| Word | Definition | Comments |
| A/E | (1) architect/engineer. (2) architectural/engineering. | |
| A/E/I/P | Architectural, engineering, interior design and/or space planning. | |
| A/E/I/P firm | A firm that offers a combination of architectural, engineering, interior design, and/or space planning services. | |
| AAH | Academy of Architecture for Health: The Academy of Architecture for Health (AAH) improves the quality of healthcare through design by developing, documenting, and disseminating knowledge; educating healthcare architects and other related constituencies; advancing the practice of healthcare architecture; improving the design of healthcare environments; affiliating and advocating with others that share our vision and promoting research.
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| AAHSA | American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging: The members of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (www.aahsa.org) help millions of individuals and their families every day through mission-driven, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to providing the services that people need, when they need them, in the place they call home. | |
| AAMC | Association of American Medical Colleges: The AAMC serves and leads the academic medicine community to improve the health of all.
The vision of the AAMC and its members is a healthy nation and world in which:
- America's system of medical education, through continual renewal and innovation, prepares physicians and scientists to meet the nation's evolving health needs
- The nation's medical students, biomedical graduate students, residents, fellows, faculty, and the health care workforce are diverse and culturally competent
- Advances in medical knowledge, therapies, and technologies prevent disease, alleviate suffering, and improve quality of life
- The nation's health system meets the needs of all
Concern for compassion, quality, safety, efficacy, accountability, affordability, professionalism, and the public good guide the health care community
- Medical schools and teaching hospitals continually earn the trust and support of the public for their special missions
- The AAMC and its members are a dynamic force in realizing this vision.
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| AAR | See Asbestos Analysts Registry. | |
| AASHE | Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education:
AASHE is an association of colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada working to create a sustainable future. It was founded in 2006 with a mission to promote sustainability in all sectors of higher education - from governance and operations to curriculum and outreach-through education, communication, research and professional development. Businesses, NGO's, and government agencies can participate as AASHE partner members.
AASHE aims to advance the efforts of the entire campus sustainability community by uniting diverse initiatives and connecting practitioners to resources and professional development opportunities. The association also provides a professional home for campus sustainability coordinators and directors.
AASHE defines sustainability in an inclusive way, encompassing human and ecological health, social justice, secure livelihoods, and a better world for all generations.
AASHE is a member-driven, independent 501(c)(3). Membership in AASHE covers every individual at an institution.
http://www.aashe.org/index.php
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| Ab initio (ab init) | From the beginning. Can mean that breaking some terms in a longrunning contract results in the contract having been broken from the start. | |
| abandonment | (1) A tenant?s act of vacating the leased property with the intent not to return, implying that his or her occupancy has ended. Unless abandonment results from condemnation of the property or constructive eviction, the tenant remains liable under the lease. (2) Decommissioning an underground storage tank by leaving it in place, cleaning it, and filling it with an inert material. | |
| abatement | (1) Free rent used as an incentive for prospective tenants. (2) A reduction in total taxes owed on real property. (3) A comprehensive process of eliminating exposure or potential exposure to hazardous materials such as asbestos or lead; might include testing, measures to ensure worker protection, containment of dust and debris, cleanup and disposal of waste, and clearance testing. | |
| ABCB | Australian Building Codes Board. | |
| ABGR | Australian Building Greenhouse Rating Scheme, now known as NABERS Energy (see NABERS) www.nabers.com.au | |
| ABIH | See American Board of Industrial Hygiene. | |
| above building standard (ABS) | Services and finishes provided by a landlord that exceed those provided under the base rent. The tenant contracts for above standard services with the landlord. See also building standard and space standard. | |
| above-standard build-out | Construction and finishes of work space that exceed the standards set forth in a lease or occupancy agreement. Costs of such improvements are typically billed and paid separately in addition to basic rental payments. | |
| aboveground storage tank (AST) | A container that has less than 10 percent of its volume underground, including the contents of connected pipes. ASTs and USTs are regulated by the EPA under 40 CFR 280 and 281. See also underground storage tank. | |
| ABRAFAC | Brazilian Association of Facilities. | |
| Abrasive Cleaner | Cleaning products whose active agent is a mineral granulate which removes grime through mechanical action.
