(CAD Standard 4_0) ERDC-ITL-TR-09-2.pdf

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A/E/C CAD Standard Release 4.0

July 2009

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T ec h n ol og y C en te r fo r fa ci lit ie s, i n fr a st ru ct u re a n d e n vi ro n m en t

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

The A/E/C CAD Standard is compliant with Version 4.0 of the U.S. National CAD Standard®.

The A/E/C CAD Standard contains supplemental materials and DoD specific requirements not addressed in the U.S. National CAD Standard®.

ERDC/ITL TR-09-2

July 2009

A/E/C CAD Standard Release 4.0

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Prepared for U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199

Abstract

The A/E/C CAD Standard has been developed by the CAD/BIM Technology Center (Center) for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment to eliminate redundant Computer-Aided Design (CAD) standardization efforts within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Federal Government. The manual is part of an initiative to develop a nonproprietary CAD standard that incorporates existing industry, national, and international standards and to develop data standards that address the entire life cycle of facilities within the DoD.

The CAD drafting standards addressed in the A/E/C CAD standard include presentation graphics, level/layer assignments, electronic file naming, and standard symbology. The Center's primary goal is to develop a CAD standard that is generic enough to operate under various CAD software packages (such as Bentley's MicroStation and Autodesk's AutoCAD) and incorporate existing industry standards when possible.

DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising, publication, or promotional purposes.

Citation of trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial products.

All product names and trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners. The findings of this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other authorized documents.

iii

Contents

Preface...................................................................................................... viii

Introduction.................................................................................................. viii United States National CAD Standard®...................................................... viii

1—Introduction

Acronyms Scope Purpose Background International System of Units (SI) Considerations Future Technologies Target Systems Design Applications and Other Applications Coordination with Design Agent Additions/Revisions

2—Drawing File Organization

Design Area Available drawing area File accuracy (units) International Feet versus Survey Feet (V8) Origin (global origin)

Model Files and Sheet Files Design Models and Sheet Models Drawing Sheet Assembly

Option 1a – Use of Design Model and Sheet Model (1:1 border sheet)

Option 1b – Use of Design Model and Sheet Model (scaled-up border sheet)

Option 2 – Use of Design Model only Electronic Drawing File Naming Conventions

Project Code Model file naming convention Sheet file naming convention

Coordination Between Sheet File Name and Sheet Identifier

3—Graphic Concepts iv

Presentation Graphics Line widths Line types/styles Line color Screening Plotting

Text Text styles/fonts Text height General text placement Abbreviations

Border Sheets Sheet sizes Title block

Real Estate Border Sheets Project map block Index map block

Drawing Scales Dimensioning Dimensioning in Metric (SI)

Millimeters Meters Large units of measure Dual units

4—Level/Layer Assignments

Levels/Layers Level/layer naming convention ISO format

Model Files Level/layer assignment tables Border sheet model files Reference files (XREFs)

Sheet Files Level/layer assignment tables Development of sheet files

5—Standard Symbology

Introduction Electronic Version of the Symbology/Elements

Deliverables Line styles

Tabulated Version of the Symbology/Elements

References

Appendix A: Model File Level/layer Assignment Tables .......................A1

Appendix B: Sheet File Level/layer Assignment Tables.........................B1 v

Appendix C: Color Table Comparison ....................................................C1

Appendix D: A/E/C CAD Standard Symbology .....................................D1

SF 298

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List of Figures

Figure 2-1. Sheet file composition

Figure 2-2. Sheet file composition using Design Model and Sheet Model

Figure 2-3. Sheet file composition using only the Design Model

Figure 2-4. Model file naming convention

Figure 2-5. Sheet file naming convention

Figure 2-6. Typical border sheet title block with sheet identification block

Figure 3-1. Vertical title block

Figure 3-2. Designer identification block

Figure 3-3. Issue block

Figure 3-4. Management block

Figure 3-5. Project identification block/sheet title block

Figure 3-6. Sheet identification block

Figure 3-7. Project map block

Figure 3-8. Index map block

Figure 3-9. Dimension in millimeters. Always shown as a whole number

Figure 3-10. Dimension in meters. Always shown as a real number (with decimal)

Figure 3-11. Proper dimension presentations for metric measurements with four or fewer digits

Figure 3-12. Proper dimension presentations for metric measurements with five or more digits

Figure 4-1. Typical levels/layers contained in a sheet file

Figure 4-2. Sheet- and model-specific information

Figure 4-3. Level/layer naming format

Figure 4-4. ISO 13567-2 level/layer naming method

Figure 4-5. Model file level/layer assignment table

Figure 4-6. Sheet file level/layer assignment table vii

List of Tables

Table 2-1 Discipline Designators

Table 2-2 Model File Types

Table 2-3 Discipline Designators with Level 2 Designators

Table 2-4 Sheet Type Designators

Table 3-1 Comparison of Line Widths

Table 3-2 Standard Line Types/Styles

Table 3-3 Screen Color Comparison

Table 3-4 Screened Colors

Table 3-5 Comparison of Font Types

Table 3-6 ANSI, Architectural, and ISO Sheet Size Comparison

Table 3-7 Typical Drawing Scales

Table 3-8 Inch-pound Text Sizes and Line Type Scales

Table 3-9 Metric Text Sizes and Line Type Scales

Table 4-1 Status (Phase) Codes viii

Preface

Introduction

The A/E/C CAD Standard has been developed by the CAD/BIM Technology Center (Center) for Facilities, Infrastructure, and Environment to eliminate redundant Computer-Aided Design (CAD) standardization efforts within the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Federal Government. The manual is part of an initiative to develop a nonproprietary CAD standard that incorporates existing industry, national, and international standards and to develop data standards that address the entire life cycle of facilities within the DoD.

