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Abbreviations and Acronyms

A : B : C : D : E : F : G : H : I : J : K : L : M : N : O : P : Q : R : S : T : U : V : W : X : Y : Z

A

• AASC : Architectural Advisory Service Centre. [www.aasc.org.uk]. A metal finishing consultancy sponsored by industry which provides technical information for architectural projects.
• AHU : Air Handling Unit. These are used in heating and ventilation installations.
• ARB : Architects Registration Board. ARB is the independent statutory regulator of all UK registered architects.

B

• BBA : British Board of Agrement. [http://www.bbacerts.co.uk/]. The BBA's Agrément Certificates contain important data on durability, installation and compliance with Building Regulations. At the very simplest level, BBA Certificates cover performance "in use". The BBA is a member of EOTA.
• BCO :
  (i) Building Control Officer - formerly Building Inspector - the person who administers the BuildingRegulations.
  (ii) British Council for Offices. [www.bco.org.uk].
• BoQ: Bills of Quantities. A document prepared by the QS to assist in the pricing of a contract.
• BRE : Building Research Establishment. [www.bre.co.uk].
• BREEAM : BRE Environmental Assessment Method. [www.breeam.org]. See "Green" Issues.
• BRegs : Building Regulations. These are the UK documents equivalent to what are referred to in many other countries as the "Building Codes".
• BS : British Standards. See the British Standards page.
• BSi : British Standards Institution. [www.bsi-global.com]. The body responsible for producing British Standards.
• BSRIA : Building Services Research and Information Association. [www.bsria.co.uk/]
• BWIC : "Builders work in connection". Work that needs to be done by the main contractor (or others) around work to be done by specific trades, often specialist sub-contractors. Examples might include making penetrations for pipework, making-good after specialist work is complete, etc.

C

• CABE : Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment. [www.cabe.org.uk].
• CAWS : Common Arrangement of Work Sections. A uniform coding system for production information, used by the NBS.
• CDM :Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. See CDM Regulations page.
• CDP/CDPS : Contractor Designed Portion. Do not confuse with CPD.
• CHP : Combined heat and power. [www.chpa.co.uk].
• CIBSE : Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers. [www.cibse.org].
• CI/SfB : A library indexing system used by most of the UK construction industry.
• COSHH : Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations. [http://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/].
• CPD : Continuing Professional Development. Do not confuse with CDP.
• CPI : Co-ordinated Project Information.
• CSCS : Construction Skills Certification Scheme. [www.cscs.uk.com].
• CWCT : Centre for Window and Cladding Technology. [www.cwct.org.uk].

D

• DCLG : Department for Communities and Local Government. [www.communities.gov.uk]. Replaced the ODPM from 5 May 2006.
• DDA : Disability Discrimination Act.
• Design Team : A loose wording, generally referring to those building professionals paid directly by the client, and expected to collaborate in the design and/or procurement of a building. See also M&E, PM, QS, SE.
• DIOHAS : Designers Initiative On Health And Safety.. Read more on this page of the HSE website.
• DS : District Surveyor. District Surveyor is an old term, inherited from previous legislation, and applies only to the eleven Inner London Boroughs. They now have exactly the same powers as Building Control Officers.

E

• EDF :
  (i) EDF Energy. [www.edfenergy.com]. The main supplier of electricity in London and the Home Counties.
  (ii) Environmental Defense Fund. [www.environmentaldefense.org]. A US-based environmental campaign organisation.
  (iii) European Disability Forum. [www.edf-feph.org]. An umbrella organisation representing disabled people.
• EOTA : European Organisation for Technical Approvals. [http://www.eota.eu/]. The role of EOTA is primarily to monitor and progress the drafting of European Technical Approval Guidelines (ETAGs) and to co-ordinate all activities relating to the issuing of European Technical Approvals. ETAs are available for products whose performance or characteristics fall outside the scope of any harmonised European Standards, e.g. BS ENs. The BBA is the most high-profile UK member of EOTA.
• ETAG : European Technical Approval Guideline. Read more under EOTA and BBA.

F

• Floor : Remember that the UK convention is Ground Floor, First Floor, Second Floor, etc., whereas the equivalent floors using the conventions of USA/Canada, and the former Communist-block countries of Eastern Europe, would be First Floor, Second Floor, Third Floor, etc.

G

• GA : General Arrangement (Drawing).
• GSHP: Ground Source Heat Pump. [www.gshp.org.uk].

