

NC - Normally Closed

NET - Network

No. - Number

NOM - Nominal

NS - Near Side

N.S.O.P. - Not Shown On Plan

NTS - Not To Scale

NZS - New Zealand Standard

O

OA or O/A - Overall

OD - Outside Diameter

OPT - Optional

P

PCD - Pitch Circle Diameter

PFC - Parallel Flange Channel

PL - Plate

PT - Pressure Tapping

PVC - Ploy Vinyl Chloride

Q

QTY - Quantity

R

R - Radius

RAD - Radius or radial

REF - Reference

REINF - Reinforcement

REQ'D - Required

REV - Revision

RH - Right Hand

RHS - Rectangular Hollow Section

RL - Reduced Level or Relative Level

S

S - Sink

SAN - Sanitary

SDU - Sanitary Disposal Unit

SF - Strip Footing

SHR - Shower

SHS - Square Hollow Section

SIM - Similar

SQ - Square

SS or S/S - Stainless Steel

SL - Structural Level

SSL - Structural Slab Level

STD - Standard

T

T - Top

TB - Tie Beam

TEMP - Temperature

TFC - Taper Flange Channel

THK - Thick

TO or T.O. or T.OFF - Top Off

TR - Laundry Trough

TUN - Tundish

TYP - Typical

U

U/S - Under Side

UA - Unequal Angle (steel)

UB - Universal Beam (steel)

UC - Universal Column (steel)

UNO - Unless Noted Otherwise (UON is prefered)

UON - Unless Otherwise Noted

UR - Urinal

V

VER - Vertical

VERT - Vertical

W

WAN - Wide Area Network

WB - Welded Beam (steel)

WC - Welded Column (steel)

WC - Water Closet (toilet)

WC(P) - Water Closet With 'P' Trap

WC(S) - Water Closet With 'S' Trap

WD - Working Drawing

WM - Washing Machine

WP - Water Proof or Work Point

X

X - By. Example, "N12 x 1200 long" also means "N12 by 1200 long".

Y

Z

Z - Zulu (Greenwich Mean Time)

Z - Z shaped steel purlin

Special Characters

°C = Degrees Celsius

? = Diameter

'# = Number