The Center is located in the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Vicksburg, MS. The Director of ITL is Dr. Reed L. Mosher, and the Deputy Director is Dr. Deborah F. Dent. At the time of publication of this report, the Director of ERDC was Dr. James R. Houston, and the Commander of ERDC was COL Gary E. Johnston.

United States National CAD Standard®

In 1995, the combined resources of the Center, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), the United States Coast Guard, the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Con-tractors National Association (SMACNA), the General Services Admini-stration (GSA), and the National Institute of Building Sciences’ (NIBS) Facility Information Council began an effort to develop a single CAD standard for the United States. Working together, these organizations agreed to develop an integrated set of documents that collectively would represent the United States National CAD Standard (NCS).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed on August 8, 1997. In accordance with that MOU, Release 4.0 of the A/E/C CAD Standard follows, utilizes, or references the work developed by each of the ix signatories. The two main NCS documents referenced within Release 4.0 of the A/E/C CAD Standard are:

“Uniform Drawing System” The Construction Specifications Institute 99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 300 Alexandria, VA 22314-1588

“AIA CAD Layer Guidelines” The American Institute of Architects 1735 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20006-5292

Each of these documents is available as part of the NCS. Additional information on the NCS, as well as how to purchase a copy, can be obtained from

National Institute of Building Sciences 1090 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC 20005-4905 http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/ncs/

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

1 Introduction

Acronyms

First, a few useful acronyms:

A-E – Architect-Engineer

A/E/C – Architecture, Engineering, and Construction

AIA – American Institute of Architects

ANSI – American National Standards Institute

ASTM – American Society for Testing and Materials

BIM – Building Information Modeling

CAD – Computer-Aided Design

CSI – Construction Specifications Institute

DoD – Department of Defense

FM – Facility Management

GIS – Geographic Information System

IAI – International Alliance for Interoperability

IFC – Industry Foundation Class

ISO – International Organization for Standardization

NCS – United States National CAD Standard

NIBS – National Institute of Building Sciences

2 Chapter 1 Introduction

SI – International System of Units (Le Système International d’Unités)

UDS – Uniform Drawing System

Scope

This manual provides guidance and procedures for preparing Computer-Aided Design (CAD) products within the Department of Defense (DoD).

Chapters 1-5 of this manual address topics such as presentation graphics, level/layer assignments, electronic file naming, and standard symbology. Appendices A-D contain tables on model and sheet file level/layer names, color comparisons, as well as Architecture, Engineer-ing, and Construction (A/E/C) CAD symbology.

Purpose

The purpose of this manual is to set a basic CAD standard to ensure consistent electronic deliverables (products) within the DoD. These con-sistent deliverables are part of a comprehensive installation life-cycle management strategy. This manual sets a CAD standard specifically for the A/E/C disciplines of facilities development and civil works projects.

As this manual evolves, it will be integrated with other standards initia-tives by the CAD/BIM Technology Center (Center) for Facilities, Infra-structure, and Environment such as Contract Language Guidelines and Building Information Modeling (BIM).

Background

The immediate benefits of CAD standards are many:

Consistent CAD products for customers.

Uniform requirements for A-E deliverables.

Sharing of products and expertise.

Collection, manipulation, and exchange of database information.

Recognizing such potential benefits, each of the DoD agencies independently initiated efforts to establish CAD standards in the late 1980’s. In 1989 the Air Force Logistics Command released the

Chapter 1 Introduction 3

“Architectural and Engineering Services for CADD Implementation Within Air Force Logistics Command.” Headquarters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in 1990 published Engineer Manual 1110-1-1807, “Standards Manual for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) Systems.” In 1993, the Naval Facilities Engineering Command distributed its “Policy and Procedures for Electronic Deliverables of Facilities Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD) Systems.”

To consolidate these efforts into a single standard, the Center was tasked to develop standards for the A/E/C disciplines. This manual pre-sents the Center’s effort at standardizing CAD requirements for A/E/C design and construction documents.

International System of Units (SI) Considerations

For this standard manual, the impact of the SI, more commonly referred to as the metric system, on such items as drawing scales, sheet sizes, and dimensioning is addressed. The SI was established by the Gen-eral Conference of Weights and Measures of 1960, and interpreted or modified from time to time for the United States by the Secretary of Commerce under the authority of Public Law 94-168, the Metric Conver-sion Act of 1975, and the Metric Education Act of 1978. As of January 1, 1992, in accordance with Public Laws 94-168 and 100-418, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, and Executive Order 12770, “Metric Usage in Federal Government Programs,” July 25, 1991, all new and revised construction standards and criteria must be developed using the SI.

Future Technologies

There are several ongoing initiatives to create a universal language for collaborative work in the area of building and construction software. This work stems from the need to automate current building and construction tasks to become more efficient and cost effective. One of these initiatives is by the International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI), a nonprofit building industry alliance comprising architects, engineers, contractors, software vendors, government agencies, research laboratories, and univer-sities. The goal of the IAI is to unite the A/E/C and Facility Management (FM) businesses by specifying Industry Foundation Classes (IFCs) as a universal language. The concept behind the IFCs is to create a series of standard intelligent software objects for the building industry that allow all process disciplines (i.e., architects, designers, engineers, builders, facili-ties managers) to exchange information. The IAI is developing IFCs that

4 Chapter 1 Introduction allow current software packages such as AutoCAD and MicroStation to share building and construction data. IFCs would improve the quality of the life cycle of a building from construction through maintenance (and ultimately to demolition) through reduced expense and delivery time, enhanced communications, and increased discipline proficiency.

