Learn everything you need to know about reading blueprints in MT Copeland’s online class, taught by professional builder and craftsman Jordan Smith. Recognizing abbreviations and acronyms is a first step towards reading a property’s blueprints. Htr.), smoke detector (S.D.), and fire alarm control panel (FACP). And you’ll also find home appliances and control panels on this list, such as water heater (Wtr. Items to consider when you read a floor plan are abbreviated, such as not to scale (N.T.S.). Materials are also often abbreviated such as gypsum (Gyp.), laminated veneer lumber (L.V.L.), and masonry (Mas.). So the title page of the architectural package includes an abbreviations block to help you decode these custom abbreviations as you read the plans.Īrchitects commonly abbreviate measurements, such as edge distance (ED), far side (FS), and inner diameter (ID).
But some architects might use their own abbreviations that aren’t standard or well known. Most of these abbreviations are standard across the trades. To save space on blueprints and simplify information sharing, designers use a set of abbreviations and acronyms. Why are abbreviations used in construction?īuilding architects and designers are responsible for communicating countless things about a building’s 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. 2 Commonly used abbreviations and acronyms on blueprints.1 Why are abbreviations used in construction?.