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| ABS | See above building standard. | |
| absolute liability | See strict liability. | |
| absolute pressure | The total pressure exerted on a gas or liquid, factoring in gauge pressure and atmospheric pressure. (gauge pressure + atmospheric pressure = absolute pressure ) | |
| absolute zero | The point where all molecular motion stops. It is equivalent to -459°F or -270°C. | |
| absorber | A device that holds the absorbent solution in an absorption refrigeration system; in a chiller, it receives the refrigerant vapor from the evaporator and sends it to the heat exchanger. | |
| Absorption | Process by which a substance or particle is drawn into the structure of another. | |
| absorption analysis | A comparison of absorption data against current absorption information. Absorption analyses are used to project trends. | |
| absorption average | The average amount of space that is absorbed over a specified time frame, usually three or more years. | |
| absorption chiller | A system that uses a refrigeration cycle to provide cooling in commercial buildings. Absorption systems transfer heat by using a lithium bromide solution to alternately absorb heat at low temperatures and reject it at high temperatures. | |
| absorption rate | (1) The rate at which space available for lease is taken off the market in a given geographic area. (2) The rate at which properties for sale or lease can be marketed within any given market area. Studies of absorption rates are used to forecast sales or leasing rates to substantiate a development plan or to justify financing. See also absorption and absorption trend. | |
| absorption trend | A pattern of absorption that develops over a given time frame, typically quarterly, annually, or over a three-, five-, or ten-year period. | |
| abstract of title | A summary of essential facts contained in consecutive deeds to a parcel of real estate which establishes the title history of the property. The abstract should begin with the initial transfer of title from the sovereign to the first private owner and continue to the present day. | |
| Abusive behavior | Actions which result in injury such as slapping, pinching, pulling hair or other actions such as pulling clothing, spitting, threats or other fear producing actions such as racial slurs, posturing , damage to property, throwing food or objects. | |
| AC | See alternating current. | |
| AC (Alternating Current) | LIGHTING: Current which flows in one direction and then the other, alternately. | |
| ACCC | The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. In June 2008 the ACCC issued a note, Carbon claims and the Trade Practices Act,
which outlined what companies could claim about being carbon neutral and carbon offsetting. The ACCC has made it clear it is keeping an eye on businesses that make unjustifiable environmental claims.
www.accc.gov.au
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| Accelerated Cost Recovery System (ACRS) | An accelerated depreciation method established in 1981 by Congress in which the application of a certain percentage to the cost of an asset resulted in the annual depreciation amount. It was replaced in 1986 by the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System, which effectively increased the useful life of real property from 15 to 39 years. | |
| Accent Lighting | LIGHTING: Directional lighting to emphasize a particular object or draw attention to a display item. | |
| Acceptance | The unconditional agreement to an offer. This creates the contract. Before acceptance, any offer can be withdrawn, but once accepted the contract is binding on both sides. Any conditions have the effect of a counter offer that must be accepted by the other party. | |
| Access Floor | A secondary floor made up of interchangeable floor panels supported by pedestals on the structural floor, with or without stringers. Access floors provide an accessible underfloor space for electrical, mechanical, computer and communication services, or for air distribution. | |
| access flooring | A system of structural flooring panels held in place by a series of short struts that create a walking surface and equipment support with space beneath it for running cables, conduits, piping, and conditioned air. Also called raised flooring. | |
| access management | A security service: key holding and regulation of electronic and mechanical locking devices which regulate access for specific areas of a site.
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| accession | A common law principle under which a person acquires title to personal property by either mistakenly performing labor on it, or by incorporating additional property into it, so that the value added by the labor or additional property exceeds the value of the original property. | |
| accomplice | A person who is held responsible for a crime committed by another person. | |
| accord and satisfaction | A compromise settlement of a contract claim. Accord is the agreement substituted for the original contract, and satisfaction is the performance of the substituted agreement. | |
| account | An individual record of information and transactions related to each asset or liability and to each aspect of owner?s equity. | |
| accounting | The system of summarizing, interpreting, and communicating financial data. | |
| accounting concepts | The global assumptions regarding the framework in which an entity operates in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. | |
| accounting controls | Guidelines and practices employed to safeguard assets, assure accurate and reliable accounting data, promote operational efficiency, and adhere to prescribed management policies. Also called internal controls. | |
| accounting cycles | Similar economic events converted into related types of transactions and processed through the system in similar ways. | |
| accounting equation | The formula that states that assets equal liabilities plus owner?s equity. | |
| accounts payable | Debts owed to others and recorded as liabilities on the balance sheet. | |
| accounts receivable | Monies earned, but not yet received, which are recorded as assets on the balance sheet. | |
| accounts receivable insurance | Indemnification or coverage for the financial loss that results when a business is unable to collect money owed because of damage to accounts receivable records, and for the expense of reconstructing the records. | |
| Accounts Receivable Management | A commercial management service to ensure that outstanding debts are paid punctually and losses avoided:
When the contractual payment deadline has passed, a friendly reminder is sent
As accounts age, increasingly urgent letters are sent with deadlines
The point at which legal steps are initiated depends on company policy and local legislation.