Target Systems

This standard does not target any specific CAD system or software.

However, to ensure successful translations among CAD applications, certain system-specific characteristics were considered and the standard adjusted accordingly. During the preparation of the standard, several baseline decisions were made:

The standard must be applicable to the latest release of commer-cially available CAD packages. AutoCAD and MicroStation were chosen based on their prevalence in the DoD.

The standard is based on CAD applications that utilize layer/level names and reference files.

The standard requires every final plotted drawing sheet to have its own separate electronic drawing file.

Design Applications and Other Applications

Numerous design applications have been developed to run on top of basic CAD engines. These applications can be used by designers to gen-erate graphics inside CAD files. Most notable are design software pack-ages for civil/site and BIM.

Document management systems that contain attributes or metadata for individual files and have such features as title block integration are becoming standard tools for management of electronic files. Use of these systems to store searchable metadata for files is encouraged.

Coordination with Design Agent

With all the complexity and options currently available in the world of CAD, it becomes important to coordinate fundamental aspects of design work. The previously mentioned issues of basic platform, design applications, and document management are only three of the issues that can affect the success of a project and the future usefulness of the final documents. As such, each project should have at its initiation discussions

Chapter 1 Introduction 5 and agreements on such issues as these. Each software package being used should be approved and a determination made on how many of the sup-porting electronic files should be provided to the customer as a part of the end product.

Additions/Revisions

This standard is intended to be neither static nor all-inclusive and thus will be updated and enhanced as appropriate. Suggestions for improve-ments are strongly encouraged so that subsequent updates will reflect the input and needs of CAD users.

Recommendations or suggested additions should be sent to:

The CAD/BIM Technology Center U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center ATTN: CEERD-IS-C/Spangler 3909 Halls Ferry Road Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199 or by e-mail at: Steve.C.Spangler@usace.army.mil

6 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

2 Drawing File Organization

Design Area

Available drawing area

The two most extensively used CAD applications within the DoD, AutoCAD and MicroStation, both provide for a drawing area with nearly infinite range in each positive and negative axis (x,y,z).

File accuracy (units)

CAD systems allow the designer to work in “real-world” units. The most common units are feet:inches, feet:thousandths of feet, and meters:millimeters.

MicroStation’s approach to file accuracy allows the user to set the working units (i.e., real-world units) as the following:

Master Units = The largest unit that may be referred to when work-ing in the design file (e.g., feet, meters)

Sub Units = Subdivisions of Master Units (e.g., inches, millimeters)

Note: For MicroStation V8, changing the Master Units in a drawing no longer changes the size of design file elements. For instance, if a design file was created in feet and a 1-ft line is drawn, changing the Master Units to inches results in the line measuring 12 in.

In AutoCAD, the basic drawing unit for any file is the distance between two fixed Cartesian coordinates. For example, the distance between coordinates (1,1,1) and (1,1,2) is one drawing unit. A drawing unit can correspond to any measurement (e.g., foot, inch, meter, mile, fathom). AutoCAD users may enter the Units display option to set the desired drawing units.

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 7

The Units command of AutoCAD does not have a direct metric sys-tem setup. For metric designs, the recommended procedure is to choose the Decimal option in the Drawing Units dialog box. This will allow each drawing unit to represent decimal meters, millimeters, and so forth, at the discretion of the user.

International Feet versus Survey Feet (V8)

Many sites have to deal with the initial question as to whether a par-ticular project is designed using International Feet or Survey Feet. In some states, it is specified by statute that units of measure for grid coordinates have to be either International Feet or Survey Feet. The two units are defined as follows:

International Feet: 1 foot = 0.3048000 m

U.S. Survey Feet: 1 foot = 0.3048006 m

Looking at this comparison, the difference between the two (0.0000006 m) may seem insignificant; however, ultimately this differ-ence may cause coordinate values to be off by several feet, resulting in inaccurate design files. In MicroStation V8, the units.def file does contain a definition for Survey Feet (usually stored in c:\ProgramFiles\Bentley\Workspace\ System\data), but it is disabled by default. To enable, scroll down the units.def file to the section English units (based on U.S. Survey Foot) and delete the # in front of #sf,ft, which will allow for the selection of Survey Feet from the Working Units box the next time MicroStation is started.

Note: If a drawing has already been created using International Feet, changing the Master Units to Survey Feet will not automatically scale all elements in the drawing to Survey Feet.

Origin (global origin)

Positioned within every electronic drawing file is an origin (“global origin” in MicroStation and “origin” in AutoCAD). The origin of a draw-ing file is important because it serves as the point of reference from which all other elements are located. Origins are typically defined in a drawing file by the Cartesian coordinate system of x, y, and z.

The benefit of standardizing the location of the origin of a drawing is most notable in the use of reference files (see section “Reference Files (XREFs)” in Chapter 4). A standardized origin is also helpful when trans-lating files between CAD applications. The recommended global origin

8 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization for 2D files in both AutoCAD and MicroStation drawings is x = 0 and y = 0. When 3D files are used, the z-origin should be set to allow for elevations below 0.