H

• HSE : Health and Safety Executive. [www.hse.gov.uk]. You are most likely to come into contact with the HSE as the government department responsible for the CDM Regulations.

J

• JCT : Joint Contracts Tribunal, the body responsible for writing the most common forms of building contract in the UK. Although the JCT now produce many different forms of contract, the term "JCT" is still most often used to refer to the (lump sum) Standard Building Contract.
• JV : Joint Venture - "A contractual agreement joining together two or more parties for the purpose of executing a particular business undertaking. All parties agree to share in the profits and losses of the enterprise."

L

• LIFT : Local Improvement Finance Trust. [www.dh.gov.uk/../../../..]
• LOLER : Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations.

M

• M&E : Mechanical and Electrical (Engineer or Sub-Contractor). The term is often used interchangeably with SE. The M&E Engineer is generally a member of the Design Team.
• MEWP : Mobile Elevating Work Platforms - a generic term to cover "cherry pickers", "mobile scissor lifts", and similar.
• MOLAS : Museum of London Archeology Service. [www.molas.org.uk].

N

• NHBC : National House Building Council. [www.nhbc.co.uk]. The standard setting body and leading warranty provider for new and newly converted homes in the UK.
• NBS : National Building Specification. See the NBS page.
• Novate : "replace with something new, especially an old obligation by a new one" - Used in the UK construction industry, when referring to design-and-build contracts, to describe the process whereby an architect is employed by a client to design a building and prepare the tender documentation, but the architect is then "novated" to the successful design-and-build contractor to complete the design and prepare the production information.

O

• ODPM : Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Prior to May 2006 this was the government department responsible for Planning and Building Regulations, and much else not immediately connected to the building industry. Replaced by the DCLG.
• OGC : Office of Government Commerce. [http://www.ogc.gov.uk/]. "The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) is an office of HM Treasury, responsible for improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement."
• OJEU : Official Journal of the European Union. [http://www.ojec.com/]. The publication in which all contracts from the public sector which are valued above a certain threshold must be published.

P

• Package : See Work Package.
• Part A/B/C/etc. : Refers to "parts" of the Building Regulations.
• PC : Practical Completion (of a building contract). There are, of course, numerous other non-construction terms abbreviated to 'PC'.
• PFI : Private Finance Initiative. A range of government policies designed to increase private sector involvement (i.e. cash) in the provision of public services. It is now the most common form of procurement for healthcare buildings, prisons, and, to a lesser extent, education buildings.
• Prelims : (Contract) Preliminaries. See Contract Preliminaries page.
• PM : Project Manager. The Project Manager may be a member of the Design Team or may be separately appointed by the client to oversee the work of the Design Team.
• PPE : Personal Protective Equipment. You are most likely to see references to PPE in the CDM Regulations or hear them referred to in any dealings with the HSE.

Q

• QS : Quantity Surveyor. This is a traditional UK term although many UK professional QSs now refer to themselves as "building cost consultants". The QS is generally a member of the Design Team and prepares the BoQ.

R

• RDA : Regional Development Agency. Read more from [this link to the DCLG website].
• RFI : Request for Information. This is industry-standard terminology used, generally by contractors, when seeking clarification of issued documentation. Contractors will normally maintain a register of the RFIs that they've issued as an audit trail of possible variations to the contract.
• RIDDOR : Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. [http://www.riddor.gov.uk/].

S

• SAP : Standard Assessment Procedure. The government's standard method for calculating the energy rating of dwellings. A requirement of Approved Document L of the Building Regulations.
• SBSA : Scottish Building Standards Agency. [http://www.sbsa.gov.uk/]. The executive agency of the Scottish Executive, responsible for writing the Scottish building regulations.
• SE : Services Engineer. Note: The term is often used interchangeably with M&E. The Services Engineer is generally a member of the Design Team.
• Section 20 : A retained section of the now defunct London Building Acts. Deals with the fire safety of large or tall buildings in Inner London only.
• Stage A/B/C/etc : Refers to the Stages in the RIBA Plan of Work.

U

• URC : Urban Regeneration Company. Read more from [this link to the DCLG website].

W

• Work Package(s) : The concept of breaking-down a construction project into a number of constituent parts, each to be constructed by a separate sub-contractor with the relevant skills and experience for that particular part, e.g. the Cladding Work Package, the Plastering Work Package, etc. The term came originally from Construction Management contracts but is now in general use and reflects the fact that very few UK contractors, except for a few traditional firms carrying out small-scale work, now employ their own staff to carry out the actual building work on site.

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