Civil Engineering Abbreviation

1. A&E, A/E Architect and Engineer; Architecture and Engineering
2. AAC Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
3. ABE Association of Building Engineers
4. AC Appeal Cases
5. ACA Association of Consultant Architects
6. ACE Association of Consulting Engineers
7. ACoP Approved Code of Practice
8. ADR Alternative Dispute Resolution
9. AFC Approved for Construction
10. AGA Authorised Guarantee Agreement
11. AGC Associate General Contractors of America
12. AHU Air Handling Unit
13. AI Approved Inspector; Architect’s Instruction
14. AIA American Institute of Architects
15. ALARP As Low as Reasonably Practicable
16. All ER All England Reports
17. ALWC Accelerated Low Water Corrosion
18. ANB Adjudicator Nominating Body
19. AOD Above Ordnance Datum
20. API American Petroleum Institute
21. APR Annual Percentage Rate
22. ARB Architect’s Registration Board
23. ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers
24. ASR Alkali Silica Reaction
25. AssocRICS Associate member of RICS
26. ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
27. BAE British Academy of Experts
28. BAFO Best and Final Offer
29. BAS Building Automation System
30. BATNA Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement
31. BBA British Board of Agrément
32. BCB Building Control Body
33. BCMS Building Control and Management System
34. BERR Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
35. BIM Building Information Modelling
36. BIMMI BIM Maturity Index
37. BIS Department for Business Innovation and Skills
38. BLR Building Law Reports
39. BMS Building Management System
40. BOOT Build, Own, Operate and Transfer
41. BOQ, BQ Bill of quantities
42. BOT Build, Operate and Transfer
43. BRE Building Research Establishment
44. BREEAM BRE Environmental Assessment Method
45. BS British Standards
46. BSF Building Schools for the Future
47. BSI British Standards Institution, Building Systems Integration
48. BSRIA Building Services Research and Information Association
49. BThU, Btu British Thermal Unit
50. BWG Birmingham Wire Gauge
51. BWIC Builder’s Work In Connection
52. C&G City and Guilds of London Institute; Clearing and Grubbing
53. CA Contract Administrator; Court of Appeal
54. CAD Computer-Aided Design
55. CAR Contractor’s All Risks policy
56. CAWS The Common Arrangement of Work Sections
57. CBR California Bearing Ratio
58. CDE Common Data Environment
59. CDM Construction (Design and Management)
60. CDP Contractor Designed Portion
61. CEDR Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution
62. CEN European Committee for Standardisation
63. CESSM Civil Engineering Standard Method of Measurement
64. CFA Conditional Fee Agreement
65. CGCT Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
66. Ch Chancery Division
67. CIArb Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
68. CIBSE Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers
69. CILL Construction Industry Law Letter
70. CIMAR Construction Industry Model Arbitration Rules
71. CIOB Chartered Institute of Building
72. CIS Construction Industry Scheme
73. CMC Case Management Conference
74. CMU Concrete Masonry Unit
75. COB Close of Business
76. COBie Construction Operations Building Information
77. Exchange
78. COCO Contractor Owned Contractor Operated
79. ConLR Construction Law Reports
80. ConstLJ Construction Law Journal
81. CORE Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment
82. CORGI The Confederation for the Registration of Gas Installers
83. COW Clerk of Works
84. CPIC Construction Project Information Committee
85. CPM Critical Path Analysis/Method
86. CPR Civil Procedure Rules
87. CPs Contractor’s Proposals
88. CVA Company Voluntary Arrangement
89. CVI Confi rmation of Verbal Instruction
90. DAB Dispute Adjudication Board
91. DB Decibel; Design and Build Contract; Dispute Board
92. DBFM Design Build Finance Manage
93. DBFO Design Build Finance Operate
94. DBO Design Build Operate
95. DCLG Department for Communities and Local Government
96. DECC Department for Energy and Climate Change
97. DfT Department for Transport
98. DHW Domestic Hot Water
99. DLP Defects Liability Period
100. DNO Distribution Network Operator
101. DoE Department of the Environment
102. DPA Defective Premises Act
103. DPC Damp Proof Course
104. DPM Damp Proof Membrane
105. DRB Dispute Resolution Board
106. DRBF Dispute Resolution Board Foundation
107. DTI Department of Trade and Industry
108. E&OE Errors and Omissions excepted or excluded
109. EA Environment Agency
110. EAR Erector’s All Risks policy
111. ECJ European Court of Justice