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| Accreditation | The certification by a statutory or approved authority of the facilities, capabilities, objectivity, competence and integrity of an organisation or individual to provide a specified service and/or required operation. | |
| ACCREDITATION 1 | Recognition issued by a national accrediting organization to behavioral healthcare and human services providers for their compliance with the established evaluation criteria for service quality. Commonly know accrediting organizations include the Rehabilitation Accreditation Commission (CARF), the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and the Council on Accreditation (COA). | |
| Accredited Management Organization (AMO) | An accreditation awarded by IREM that recognizes excellence among real estate management firms. | |
| Accredited Residential Manager (ARM) | A professional classification offered by the IREM. | |
| accrual basis accounting | A system that assumes income is received and expenses are spent, even though the timing of actual receipts and disbursements may vary. The accrual method helps to avoid anomalies that may be present on a cash basis. | |
| Accumulated Cost Recovery | Total cost recovery deductions taken throughout the holding period of a property. | |
| accumulation start date | The date that the filling of a hazardous material storage container begins. This date starts the clock for deadlines on hazardous waste transfer, treatment, and/or disposal. | |
| accumulation storage area | A place where hazardous waste can be stored while arrangements are being made for its transfer, treatment, and/or disposal. | |
| ACF | Australian Conservation Foundation. A middle of the road green group, more activist that the World Wildlife Federation (see WWF) but much happier to collaborate with business than Greenpeace. www.acfonline.com.au | |
| ACGIH | See American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. | |
| acid cleaner | A cleaning product with a pH below 5.5 The combination of surfactants and acid produce an effective cleaner to remove inorganic (mineral) soiling.
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| acid cleaning | Removal of millscale, rust, and scale from the metal surfaces of boilers or cooling tower condensers through the use of chemical cleansers. | |
| Acid Rain | The precipitation of dilute solutions of strong mineral acids, formed by the mixing in the atmosphere of various industrial pollutants (primarily sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) with naturally occurring oxygen and water vapor. | |
| acid-test ratio | The ratio of quick assets to current liabilities. Also called quick ratio. | |
| acidic soil | Soil with a pH level under 7, common in areas with heavy rainfall, sandy soil, and soils rich in organic matter. | |
| acidity | Having a pH value less than 7. | |
| ACM | See asbestos-containing material. | |
| acoustical | Relating to the properties of sound. | |
| Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) | A disease that destroys the body?s immune system and is transmitted by bloodborne pathogens. | |
| ACR tubing | See air conditioning and refrigeration tubing. | |
| ACRS | See Accelerated Cost Recovery System. | |
| ACS | See automatic call sequencer. | |
| action level (AL) | As defined by OSHA, the point at which something must be done to remediate or eliminate the presence of a hazardous substance. | |
| action plan | A set of tasks intended to support and implement a strategic plan. | |
| Active Income | Income from salary, wages, tips, commissions, and activities in which the taxpayermaterially participates. Also see passive income. | |
| active solar heating system | A heating system that captures and stores heat from the sun?s rays using pumps, valves, heat exchangers, and other auxiliary equipment. | |
| Activity Settings | Various types of work settings to suit individual or group activities such as a lounge area, desk work area, or conference area. | |
| ACTIVITY SETTINGS 1 | Places that are designed to support particular behaviors, such as large formal meetings and small informal gatherings. (definition from IFMA website)
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| actual cash value (ACV) | The actual cost to replace the property with new property, less reasonable depreciation. | |
| actual malice | The degree of fault that must be proven in a defamation case in which the plaintiff is a public official or public figure; that is, the defendant?s statement about the plaintiff must have been made either with knowledge of or reckless disregard as to its falsity. | |
| actual notice | In the context of transfers of property by deed, a grantee?s actual knowledge of a prior grant of property. | |
| actuary | An insurance company specialist who determines statistical probabilities and rate structures. | |
| actuator | A device that operates valves and dampers that regulate the flow of air or liquid. | |
| acute effect | A severe or immediate reaction to a hazard, such as sneezing, coughing, or a light-headed feeling. It usually results from exposure to a single, high-level exposure to a hazardous substance. | |