Model Files and Sheet Files

Two distinct types of CAD files are addressed in this standard: model files and sheet files.

A model file contains the physical components of a building (e.g., col-umns, walls, windows, ductwork, piping, etc.). Model files are drawn at full scale and typically represent plans, elevations, sections, etc. Model files can be generated either by placing graphics or from BIM model extractions.

A sheet file is synonymous with a plotted CAD drawing file. A sheet file is a selected view or portion of referenced model file(s) within a bor-der sheet. The addition of sheet-specific information (e.g., text, dimen-sions, and symbols) completes the construction of the document. In other words, a sheet file is a “ready-to-plot” CAD file.

Figure 2-1 illustrates how different model files are referenced to a sheet file (notice that even the border sheet is a referenced model file).

Again, a sheet file is the combination of referenced model files with sheet-specific text/symbols to create a final ready-to-plot CAD file. A useful rule of thumb was stated in the 2nd edition of the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) CAD Layer Guidelines (AIA 2005): “Model files are always referenced by other files, while sheet files are never referenced by other files.”

Design Models and Sheet Models

Inside each CAD file can exist Design Models (or Model Space for AutoCAD users) and Sheet Models (or Paper Space for AutoCAD users).

Design Models are where model files are developed or possibly where model files are assembled prior to creation of the Sheet Model (see the following section “Drawing Sheet Assembly”). Design Models contain graphic information in a model file format. For example, it may contain the entire Architectural Floor Plan model file for a building. It is this model file that is used as a reference for creating individual sheet files.

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 9

Figure 2-1. Sheet file composition

By contrast, a Sheet Model shows the presentation of model file graphics as they would appear on an individual drawing sheet. This assembly area would contain referenced individual model files, one of which would be a border sheet.

Drawing Sheet Assembly

Two main options for drawing sheet assembly may be used. Each involves assembling individual model files and a border sheet model file to create final plotted sheets. There are some differences as explained in the following paragraphs. One similarity in all assembly options is that nested referenced border sheet model files are not allowed. The option used should be defined at the start of a project, and all files should be built in the same manner.

Option 1a – Use of Design Model and Sheet Model (1:1 border sheet)

This option consists of using a sheet file that contains a Design Model and a Sheet Model. The Design Model is used to assemble all the individual reference files necessary to display the graphics. This may include references to individual views of Design Models in other files, or even coincident references. The Design Model should also contain real-world graphics such as northing and easting coordinate values of points.

The Sheet Model contains a reference to the project border sheet model file (at 1:1), plus a reference to the Design Model in the active sheet file, scaled to fit into the Sheet Model (Figure 2-2).

10 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

Figure 2-2. Sheet file composition using Design Model and Sheet Model

Option 1b – Use of Design Model and Sheet Model (scaled-up border sheet)

This option is almost exactly the same as Option 1a, with the exception that the reference files assembled in the Design Model are kept at 1:1 and the project border sheet model file is scaled up to fit around the referenced Design Model files within the Sheet Model.

Option 2 – Use of Design Model only

This option consists of using the Design Model only (the Sheet Model (or Paper Space) is not used). This Design Model would have all model files referenced to it, including the border sheet model file. Since all work would be done in the Design Model, a determination should be made at the start of any project using this option on whether to scale up the border sheet model file to fit around the 1:1 model files, or scale down the model files to fit inside the 1:1 border sheet model file (Figure 2-3). Whichever method is chosen, it should be consistent throughout the project. (Note:

This option is slowly becoming a legacy option, with most sites using Option 1a or 1b.)

Electronic Drawing File Naming Conventions

Naming conventions for electronic drawing files (both model files and sheet files) allow CAD users to determine the contents of a drawing without actually displaying the file. They also provide a convenient and clear structure for organizing drawing files within project directories.

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 11

Figure 2-3. Sheet file composition using only the Design Model

Project Code

The Model File naming convention and the Sheet File naming con-vention both allow for a 0- to 20-character Project Code at the beginning of the file name. Use of a Project Code is recommended and should be identified at the start of each project to ensure consistent file names within that project. Some examples of Project Codes are:

The official agency project number

The project number defined by the agency system manager for their record system

The use of Project Codes in file names is highly recommended, because it prevents the same file name from existing in different directo-ries. When this field is used, standard naming should consider use of a special character such as an underscore “_” for all model files so that folder sorting routines group like files together.

When a project includes multiple sites or buildings, it is important to identify each file with the appropriate feature. This should be done as a part of the Project Code. For example, a model file for project P123, building 2, could possibly use a Project Code of “_P123-Bldg2”.

Model file naming convention

The model file naming convention (Figure 2-4) has one optional field, followed by three mandatory fields. While the first field is optional and may be omitted, the remaining fields must be used and in the correct sequence.

12 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

Figure 2-4. Model file naming convention

Following the optional Project Code field, the first two-character field represents the Discipline Designator. The allowable characters for the first character in the Discipline Designator are listed in Table 2-1. The second character of the Discipline Designator field is always a hyphen “-”. The next two-character field represents the Model File Type (Table 2-2). The final four-character field is User Definable.

Note: Several CAD Standards implementation packages use the file name conventions to determine the type of file being created, so certain character fields need to be located in the same position in every file name.

If not all of the User Definable characters are needed, placeholders must be used for these implementation tools to function properly.