112. EIA Environmental impact assessment
113. EJ Expansion Joint
114. ELPS Emergency Lighting Power Supply
115. EN European Standard, Euronorm
116. ENE Early Neutral Evaluation
117. EOT Extension of time
118. EPC Engineering, Procurement, Construction
119. EPS Emergency Power Systems; Expanded Polystyrene
120. ERs Employer’s Requirements
121. ES Edison Screw
122. ESD Electrostatic Discharge
123. ETFE Ethylene Tetra Fluoroethylene
124. EU European Union
125. EVOH Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer
126. EWCA England and Wales Court of Appeal
127. EWHC England and Wales High Court
128. EWN Early Warning Notice
129. Fam Family
130. FAT Factory Acceptance Test
131. FEED Front End Engineering Design
132. FFE Furniture Fixtures Equipment
133. FFL Finished Floor Level
134. FIDIC Federation Internationale des Ingenieurs-Conseils
135. Fi fa Fieri facias
136. FIT Feed In Tariff
137. FLA Football Licensing Authority
138. FM Facilities Management
139. FMB Federation of Master Builders
140. FOIA The Freedom of Information Act 2000
141. FPA Fire Protection Association
142. FRC Fibre-Reinforced Concrete
143. FRICS Fellow of the RICS
144. FS Factor of Safety
145. GA General Arrangement (drawing)
146. GBG Good Building Guides
147. GC/Work GC/Work (Formerly Government Conditions Contract)
148. GEA Gross external area
149. GMP Guaranteed maximum price
150. GOCO Government owned, contractor operated
151. GPDO General Permitted Development Order
152. GRC Glass(fi bre)-reinforced concrete
153. GRG Glass(fi bre)-reinforced gypsum
154. GRP Glass Reinforced Plastic; Glass-Reinforced Polyester
155. Ha Hectare
156. HA Highways Agency
157. HAC High Alumina Cement
158. HAZID Hazard Identifi cation Studies
159. HAZOP Hazard and Operability Studies
160. HGCRA Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act
161. HMRC Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
162. HPHW High-Pressure Hot Water
163. HRA Human Rights Act
164. HRSG Heat Recovery Steam Generator
165. HSE Health and Safety Executive
166. HVAC Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning
167. HVOTL High Voltage Overhead Transmission Line
168. IBC, IC Intermediate Building Contract
169. iBIM Integrated BIM
170. ICC International Chamber of Commerce
171. ICD Intermediate Building Contract with Contractor’s Design
172. ICE Institution of Civil Engineers
173. ICE 6 The 6th edition of the Measurement Contract published by the ICE
174. ICE 7 The 7th edition of the Measurement Contract published by the ICE
175. IChemE Institution of Chemical Engineers
176. ICI Imperial Chemical Industries
177. ICP Independent Connections Provider
178. IEE Institution of Electrical Engineers
179. IET Institution of Engineering and Technology
180. IFC Intermediate Form of Contract; Issued for Construction
181. IFC 84 Intermediate Form of Contract 1984 version
182. IFCE International Federation of Consulting Engineers
183. IIE Institution of Incorporated Engineers
184. IMechE Institutions of Mechanical Engineers
185. Incoterms International Commercial Terms
186. IPT Integrated project team
187. ISO International Organization for Standardization
188. IT Information Technology
189. ITB Invitation to Bid
190. ITN Invitation to Negotiate
191. ITT Invitation to Tender
192. IVA Individual Voluntary Arrangement
193. JCT Joint Contracts Tribunal
194. JV Joint Venture
195. KPI Key Performance Indicator
196. LADs Liquidated and Ascertained Damages
197. LCIA London Court of International Arbitration
198. LCJ Lord Chief Justice
199. LDEDC orLDEDCA Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009
200. LDF Local Development Framework
201. LIBID The London Interbank Bid Rate
202. LIBOR The London Interbank Offered Rate
203. LIFT Local Improvement Finance Trust
204. LJ Lord Justice; Lady Justice
205. LJJ Lords Justices; Ladies Justices
206. LLP Limited Liability Partnership
207. LOI Letter of Intent
208. LS Locus Sigilli
209. M&E Mechanical and Electrical
210. M&O Management and Operations
211. MC Management Building Contract
212. MCD Main Contractor’s Discount
213. MDB Multilateral Development Banks
214. MDF Medium-Density Fibreboard
215. MDP Multi-Disciplinary Practice
216. MEAT Most Economically Advantageous Tender
217. MEP Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing
218. MEWPs Mobile Elevating Work Platforms
219. MF/1 Model Form of General Conditions of Contract/1
220. MF/2 Model Form of General Conditions of Contract/2
221. MH Manhole
222. MOAT Methods of Assessment and Testing
223. MRICS Member of RICS
224. MRT Mean Radiant Temperature
225. MW Minor Works Building Contract