| Acute Exposure | A single exposure to a toxic substance that may result in severe biological harm or death. Acute exposures are usually characterized as lasting no longer than a day, as compared to longer, continuing exposure over a period of time. | |
| acute hazardous waste | Highly poisonous waste. | |
| Acute Toxicity | The ability of a substance to cause severe biological harm or death soon after a single exposure or dose. Also, any poisonous effect that results from a single short-term exposure to a toxic substance. | |
| ACV | See actual cash value. | |
| ad valorem | Taxes levied on real estate based on value. | |
| ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) is a wide-ranging legislation intended to make American Society more accessible to people with disabilities. is a legislative act/law established to offer a clear and comprehensive prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability. This act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in "places of public accommodation" (businesses and non-profit agencies that serve the public) and "commercial facilities" (other businesses). The regulation includes Appendix A to Part 36 - Standards for Accessible Design establishing minimum standards for ensuring accessibility when designing and constructing a new facility or altering an existing facility. http://www.ada.gov/
Also refer DDA for Australia.
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| Adaptation | LIGHTING: The process by which the human eye adjusts to a change in light level. | |
| Adaptive Reuse | Renovation of a building or site to include elements that allow a particular use or uses to occupy a space that originally was intended for a different use. | |
| Add Value | Fourth stage of four-stage transaction management process pertaining to a transaction manager?s planning, effort, and continual contact with key decision-makers, investors, and users, as well as contact with ancillary professionals. This ongoing process allows for feedback, establishes a network for problem solving, provides a means to offer additional services to the client, and enhances the transaction manager?s preparedness for the next assignment. | |
| Add-on Factor | The ratio of rentable to useable square feet. Also known as the load factor and therentable-to-useable ratio. Also see efficiency percentage. Formula:Add-on factor = Rentable square feet/Useable square feet | |
| ADDENDUM | A document used to expand or more fully explain the terms of a solicitation which is incorporated as part of the original solicitation. This modification becomes a legal part of the solicitation. This term should not be confused with a contract amendment as it is not used to change the terms of a contract. | |
| adding value | Bringing in a return on your work that is higher than your cost to the organization. | |
| additional insured | A person or business entity, other than the named insured, who has certain rights and coverage under an insurance policy. Also called additional named insured. | |
| additional persons as insureds coverage | Coverage that adds your employees as insureds under your general liability insurance coverage for acts performed within the scope of their employment. | |
| additional rent | (1) Rental costs that result from lease provisions that allow increases of fixed or other expenses, such as taxes and insurance, to be passed on to the tenant on a prorated or other agreed-upon basis. (2) A lease term that obligates a tenant to pay certain expenses in addition to the tenant?s periodic rent. Additional rent may include late payment fees, collection costs, pass-throughs of operating expenses in a net lease, costs incurred by the landlord to cure any tenant defaults, and other miscellaneous costs, expenses, and reimbursements. (3) Expense escalations and common area operating expense charges. | |
| Address Hygiene Management | Address Hygiene Management improves the quality of addresses and mitigates returned mail. Mitigating returned mail and making improvements to your address data can result in very big, multi-million dollar savings. Traditionally, managing addresses meant that you deployed USPS certified addressing tools such as the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) and the National Change of Address (NCOA). Many mailers use these tools today in order to attain postage discounts, but all mailers still recognize return mail as a process. Mailers are now focusing on how to improve the process of managing addresses by identifying the root cause of returned mail. Using the correct tools in the right way, mailers can mitigate a large percentage of return mail and reduce the associated costs. | |
| Adjacencies/ Proximities | A measure of the preferred location of an organisational unit relative to some or all of the other organisational units in that organisation. It is normally expressed in degrees such as important, desirable, unimportant, undesirable. It can also refer to the relationship of those business units or other specific functions to physical and external features such as the building core, structural zones, natural light, views or entry points. | |