Example. The model file name for a project at the U.S. Army Engi-neer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Building 8000, 1st floor, Architectural Floor Plan could be:

ERDC8000A-FPF1XX.dgn/dwg where ERDC8000 is the Project Code, A- is the Discipline Designator, FP is the Model File Type (Floor Plan), and F1 is a user-definable set of char-acters for Floor 1. Since not all of the user-definable characters were used, the characters XX were used as placeholders.

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 13

Table 2-1 Discipline Designators Discipline Designator

General G

Hazardous Materials H

Survey/Mapping V

Geotechnical B

Civil C

Landscape L

Structural S

Architectural A

Interiors I

Equipment Q

Fire Protection F

Plumbing P

Process D

Mechanical M

Electrical E

Telecommunications T

Resource R

Other Disciplines X

Contractor/Shop Drawings Z

Operations O

Table 2-2 Model File Types Discipline Code Definition

BS Border Sheet

CS Cover Sheet

General

KP Key Plan

DT Detail

EL* Elevation

LG Legend

PP Pollution Prevention Plan

QP* Equipment Plan

SC Section

Hazardous Materials

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

AL Existing Airfield Lighting Plan

CP Existing Communication System Plan

EU Existing Electrical Utilities Plan

HP Existing Hydrographic Survey and Mapping Plan

HT Existing HTCW Utilities Plan

LG Legend

PB Property Boundary

PR Existing Profile

Survey/Mapping

SC Existing Section

* = No Model File Table available in Appendix A (Continued)

14 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

Table 2-2 (Continued) Discipline Code Definition

SP Survey and Mapping Plan Survey/Mapping

UP Existing Utilities Plan

DT Detail

JP Joint Layout Plan

LB Boring Log

LG Legend

PV Pavement Site Plan

SC Section

SH* Schedule

Geotechnical

SI Subsurface Investigation Plan

AF Airfield Plan

BR Beach Renourishment Plan

DT Detail

EL Elevation

ER Eco-Restoration Plan

FC Flood Control Plan

GP Grading Plan

IP* Installation Plan/Base Map

JP Joint Layout Plan

KP* Staking Plan

LG Legend

NG Navigation/Dredging Plan

PL* Project Location Map

PR Profile

SC Section

SH* Schedule

SP Site Plan

TS Transportation Site Plan

UP Utilities Plan

Civil

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

DT Detail

EL* Elevation

IP Irrigation Plan

LG Legend

LP Landscape Plan

SC* Section

SH* Schedule

Landscape

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

3D Isometric/3D

BP Bridge Plan

CP Column Plan

CW Misc. Small Civil Works Structures

DT Detail

EL Elevation

EP Enlarged Plan

Structural

FC Flood Control Structures

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 15

Table 2-2 (Continued) Discipline Code Definition

FP Framing Plan

LD Locks and Dams

LG Legend

NP Foundation Plan

SC Section

SH Schedule

Structural

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

3D* Isometric/3D

AC Area Calculations/Occupancy Plan

CP Reflected Ceiling Plan

DT Detail

EL Elevation

EP* Enlarged Plan

FP Floor Plan

LG Legend

QP Equipment Plan

RP Roof Plan

SC Section

SH* Schedule

Architectural

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

3D* Isometric/3D

DT Detail

EL Elevation

EP* Enlarged Plan

FL Floor Patterns

LG Legend

QP* Equipment Plan

RP Furniture Plan

SC* Section

SH* Schedule

SP Signage Placement Plan

WP System Furniture Plan

Interiors

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

3D* Isometric/3D

DG* Diagram

DT Detail

FA Fire Alarm/Detection Plan

FP Fire Suppression Plan

LG Legend

LP Life Safety Plan

SH* Schedule

Fire Protection

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

3D* Isometric/3D

DG Diagram

Plumbing

DT Detail

16 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

Table 2-2 (Concluded) Discipline Code Definition

EL* Elevation

EP* Enlarged Plan

LG Legend

PP Piping Plan

SH* Schedule

Plumbing

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

3D* Isometric/3D

DG Diagram

DT Detail

EL Elevation

EP* Enlarged Plan

HP HVAC Plan

HS Hydraulic Systems

HT HTCW Utilities Plan

LG Legend

MD Machine Design Plan

MH Material Handling Plan

QP* Equipment Plan

SC Section

SH* Schedule

SP Specialty Piping and Equipment Plan

Mechanical

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

AL Airfield Lighting Plan

AP* Auxiliary Power Plan

CP Exterior Communication Systems Plan

DG Diagram

DT Detail

EU Electrical Utilities Plan

GP Grounding System Plan

LG Legend

LP Lighting Plan

PP Power Plan

SH* Schedule

SS Special Systems Plan

Electrical

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

DG Diagram

DT Detail

LG Legend

SH* Schedule

TP Telephone/Data Plan

Telecommunications

XD* Existing/Demolition Plan

* = No Model File Table available in Appendix A

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 17

Existing/Demolition model file naming. There are instances when a facility is being renovated and the as-built designs need to be revised to show demolition and new items. These revisions would not be made on existing as-built model files, but on copies to ensure the original as-builts are not modified.

A model file type, Existing/Demolition (XD), has been added to the standard to allow users to make revisions to as-built files. This model file type is used to aid users in separating existing-to-remain items from items that will be demolished.