226. MWD JCT Minor Works Building Contract with Contractor’sDesign
227. MWSUB/D JCT Minor Works Building Subcontract with Subcontractor’s Design
228. NAECI National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry
229. NBS National Building Specifi cation
230. NDA Non-Disclosure Agreement; Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
231. NEC New Engineering Contract
232. NHBC National House Building Council
233. NIA Nuclear Industry Association
234. NJCC National Joint Consultative Committee for Building
235. NOx Nitrogen Oxides
236. NR Noise Rating
237. NSB National Standards Body
238. NSC Nominated Subcontractor
239. NSCC National Specialist Contractor’s Council
240. O&M Operation and Maintenance Manual
241. OCR Optical Character Recognition
242. ODN Ordnance Datum Newlyn
243. OFFER Offi ce of Electricity Regulation
244. OFGEM Offi ce of Gas and Electricity Markets
245. OHP (OH&P) Overheads and Profi t
246. OJEU The Offi cial Journal of the European Union
247. OJEU Notice The Offi cial Journal of the European Union Notice
248. OSB Oriented Strand Board
249. P3 Primavera Project PlannerTM
250. PABX Private Automatic Branch eXchange
251. PAP Pre-Action Protocol
252. PBA Project Bank Account
253. PC Polycarbonate sheet; Practical Completion
254. PC item/sum Prime Cost item/sum
255. PD Practice Direction
256. PE Polyethylene
257. PERT Program Evaluation and Review Technique
258. PFI Private Finance Initiative
259. PFP Passive Fire Protection
260. pH Potential Hydrogen
261. POMI Principles of Measurement International
262. PP Polypropylene
263. PPC2000 A Standard Form of Contract for Project Partnering, published by the ACA
264. PPP Public–Private Partnership
265. PQQ Pre-Qualifi cation Questionnaire
266. PS Polystyrene
267. PSW Performance Specifi ed Work
268. PTFE Polytetrafl uorethylene
269. PTR Pre-Trial Review
270. PU Polyurethane
271. PVB Polyvinyl Butyral
272. PVC Polyvinyl Chloride
273. PVCu Unplasticised PVC
274. PVF Polyvinyl Fluoride
275. PVF2 Polyvinylidene Fluoride
276. PWR Pressured Water Reactor
277. QA Quality Assurance
278. QB Queen’s Bench Division
279. QC Queen’s Counsel; Quality Control
280. QM Quality Management
281. QS Quantity Surveyor
282. RAG Residential Agency Guidelines
283. RCD Residual Current Device
284. RDSAP Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure
285. RE Resident Engineer
286. RFI Request for Information
287. RH Relative Humidity
288. RIAS Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
289. RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects
290. RICS Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
291. ROT clause Retention of title clause
292. RPB Regional Planning Body
293. RPG Regional Planning Guidance
294. RPI Retail Prices Index
295. R/R Relative Readings
296. RS Regional Strategy
297. RSC Rules of the Supreme Court
298. RSJ Rolled Steel Joist
299. RSS Regional Spatial Strategy
300. RTECS Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances
301. RWP Rainwater Pipe
302. SBC Small Bayonet Cap ; Standard Building Contract
303. SC Supreme Court
304. SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition
305. SCL Society of Construction Law
306. SES Small Edison Screw
307. SI Statutory Instruments
308. SIP Structurally Insulated Panels
309. SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprise
310. SMM, SMM7 Standard Method of Measurement
311. SPV Special Purpose Vehicle
312. SRB Sulphate-Reducing Bacteria
313. ss Stainless Steel
314. SSL Structural Slab Level
315. SSSI Site of Special Scientifi c Interest
316. SUDS Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems
317. SWIFT Structured What-If Technique
318. TBM Temporary Benchmark
319. TCC Technology and Construction Court
320. TCLR Technology and Construction Law Reports
321. TECBAR Technology and Construction Bar Association
322. TeCSA Technology and Construction Solicitors’ Association
323. TOC Taking Over Certifi cate
324. TPO Tree Preservation Order
325. TQ Technical Query
326. TRADA Timber Research and Development Association
327. TRU Thermostatic Radiator Valve
328. UDP Unitary Development Plan
329.  UNCITRAL The United Nations Commission on InternationalTrade Law
330. UNIDROIT International Institute for the Unifi cation of Private Law
331. UPS Uninterruptible Power Supply
332. uPVC Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride
333. VAT Value Added Tax
334. VAV Variable Air Volume systems
335. VE Value Engineering
336. WCs Water Closet, toilet
337. WHRB Waste Heat Recovery Boiler
338. WLR Weekly Law Reports
339. Y2K Year 2000