| adjacency analysis | (1) A method of assigning priorities to the proximity needs of different individuals or organizational units. Used extensively in space planning. (2) A way of assigning a value to the relationship between two spaces, whether individual or organizational units. See also block plan and stacking plan. | |
| adjacency diagram | (1) A diagram documenting critical adjacencies (physical proximity) of workstations and support functions, or proximities of organizational groups to each other. (2) A diagram that conveys the desired proximity of work space elements or functions to each other. Also called a bubble diagram. | |
| adjunct | Add-on telecommunications equipment, with its own CPU and intelligence, that works with a telephone system but is separate from it. | |
| adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) | A mortgage whose interest rate can vary relative to the prime mortgage level. | |
| adjusted basis | An asset?s original cost increased by improvements and reduced by depreciation and tax credits. | |
| administrative agencies | Those regulatory or other bodies created by the U.S. Congress or a state legislature to enforce specific laws. Examples of federal administrative agencies include the EPA, the EEOC, and the FCC. | |
| ADMINISTRATIVE STANDARDS | Criteria for evaluating a provider's compliance with contract provisions. | |
| admission | A statement of admission by one party as to the truth of factual matters that are not in dispute. | |
| admittance monitoring and control | A security service consisting of controlling and recording admittance at the perimeter or other specified areas of a building. It is accomplished through a combination of security guards or concierge services and electronics, such as specially coded key pads or cipher locks, or electronic card access systems. | |
| ADPIA | The Australian Direct Property Investment Association (ADPIA) is the peak national body representing the interests of its members in the unlisted property investment sector: trusts and syndicates. ADPIA seeks to both promote and enhance the professionalism of its members and to assist those members in their dealings with financial planners, investors and other industry players, whilst also assisting Australians in achieving financial security through understanding investment property. www.adpia.com.au
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| ADR | See American drawing right. | |
| ADS | Annual Debt Service | |
| Adsorbent | Material that is capable of the binding and collection of substances or particles on its surface without chemically altering them. | |
| Advance Deposit Account | A debit account into which a mailer deposits funds that are maintained by the USPS and from which postage is later deducted at the time of mailing. (Also called trust account.)
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| ADVANCE PAYMENTS | A payment situation whereby under certain circumstances it is possible to make a portion of the contract funds available to a provider prior to the delivery of services and or expenditure of funds by the provider. | |
| advance premium mutual insurance company | An insurance company that sets its premiums at a level that it believes will be adequate to pay loss expenses and build up the surplus of the company. If such premiums prove inadequate, these companies rarely have the right to assess the policyholders for the difference. | |
| Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) | A summary of a proposed regulation and invitation for public comment; issued by the EPA. | |
| adverse possession | A statutory method of acquiring legal title to property by taking open and notorious possession and control over the property, to the exclusion of all others, for a prescribed period of time. | |
| adverse selection | The process by which undesirable or marginal risks seek out insurance coverage. | |
| AEC | Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (Building Information Model) | |
| aerobes | See aerobic bacteria. | |
| aerobic bacteria | Slime-forming bacteria that can thrive only in the presence of oxygen. Slime is most often found in condensers and air-conditioning piping. Also called aerobes. | |
| Aerobic Treatment | Process by which microbes decompose complex organic compounds in the presence of oxygen and use the liberated energy for reproduction and growth. | |
| Aerosol | Suspended droplets of liquid or liquid dispersions in air. | |
| AFE | AFE (Association for Facilities Engineering) is the world's largest association representing facilities engineers, maintenance managers. and supervisors. Born in 1953 and now growing in the greater DC area, the mission is to ?provide education, certification, technical information and other relevant resources for plant and facility engineering, operations and maintenance professionals worldwide.
Publication "Facilities Engineering Journal"
http://www.afe.org | |
| Affinity Analysis | Affinity analysis is a tool that uses information about preferred adjacencies in matrix form to assist in planning the layout of business unit workspace.