Example. An architect has an existing as-built floor plan model file for Building 1000, 2nd floor. For the current project, walls will be demol-ished and new walls constructed on the 2nd floor. First, a copy would be made of the original as-built file (B1000A-FPF2XX.dgn/dwg) , and the copy would be named B1000RENA-XDF2XX.dgn/dwg (B1000REN is the Project Code, A- is the Discipline Designator, XD is the Model File Type (Existing/Demolition Plan), and F2XX are user-definable characters (F2=Floor 2)). The architect would open this file and move all demolition items to demolition levels/layers (see Chapter 4, “Status (phase) levels/layers”). When the new items in the Floor Plan are drawn, the architect would open a new model file called something like B1000RENA-FPF2XX.dgn/dwg (B1000REN is the Project Code, A- is the Discipline Designator, FP is the Model File Type (Floor Plan), and F2XX are user-definable characters (F2=Floor 2)). The file

B1000RENA-XDF2XX.dgn/dwg would be referenced in with the demolition levels/layers turned off. The architect would then use the Floor Plan active levels/layers to construct the new items for that project.

Sheet file naming convention

The sheet file naming convention (Figure 2-5) has one optional field for the Project Code, followed by four mandatory fields. Similar to the format for model file naming, all mandatory fields must be used and in the correct sequence.

The first field is entirely optional and can be used for a 0- to 20-character Project Code (see “Model file naming convention”). The next two characters are the Discipline Designator with Level 2 Designator (Table 2-3). The next character is the Sheet Type Designator (Table 2-4) followed by a two-character Sheet Sequence Number (01-99).

18 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

Figure 2-5. Sheet file naming convention

The remaining three characters are user-definable.

Note: If the sheet sequence number goes above 99 sheets for a particular discipline, the first character in the User Definable field could be used to expand the limit of sheets per discipline to 999. However, if more than 99 sheets are required for one discipline’s drawings, the user might want to consider using the Level 2 Designator in the Discipline Designator to further subdivide the discipline (Table 2-3).

Note: Occasionally, more than one Sheet Type (e.g., plan, elevation, detail) will be represented in one sheet file. If this is the case, the domi-nant Sheet Type determines the Sheet Type Designator.

For example, the sheet file name for a project at ERDC, Building 8000, 1st floor, Quadrant B, Architectural Floor Plan, sheet sequence 02 could be:

ERDC8000A-102F1B.dgn/dwg where ERDC8000 is the Project Code, A- is the Discipline Designator, 1 is the Sheet Type Designator (Plan), 02 is the Sheet Sequence Number, and F1B is a user-definable set of characters for Floor 1, Quadrant B.

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 19

Table 2-3 Discipline Designators with Level 2 Designators Discipline Designator Description Content

G- All General All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

GI General Information Drawing index, code summary, symbol legend, orientation maps

GC General Contract Phasing, schedules, contractor staging areas, fencing, haul routes, erosion control, temporary and special requirements

General

GR General Resource Photographs, soil borings

H- All Hazardous Materials All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

HA Asbestos Asbestos abatement, identification, or containment

HC Chemicals Toxic chemicals handling, removal or storage

HL Lead Lead piping or paint removal

HP PCB PCB containment and removal

Hazardous Materials

HR Refrigerants Ozone depleting refrigerants

V- All Survey/Mapping All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

VA Aerial Survey Aerial-surveyed points and features

VF Field Survey Field-surveyed points and features

VH* Hydrographic Survey

VI Digital Survey Digitized points and features

Survey/Mapping

VU Combined Utilities

Geotechnical B- All Geotechnical All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

C- All Civil All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

CB* Civil Beach Renourishment

Beach Disposal and Renourishment

CD Civil Demolition Structure removal and site clearing

CE* Civil Ecosystem Restoration

Environmental restoration

CF* Civil Flood Control Levees, spillways, pump stations

CG Civil Grading Excavation, grading, drainage, erosion control, retention ponds

CI Civil Improvements Pavers, flagstone, exterior tile, furnishings, retaining walls, and water features

CN* Civil Navigation Navigation, harbors, dredging

CO* Civil Operation and Maintenance

Repair and upgrade to O&M structures

CP Civil Paving Roads, driveways, parking lots

CH* Civil Shore Protection Erosion protection structures on shoreline

CR* Civil Recreation Recreation facilities

CS Civil Site Plats, topographic, dimension control

CX* Civil Security Security-related work

CT Civil Transportation Waterways, wharves, docks, trams, railways, airfields, and people movers

Civil

CU Civil Utilities Water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, power, communications, natural gas, and steam systems

* = Not in NCS 4.0 (Continued)

20 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

Table 2-3 (Continued) Discipline Designator Description Content

L- All Landscape All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

LD Landscape Demolition Protection and removal of existing landscape

LG Landscape Grading Proposed contours and spot grades

LI Landscape Irrigation Mainlines, valves, controllers, pumps, etc.

