Commercial Asbuilt Terms and Definitions
Post Construction Asbuilt (as-built) Documentation
Full set of construction drawings which incorporate all changes made during
construction process as a result of issuance of change orders, field
directives, requests for information forms and other documentation. Drawings
usually consist of Architectural, Electrical, Mechanical, Data, Fire Sprinklers
and Fire Alarm sets of documentation. Delivery format varies based on project
specifications.
Measured Asbuilt (as-built) Drawings
Drawings which are prepared without a reliance on the existing documentation
(from scratch.) Depending on the use, drawings may be prepared based on AIA,
BOMA or a variety of other industry standards. Measured asbuilt drawings are
usually used by Architects and Engineers for a wide array of design purposes
during the design phase of construction.
AsbuiltEdge
AsbuiltEdge is a patent pending method and a system which was developed by Prime
Edge Asbuilt Services associates in a course of business practice. AsbuiltEdge
has been designated its own start-up company which was founded September 2006
based out of San Francisco, CA. You can read more about the method and its use
and potential in the industry at www.asbuiltedge.com
BOMA Plans
BOMA plans usually refer to the ANSI/BOMA standard ANSI/BOMA Z65.1 Standard
Method for Measuring Floor Area in Office Buildings. Standard was developed by
the BOMA which represents owners and managers of office building industry in
order to standardize and compare office structures one to another. Prime Edge
Asbuilt Services had developed an array of on-line tools which help building
managers mange and update BOMA plans on-line, proving invaluable information to
the entire management team.
Lighting Plan
In commercial structures plan usually relies on a Reflected Ceiling Plan and
provides locations of lighting elements, switches, lighting circuits, motion
sensors, emergency exist signs, and other related information.
Power Plan
Power plan is an essential element of the construction documentation. Due to its
complexity, most number of change orders usually associated with electrical
systems. For this reason, it is essential to properly document existing
conditions prior to sending out project to bid. Power plan depicts electrical
outlets, circuits, conduit runs, circuits and a variety of other elements.
Accuracy of the power plans ensures smoother construction process with a
reduced number of change orders.
Interior Elevations
Interior elevations are usually a part of the Architectural Set of drawings.
Interior elevations are used by a variety of trades and design professionals to
determine heights and locations of elements which cannot be determined from
looking at the floor plan. Interior elements are usually prepared for the areas
with items such as casework and other price-dependant elements.
Equipment Plan
Equipment plans are usually prepared for warehouses, production facilities and
other structures with house a variety of heavy machinery and distribution
systems. Equipment plans are used to determine and classify equipment
installed, provide an equipment schedules, determine traffic patterns, exit
pathways and other valuable information.
Exterior Elevations
Architectural side views in orthographic form which depict dimensions of the
exterior elements such as walls, columns, doors, windows, stairs etc.
Elevations are usually prepared for all visible sides. In San Francisco, for
example, structures often have two elevations visible instead of usually four.
In such cases schematic plans of obstructed elevations are prepared in order to
determine building size and shape. Visible elevations depict either
schematically or in wording siding material as well as any architectural
details which characterize the structure.
Finish Plan and Schedule
Depending on the type of an as-built and the use of the plans finish schedule
may be very elaborated or very simple. In cases when an interior designer is
involved finish schedules often contain a number of properties starting from
the paint color and ending with the carpet design for a particular area. Finish
schedules are usually organized in a column and row format by room or an area.
Finish plans usually depict colors, designs and other information as originally
designed by the interior designer.
Fire Sprinklers (Fire Protection) Plan
Fire protection plans are required to be prepared by a licensed contractor.
Prime Edge Asbuilt Services is allowed to update changes made in the field for
asbuilt documentation and prepare existing fire sprinklers layouts. Plans
usually depict location of fire sprinkler heads, location and direction of the
lines as well as any connection points.
Joist Layout and Foundation Plan
Commercial and Residential foundation plans are very different from one another.
Residential plans usually depict elements such as floor joists sizes and
spacing, beam locations, sizes and spaces. Commercial foundation plans are
usually quite elaborate and consist of a wide variety of information depending
on the type of construction.
Floor Plans
Floor Plans are considered to be the most important type of the building
representation due to a variety of information that may be included and
versatility of data. Floor Plans depict data located below or passing through
standard eye-level and above common items such as floor-mounted casework. Floor
plans usually depict items such as interior and exterior walls, windows, doors,
access doors, window and door schedules, openings, skylights, exposed beams,
stairs, furniture layout, built-in casework, attached decks, balconies and
patios. Some items will be omitted and others added based on the project needs.
Depending on the use, floor plans may also depict some items above the
floor-cut level such as soffits, skylights etc. However, if a Reflected Ceiling
plans exists, such information will be depicted there instead.
Reflected Ceiling Plans (RCP)
RCP is an essential part of the asbuilt documentation for office structures and
other commercial structures. RCP is rarely done for residential structures due
to the standard construction methods used. The best way to describe the content
of the typical RCP is to imagine yourself laying on the floor and looking at
the ceiling. anything that you may see will most likely be depicted on the
plans. Doors and windows are usually omitted from the plans. Typical items
displayed are ceiling tiles with grids, lighting layouts, emergency exits,
soffits, skylights, HVAC registers, ceiling features etc.
Interior Elevations
Interior elevations represent a cut-through section through a part of the
structure, usually at a specific location which has features such as casework
face elevations which may not be described fully by the information depicted on
the floor plans.
