Abbreviations in quantity surveying

This article is all about Abbreviations in quantity surveying.

Introduction

Abbreviations are generally a really bad thing. They are first used when people have to use a long string of words frequently so they created an abbreviation. An example would be I need the form back as soon as possible becomes I need the form back ASAP. This saves time writing and reading out long sentences and also saves space in letters, emails and so on. For example, who says worldwideweb instead of www?

The problem is that if an industry starts using abbreviations regularly you may end up with hundreds or thousands of abbreviations and before you know it, everyone gets confused. And if a newcomer starts in the industry, then it makes it really hard for them to learn what everyone is talking about. It makes simple things confusing LOL.

In quantity surveying, we hope abbreviations are on the way out. Abbreviations started to take hold in construction during the lengthy bill of quantities production process. In this process all of the quantities of work were ‘taken-off’ and the quantity surveyor would scribble in shorthand abbreviations describing the work they were quantifying. Then when the bill was being produced with full descriptions, the quantities would be popped in alongside the fully fleshed out descriptions.

Abbreviations in a bills of quantities

The units of measurement in a bills of quantities are m, m2, m3, t and nr.

For example:

Linear metres, we say 100 m of skirting
Square metres, we say 100 m2 of flooring
Cubic metres, we say 100 m3 of concrete
Tonnes, we say 100 t of steel
Enumerated items,  we say 100 nr doors

Other examples include:

ha hectare
hr hour
kg kilogramme
kN kilonewton
kW Kilowatt
mm millimetre
mm2 square millimetre
mm3 cubic millimetre
wk week
BQ bill of quantities
BQBS bill of quantities (or BQ) breakdown structure
CBS cost breakdown structure
OGC Office of Government Commerce
PC sum prime cost sum
PC price prime cost price
RIBA Royal Institute of British Architects
RICS Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
WBS work breakdown structure

These abbreviations are necessary because they save space in the bill of quantities document and are not difficult to remember.

In the RICS quantity surveying world and with the RIBA Plan of Work. we all still use the acronym OGC which stands for ‘The Office of Government Commerce’. While this office has actually changed its name we still use it in the construction industry to essentially represent the Client and the best practice they should be following during the development process.

How are abbreviations created ?

Abbreviations can be created by simply shortening a word so we say con instead of concrete or rad instead of radius. Or, we can take the first letter of each word and shorten it considerably e.g. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration becomes NASA. The latter is an acronym.

Thankfully, most taking off is now completed on computers so the quantities are automatically entered in alongside detailed descriptions that can be quickly edited. So there are now very rare opportunities to use abbreviations.

Interesting, Architects will still use abbreviations to save space on their drawings. So instead of saying plasterboard they may say plabd.

But here is a list of abbreviations you may come across:

a.b. = as before

a.b.d. = as before described

acc. = accordance

adeq. = adequate

adhes. = adhesive

adj = adjoining/adjustment

agg. = aggregate

agst. = against

alum. = aluminium

appvd. = approved

apt. = apart

a/r = all round

arch. = architect

archve. = architrave

ard. = around

arisg = arising

asp. = asphalt

assctd. = associated

attchd. = attached

av. = average

bal. = baluster

B.C. = bayonet connection

bd. = bond/board/bead

bdg. = boarding

bellmth= bellmouth

b.i. = build in

bit. = bitumen

b & j = bed and joint

bk. = brick

bkg. = breaking

bkt. = bracket

bldg. = building

blindg = blinding