Efforts to standardize CAD drawings move ahead

The Construction Specifications Institute, National Institute of Building Sciences and the American Institute of Architects are collaborating to standardize the organization of CAD (computer-aided-drafting) drawings and other data that designers and engineers produce in volumes for construction projects
On June 12 the three U.S. construction organizations signed an agreement to publish and distribute Version 3.0 of the National CAD Standard (NCS). The standard is intended to streamline communication among building owners, designers, construction companies and facility managers.
The National CAD Standard defines standards for organizing and formatting building design data such as CAD layers and drawing sets, and sets out conventions for drafting, for terms and abbreviations, graphical symbols, notations, etc.
In announcing the new version of NCS, Construction Specifications Institute executive director Karl F. Borgstrom said: “Through this agreement the National CAD Standard will continue to contribute to the industry in a major way, providing a common language for CAD data in the same way that MasterFormat does for specifications. Consistency in the use and exchange of design and construction information saves time and reduces the potential for errors and omissions, which are often the cause of cost overruns, delays, and disputes.”
www.nationalcadstandard.org, www.csinet.org