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| affirmative action | An effort to achieve equality of opportunity by changing organizational demographics such as sex, age, and/or ethnic mix. | |
| affirmative easement | An easement that allows the holder of the easement to go on the grantor?s land for a specific purpose and to make use of the land in accordance with the terms of the easement. | |
| affirmative warranty | A condition that the insured promises exist at the inception of the policy period. | |
| agency by estoppel | A legal condition in which a principal, by negligence in failing to supervise the agent?s affairs, allows the agent to exercise powers not specifically granted to the agent, thus justifying the belief by others that the agent possesses the requisite authority. | |
| agency by ratification | An agency relationship that arises when a principal acknowledges the acts of a party as being the acts of his or her agent, even if there was no agency relationship when the agent acted. | |
| agency relationship | A fiduciary relationship in which one party (the principal) grants to another (the agent) the management of some business or affair to be transacted in the name of the principal so that the agent is representing and acting on behalf of the principal. Also known as a principal-agent relationship. | |
| agency-billed premium | Insurance premium billed by the insurance agent. | |
| Agent | Somebody appointed to act on behalf of another person (known as the principal). The amount of authority to deal that the agent has is subject to agreement between the principal and the agent. However, unless told otherwise, third parties can assume the agent has full
powers to deal. | |
| agent of record letter | A letter on the insured?s letterhead specifying which agent or broker the insurer recognizes as the insured?s agent. Also called broker of record letter. | |
| Agglomeration Economies | Cost reductions or savings that come about from efficiency gains associated with the concentration or clustering of firms/producers or economic activities and the formation of a localized production network. | |
| aggregate | A combination of various inert materials such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, cinders, crushed furnace slag, burned clay, expanded vermiculite, and perlite that is used as a filler with cement paste to make concrete. | |
| aggregate limit of liability | The annual total limit of coverage for claims. | |
| aggregate stop loss insurance | Insurance typically purchased by self-insured companies to cover any loss amount that exceeds a certain predetermined total annual amount for all claims. | |
| agreed amount provision | An insurance policy provision that waives the co-insurance requirement based on an agreement between the policyholder and the insurance company that the amount of insurance coverage purchased represents full insurance for the value of the property or loss of income insured. | |
| Agreement | A contract between two or more parties, either written or oral. | |
| AHA | American Hospital Association: The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Close to 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 37,000 individual members come together to form the AHA.
Through representation and advocacy activities, AHA ensures that members' perspectives and needs are heard and addressed in national health policy development, legislative and regulatory debates, and judicial matters. AHA advocacy efforts include the legislative and executive branches and include the legislative and regulatory arenas.
Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.
http://www.aha.org/aha/about/index.html
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| AHCA | American Healthcare Association: The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a non-profit federation of affiliated state health organizations, together representing more than 10,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, developmentally-disabled, and subacute care providers that care for more than 1.5 million elderly and disabled individuals nationally.
AHCA represents the long term care community to the nation at large ? to government, business leaders, and the general public. It also serves as a force for change within the long term care field, providing information, education, and administrative tools that enhance quality at every level.
http://www.ahcancal.org/about_ahca/Pages/default.aspx
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| AHERA | See Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act. | |
| AHP | See air horsepower. | |
| AHU | See air handling unit. | |
| AI | Artificial Intelligence: Devices and applications that exhibit human intelligence and behavior including robots, expert systems, voice recognition, natural and foreign language processing. It also implies the ability to learn and adapt through experience.
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| AIA | The American Institute of Architects: Based in Washington, D.C., the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. Through education, legislative and regulatory development, professional education, and research, the AIA and its more than 83,000 members express their commitment to excellence in design and livability in our nation?s buildings and communities.