LL Landscape Lighting

LP Landscape Planting Landscape planting

LR Landscape Relocation Vegetation relocation information

Landscape

LS Landscape Site All site hardscape and callouts

S- All Structural All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

SD Structural Demolition Protection and removal

SS Structural Site

SB Structural Substructure Foundations, piers, slabs, and retaining walls

SF Structural Framing Floors and roofs

SR* Structural Reinforcement Concrete reinforcement and anchors

ST* Superstructure Walls, decks, abutments, gates, and weirs

Structural

SC* Structural Components Gates, armor, bulkheads, and railings

A- All Architectural All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

AS Architectural Site

AD Architectural Demolition Protection and removal

AE Architectural Elements General architectural

AI Architectural Interiors

AF Architectural Finishes

Architectural

AG Architectural Graphics

I- All Interiors All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

ID Interior Demolition

IN Interior Design

IF Interior Furnishings

Interiors

IG Interior Graphics Murals and visuals

Q- All Equipment All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

QA Athletic Equipment Gymnasium, exercise, aquatic, and recreational

QB Bank Equipment Vaults, teller units, ATMs, drive-through

QC Dry Cleaning Equipment Washers, dryers, ironing, and dry cleaning

QD Detention Equipment Prisons and jails

QE Educational Equipment Chalkboards, library

QF Food Service Equipment Kitchen, bar, service, storage, and processing

QH Hospital Equipment Medical, exam, and treatment

QL Laboratory Equipment Science labs, planetariums, observatories

QM Maintenance Equipment Housekeeping, window washing, and vehicle servicing

QP Parking Lot Equipment Gates, ticket, and card access

QR Retail Equipment Display, vending, and cash register

QS Site Equipment Bicycle racks, benches, playgrounds

Equipment

QT Theatrical Equipment Stage, movie, rigging systems

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 21

Table 2-3 (Continued) Discipline Designator Description Content

QV Video/Photographic Equipment

Television, darkroom, and studio Equipment

QY Security Equipment Access control and monitoring, surveillance

F- All Fire Protection All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

FA Fire Detection and Alarm

Fire Protection

FX Fire Suppression Fire extinguishing systems and equipment

P- All Plumbing All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

PS Plumbing Site Extensions and connections to Civil Utilities

PD Plumbing Demolition Protection, termination, and removal

PP Plumbing Piping Piping, valves, and insulation

PQ Plumbing Equipment Pumps and tanks

Plumbing

PL Plumbing Domestic water, sanitary and storm drainage, fixtures

D- All Process All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

DS Process Site Extension and connection to civil utilities

DD Process Demolition Protection, termination, and removal

DL Process Liquids Liquid process systems

DG Process Gases Gaseous process systems

DP Process Piping Piping, valves, insulation, tanks, pumps, etc.

DQ Process Equipment Systems and equipment for thermal, electrical, materials han-dling, assembly and manufacturing, nuclear, power generation, chemical, refrigeration, and industrial processes

DE Process Electrical Electrical exclusively associated with a process and not the facility

Process

DI Process Instrumentation Instrumentation, measurement, recorders, devices and control-lers (electrical and mechanical)

M- All Mechanical All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

MS Mechanical Site Utility tunnels and piping between facilities

MD Mechanical Demolition Protection, termination, and removal

MH Mechanical HVAC Ductwork, air devices, and equipment

MP Mechanical Piping Chilled and heating water, steam

MI Mechanical Instrumentation

Instrumentation and controls

Mechanical

MY* Mechanical Hydraulic Systems

Pump stations, spillways, slide gates

E- All Electrical All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

EA* Electrical Airfield Lighting and Navaids

Visual air navigation systems

ES Electrical Site Exterior electrical systems (power, lighting, auxiliary)

EC* Electrical Cathodic Protection

Cathodic protection systems

EG* Electrical Grounding Grounding, lightning protection devices

ED Electrical Demolition Protection, termination, and removal

EP Electrical Interior Power Interior power

Electrical

EL Electrical Interior Lighting Interior lighting

22 Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization

Table 2-3 (Concluded) Discipline Designator Description Content

EI Electrical Instrumentation Controls, relays, instrumentation, and measurement devices

EY Electrical Interior Auxiliary Systems

Alarms, nurse call, security, CCTV, PA, music, clock, and program

Electrical

ET Electrical Telecommunications

Telephone, network, voice, and data cables

T- All Telecommunications All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

TD* Telecommunications Demolition

Protection, termination, and removal

TA Audio Visual Cable, music, and CCTV systems

TC Clock and Program Time generators and bell program systems

TI Intercom Intercom and public address systems

TM Monitoring Monitoring and alarm systems

TN Data Networks Network cabling and equipment

TS* SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems and equipment

TT Telephone Telephone systems, wiring, and equipment

Telecommunications

TY Security Access control and alarm systems

R- All Resource All or any portion of subjects in the following Level 2 Designators

RC Resource Civil Surveyor's information and existing civil drawings

RS Resource Structural Existing facility structural drawings

RA Resource Architectural Existing facility architectural drawings

RM Resource Mechanical Existing facility mechanical drawings

Resource

RE Resource Electrical Existing facility electrical drawings

Other Disciplines X

Contractor/Shop Drawings

Z

Operations O

* = Not in NCS 4.0

Table 2-4 Sheet Type Designators Sheet Type Designator

General (symbols legend, notes, etc.) 0

Plans (horizontal views) 1

Elevations (vertical views) 2

Sections (sectional views) 3

Large-Scale Views (plans, elevations, or sections that are not details) 4

Details 5

Schedules and Diagrams 6

User Defined 7

User Defined 8

3D Representations (isometrics, perspectives, photographs) 9

Chapter 2 Drawing File Organization 23

Coordination Between Sheet File Name and Sheet Identifier

In assigning a sheet identifier (for use in the sheet identification block, reference bubbles, etc.), the user should coordinate with the name assigned to the electronic sheet file. The sheet identifier should consist of the discipline designator, sheet type designator, and the sheet sequence number (Figure 2-6).

Figure 2-6. Typical border sheet title block with sheet identification block

As far as the sequence of the discipline designators in a drawing set, the NCS mandates that the disciplines follow the order as shown in Table 2-1.

