Q&A: Blueprint Abbreviations

A.Corresponding editor Paul Fisette responds:One good online source of abbreviations is www.triton.cc.il.us/faculty/fheitzman/abbrev.html. A couple of books that have good lists of abbreviations are: Architectural Drawing and Light Construction by Edward J. Muller (Prentice-Hall) and The Professional Practice of Architectural Working Drawings by Osamu A. Wakita and Richard M. Linde (John Wiley).

As far as I have been able to determine, there is no “official” set of architectural abbreviations in this country. The American Institute of Architecture (AIA) librarian tells me that the institute does not advocate a set of abbreviations. There seems to be wide variation in those used by architects. For clarity, it is a good practice for abbreviations to be defined at the front of each set of architectural drawings.