Take a Closer Look at Steel Building Acronyms

Ever stare at several consecutive capital letters in a sentence, and just wondered what they meant in context? For many of us, acronyms are a daily constant. While some are part of everyday speech, like NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) or UFO (Unidentified Flying Object), others are harder to figure out.

Throughout your research and steel building planning process, you might run into some of these acronyms, and I’d like you to be prepared for it. Some of these will be names of organizations, abbreviations for the purchase process, or a handy initialization.

ACI – American Concrete Institute – The leading authority and resource worldwide for the development and distribution of standards, technical resources, educational programs, and proven expertise for individuals and organizations involved in concrete design, construction, and materials.

AISC – American Institute of Steel Construction – Not-for-profit technical institute and trade association that serves the structural steel design community and construction industry.

AISI – American Iron and Steel Institute – Plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology, and advances the case for steel as the lead construction material in the marketplace.

ASCE – American Society of Civil Engineers – Provider of technical and professional conferences and continuing education, the world’s largest publisher of civil engineering content, and an authoritative source for codes and standards that protect the public.

ASB – Armstrong Steel Buildings – That’s us! Armstrong Steel is America’s preferred manufacturer of pre-engineered steel buildings for commercial, industrial, residential and religious building projects.

ASD – Allowable Stress Design – Design philosophy used by civil engineers that says the stresses in a structure due to service loads do not exceed the building’s elastic limit.

BBC – Basic Building Code – Conditions a structure must pass before a permit is granted.

CPO – Change order – work that is added to or deleted from the original scope of work of a contract, which alters the original contract amount and/or completion date

COD – Cash on Delivery – sale of goods where payment is made on delivery rather than in advance.

DIY – Do It Yourself – Building, modifying, or repairing something without the help of a professional.

FS – Fuel Surcharge – Fee on delivery that accounts for the rise of gas prices.

FTB – First Time Builder – someone with little or no experience in steel building projects.

IBC– International Building Code – model building code established by the US, and developed by the International Code Council.

KIP – 1,000 pounds of force, used by architects and engineers to measure engineering loads.

LEED – Leadership and Energy Environmental Design – a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices.

LTL – Less Than Truckload – A shipment that does not require a 48-foot or 53-foot flatbed trailer.

LRFD –Load and Resistance Factor Design – Newer method of steel design that requires examination of several load combinations corresponding to service, fatigue, strength and extreme event limit states.

MBMA – Metal Building Manufacturers Association – Organization that promotes the design and construction of metal building and metal roofing systems.

OEM – Original Equipment Manufacturer – Company that can make a product internally, or uses other fabricators based on their own specifications.

OSHA – Occupational Safety and Health Association – Federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation.

PEMB – Pre-engineered Metal Building – Most flexible solutions on the market for contractors, builders, do it yourselfers and their families. These durable, virtually no maintenance building solutions boast nearly limitless designs, and allow owners to have the look they want, with the functionality they need.

PO – Purchase Order – Request for additional quantities of components.

PSF – Pounds Per Square Foot – unit of pressure where a force of one pound is applied to an area of one square foot.

PSI – Pounds Per Square Inch – unit of pressure where a force of one pound is applied to an area of one square inch.

TAC – Terms and Conditions – Rules which one must agree to abide by in order to use a service.

UBC – Uniform Building Code  – Building code used primarily in the western US, and was replaced in the year 2000 by the International Building Code.

Do you have any more questions about any particular steel building terminology? Visit our Steel Building Glossary or contact a steel building expert today!

Photo courtesy: Eddi

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