24 Chapter 3 Graphic Concepts

3 Graphic Concepts

Presentation Graphics

The first step in establishing an effective CAD standard is the devel-opment of a uniform approach to presentation graphics. Presentation graphics typically consist of drawing elements such as lines, arcs, shapes, text, and their attributes (line color, line width, and line style). This chap-ter presents brief overviews of the characteristics of presentation graphics and the philosophy used to standardize them.

Line widths

Although “monotone” line work is not contractually improper, varied line widths substantially improve readability. Most commercial CAD systems provide an extensive variety of line widths. However, for the majority of A/E/C drawings, the eight line widths defined in Table 3-1 are considered sufficient and should not be expanded unless an appreciable improvement in drawing clarity or contrast can be realized. Table 3-1 shows information about the various allowed line widths.

Table 3-1 Comparison of Line Widths Line Thickness mm in.

MicroStation Line Weight Typical Use

Fine 0.18 0.007 wt = 0 Patterning

Thin 0.25 0.010 wt = 1 Dimension lines, dimension leader/witness lines, note leader lines, long break lines, schedule grid lines, and objects seen at a distance

Medium 0.35 0.014 wt = 2 Minor object lines

Wide 0.50 0.020 wt = 3 Major object lines, cut lines, section cutting plane lines, and titles

Extra Wide 0.70 0.028 wt = 5 Minor title underlining, match lines, schedule outlines, large titles, and object lines requiring special emphasis

XX Wide 1.00 0.040 wt = 7 Major title underlining and separating portions of drawings

XXX Wide 1.40 0.055 wt = 10 Border sheet outlines and cover sheet line work

XXXX Wide 2.00 0.079 wt = 15 Border sheet outlines and cover sheet line work

Chapter 3 Graphic Concepts 25

Fine (0.18 mm). Fine lines should be used sparingly, mostly for hatching/patterning (this line thickness typically does not reproduce well in blue-line format and/or in photocopies).

Thin (0.25 mm). Thin lines should be used for depicting dimension lines, dimension leader/witness lines, note leader lines, line termina-tors (arrowheads, dots, slashes), phantom lines, hidden lines, center lines, long break lines, schedule grid lines, and object lines seen at a distance.

Medium (0.35 mm). Medium lines should be used for depicting most object lines, text (dimensions, notes/callouts, and schedule), and schedule grid accent lines.

Wide (0.50 mm). Wide lines should be used for major object lines, cut lines, section cutting plane lines, and titles.

Extra wide (0.70 mm). Extra-wide lines should be used for minor title underlining, schedule outlines, large titles, and object lines requiring special emphasis. For very large scale details drawn at 3 in. = 1 ft-0 in.

or larger, the extra-wide width should be used for the object lines.

Extra-wide widths are also appropriate for use as an elevation grade line, building footprint, or top of grade lines on section/foundation details.

XX Wide (1.00 mm). This line weight should be used for major title underlining and separating portions of drawings.

XXX Wide (1.40 mm). This line weight should be used for border sheet outlines and cover sheet line work.

XXXX Wide (2.00 mm). This line weight should be used for border sheet outlines and cover sheet line work.

Line types/styles

The predominant line types/styles used in this standard are listed in Table 3-2. The Center has created line style files for MicroStation and AutoCAD (called tsaec.rsc and tsaec.lin, respectively), which include the line styles in Table 3-2, as well as additional discipline custom line styles (see Appendix D). These files are available on the Center’s Web site at https://cadbim.usace.army.mil/cad.

26 Chapter 3 Graphic Concepts

Table 3-2 Standard Line Types/Styles ID Description MicroStation Designator AutoCAD Designator Example

0 Continuous 0 Continuous

1 Dotted 1 Dot

2 Dashed 2 Hidden

3 Dashed spaced 3 Dashed

4 Dashed dotted 4 Dashdot

6 Dashed double-dotted 6 Divide2

7 Chain 7 Center

Line color

The primary reason to use color in CAD drawings is to improve the clarity of the drawing on a computer monitor. The variety of colors avail-able in a CAD application depends on the capabilities of the computer monitor and its video card. Today, most systems are capable of displaying up to 16.8 million colors. For consistency, this manual recommends that all A/E/C drawings be created using the basic colors presented in Table 3-3 whenever possible.

Note: The recommended colors are best viewed on a monitor with a black background.

Appendix C contains a 256-color map for the AutoCAD and Micro- Station color palettes. The table maps AutoCAD’s default color palette to MicroStation’s default color palette. The color table is provided for those users who require more colors than the eight shown in Table 3-3.

Table 3-3 Screen Color Comparison

Color Number Ratios of RGB Color AutoCAD MicroStation Red Green Blue

Blue 5 1 0 0 255

Gray 8 9 128 128 128

Green 3 2 0 255 0

Red 1 3 255 0 0

Yellow 2 4 255 255 0

Magenta 6 5 255 0 255

Cyan 4 7 0 255 255

White 7 0 255 255 255

Note: Color numbers for AutoCAD and MicroStation were taken from default color tables.

Chapter 3 Graphic Concepts 27

Screening

Screened images are created through a process in which the density and pattern of black and white dots are varied to simulate different shades of gray. Varying the intensity of gray scales allows users to distinguish different aspects of a drawing when it is plotted. For example, an area on a site designated for demolition can be assigned a color that has been assigned a screening percentage.