MEP
Mechanical Electrical Plumbing. MEP is a term used by consulting engineers to
describe this part of the building design industry. MEP industry provides
essential life-support systems within structure which allow people and
computers function within enclosed space. Often more than fifty percent of the
project relies on these trades and thus asbuilt plans of related elements
become essential. Because most of the work is covered up within building shell,
MEP trades are required to keep redline sets depicting any deviations from the
design drawings. Prime Edge Asbuilt services records and updates this
information for the use during future remodeling and addition projects using
all appropriate standards.
Technical Terms
NCS
U.S. National CAD Standard. The NCS is a standard for organizing and classifying
CAD drawings and other building design data intended to streamline
communication among designers, building owners, constructors, and facility
managers. NCS defines standards for many aspects of electronic building-design
data, including: CAD Layers, Organization of drawing sets, Drawing sheets and
schedules, Drafting conventions, Terms and abbreviations, Graphic symbols,
Notations, Code conventions, Plotting etc. Much of the content of the existing
standard is related to the representation of electronic 2D information. The NCS
Project Committee addresses emerging technologies and develops standards for
object data, the appropriate graphical display of geometric information at
different scales and in different views, and uniformity of printed output when
information is exchanged among different organizations.
CAD
Computer-aided design. CAD is the use of a wide range of computer-based
tools that assist engineers, architects and other design professionals
in design while using a personal computer. There are many versions
of the CAD software products currently on the market. More than
half of the market is however covered by the four main corporations
Autodesk, Dassault Systemes, PTC, and UGS Corporation. CAD packages
can be classified into three types: 2D drafting systems (e.g.
AutoCAD LT); mid-range 3D solid feature modelers (e.g. AutoCAD,
SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Alibre Design, VariCAD); and high-end 3D
hybrid systems (e.g. Pro/ENGINEER, CATIA, Architectural Desktop
and Revit)
AIA
American Institute of Architects. Since 1857, the AIA has represented the
professional interests of America's architects. As AIA members, over 74,000
licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners express their
commitment to excellence in design and livability in our nation's buildings and
communities. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct that
assures the client, the public, and colleagues of an AIA-member architect's
dedication to the highest standards in professional practice. For more
information visit www.aia.org, or call 800-AIA-3837.
CSI
Construction Specifications Institute. CSI is a national association
of specifiers, architects, engineers, contractors, building materials
suppliers and others involved in commercial and institutional
building design and construction. The organization has 145 chapters
and more than 16,000 members. CSI provides technical information
and products, continuing education, professional conferences,
and product shows to enhance communication among all disciplines
of building design and construction, and to meet the industry's
need for a common system of organizing and presenting construction
information. For more information, visit www.csinet.org, or call
800-689-2900.
AGC
Associated General Contractors of America is the nation's oldest
and largest trade association representing the construction industry.
It was formed in 1918 following a request by President Woodrow
Wilson. Wilson, after meeting individually with different builders,
suggested that they form an association so they could speak with
one voice on matters of concern to the growing industry. AGC of
America is headquarted in Arlington, Virginia. There are 98 local
AGC chapters across the country, and AGC student chapters on many
college campuses. California chapter (http://www.agc-ca.org) was
founded in 1920.
NIBS
National Institute of Building Sciences. NIBS is a non-profit, non-governmental
organization bringing together representatives of government, the professions,
industry, labor and consumer interests to focus on the identification and
resolution of problems and potential problems that hamper the construction of
safe, affordable structures for housing, commerce and industry throughout the
United States. NIBS provides an authoritative source of advice for both the
private and public sector of the economy with respect to the use of building
science and technology. For more information, visit www.nibs.org, or call
202-289-7800.
HAER
The Historic American Engineering Record. HAER was established in 1969 by the
National Park Service, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Library
of Congress to document historic sites and structures related to engineering
and industry. HAER developed out of a close working alliance between the
Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Smithsonian Institution's
(SI) Museum of History and Technology (now the Museum of American History).
From its inception, HAER focused less on the building fabric and more on the
machinery and processes within, although structures of distinctly industrial
character continue to be recorded. As the most ubiquitous historic engineering
structure on the landscape, bridges have been a mainstay of HAER recording;
HABS also documented more than 100 covered bridges prior to 1969. HABS
recording combines drawings, history, and photography to produce a
comprehensive, interdisciplinary record. The documentation ranges in scope
depending largely upon the level of significance and complexity
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA is a federal organization
whose purpose is to save lives, prevent injuries, and protect the health of the
workers of America. OSHA's mission is to assure the safety and health of
America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training,
outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual
improvement in workplace safety and health. The Cal/OSHA is a part of
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health Program which is
responsible for enforcing California laws and regulations pertaining to
workplace safety and health and for providing assistance to employers and
workers about workplace safety and health issues.
OSHA Training Requirements
OSHA enforces training requirements contained in the Construction Safety Orders
Subchapter 4 and the General Industry Safety Orders Subchapter 7 of Title 8,
Division 1, Chapter 4 of the California Code of Regulations for both Competent
and Qualified persons. 10-hour and 30-hour training sessions introduce safety
topics which are prevalent to construction industry and working in the
construction environment. Although Prime Edge Asbuilt Services is not engaged
in construction activities, we believe that it is our duty to educate all field
verification personnel of potential hazards at the job site. All of our field
representatives are required to obtain at least 10 hours of safety training by
an OSHA certified instructor. A competent person is a person who is capable of
identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working
conditions that are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees. The
competent person has the authority to impose prompt corrective measures to
eliminate these hazards.
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