http://www.aia.org | |
| AIDS | See Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. | |
| AIHA | See American Industrial Hygiene Association. | |
| air bypass | A device used to cycle air discharge from the exhaust tower back to the tower intake to create a heat load so that the system can run in light load conditions. | |
| Air Changes Per Hour or ACH | Number of times per hour a volume of air, equivalent to the volume of space, enters that space. | |
| air conditioning | A process that maintains comfort conditions in a defined area and encompasses cooling, heating, humidifying, dehumidifying, air purification, and air circulation. | |
| air conditioning and refrigeration (ACR) tubing | Tubing that is measured by the outside diameter, not to be confused with plumbing pipe, which is measured by the inside diameter. Prior to installation, the tubing, which can be hard drawn or soft tubing, is charged with nitrogen to keep moisture and other contaminants out. | |
| Air Diffuser | An air outlet device which distributes and diffuses air. | |
| air emission inventory | A document that identifies the types and sources of pollutants created by a facility. | |
| Air Exchange Rate | The rate at which outside air replaces indoor air in a given space. See Air Changes Per Hour. | |
| air gap | (1) A physical separation between the water supply line and the nonpotable water tank into which the supply line discharges. (2) A type of backflow prevention in waste lines. | |
| air handling system | The system that moves conditioned air throughout the interior of buildings. It is comprised of the air handling unit, duct work, and vents. | |
| Air Handling Unit (AHU) | A unit that relates to any or all of the following functions: heating, cooling, humidification, dehumidification or filtration of mechanically circulated air. | |
| air horsepower (AHP) | (1) The amount of work a fan performs to move a specific volume (or weight) of air at a specific speed. (2) The work done in moving a given volume or weight of air at a given speed. | |
| air infiltration and exfiltration | Leakage of air into and out of a building around doors and windows, vents, or through cracks or crevices in walls. It is usually measured in cubic feet per meter. | |
| air permit | A central regulatory enforcement tool that establishes limits for specific types of air pollution, techniques for air pollution control, and requirements for monitoring air pollution. | |
| Air Plenum | Any space used to convey air in a building, furnace or structure. The space above a suspended ceiling is often used as an air plenum. | |
| Air Pollutant | Any substance in air that could, in high enough concentration, harm man, other animals, vegetation or material. Pollutants may include almost any natural or artificial composition of matter capable of being airborne. They may be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, gases or any combination thereof. Air pollutants are often grouped in categories for ease in classification. Some of these categories are solids, sulfur compounds, volatile organic chemicals, particulate matter, nitrogen compounds, oxygen compounds, halogen compounds, radioactive compounds and odors. | |
| Air Pollution | The presence of contaminants or pollutant substances in the air that interfere with human health or welfare, or produce other harmful environmental effects. | |
| air toxic | Any of 189 chemicals identified as hazardous air pollutants by the EPA?s Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants provision. These chemicals can cause acute health effects in humans. | |
| Air Toxics | Any air pollutant for which a National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) does not exist that may reasonably be anticipated to cause serious or irreversible chronic or acute health effects in humans. | |
| air-purifying respirators | Respirators that have filters to remove airborne contaminants. | |
| air-to-air heat pump | A specialized air conditioner that uses the surrounding air to either absorb or reject heat. | |
| air-to-fuel ratio | The ratio of the weight or volume of air to fuel. | |
| air-to-water heat pump | A specialized air conditioner that uses a water-cooled condenser to reject heat. | |
| Airborne Particulates | Total suspended particulate matter found in the atmosphere as solid particles or liquid droplets. Chemical composition of particulates varies widely, depending on location and time of year. Sources of airborne particulates include dust, emissions from industrial processes, combustion products from the burning of wood and coal, combustion products associated with motor vehicle or non-road engine exhausts, and reactions to gases in the atmosphere. | |
| airflow window | A window with double-pane, insulated glass on the outside and venetian blinds on the inside. Air flows through the space between the blinds and the glass and is either exhausted outdoors or sent to the HVAC system for distribution to other parts of the building. | |
| AL | See action level. | |
| alarm response | A security service that monitors alarms in a building, responds to investigate the causes of the alarms, and acts when the response dictates. | |
| Alarm Response Center | A security service: a secure area, manned continuously, where security and technical alarms are monitored and alarm response is coordinated, monitored and documented.
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| algae | Simple, chiefly aquatic plants that require sunlight and air for growth. They can produce thick mats on cooling tower decks. | |
| algebraic logic | A sequentially-based mathematical logic system that assigns levels of power to mathematical operations. | |
| algorithm | A set of mathematical rules. | |
| alien insurer | An insurer operating in a state outside of the country in which it is domiciled. | |
| alienable | Able to be conveyed. The transferability of fee simple estates in whole or in part by sale or by gift during the owner?s lifetime or at death. | |
| alkaline | Having a pH value greater than 7. In water treatment, the important additives to increase alkalinity are bicarbonates and carbonates. | |
| Alkaline Cleaner | A cleaning product with a pH above 8.5. Alkalis are used in products to remove oils and fats and include ammoniac, sodium and potassium hydroxide .Strong alkali cleaners are caustic; instructions for use must be strictly adhered to.
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| alkaline soil | Soil high in calcium carbonate or other minerals. It supports a wide variety of plants. | |
| alkylbenzene | A synthetic oil that can be used with both CFC and HCFC refrigerants. | |
| all risks form | Property insurance in which all causes of loss are covered unless specifically excluded or limited in the policy. | |
| all-cash purchase | The 100 percent equity financing of real estate. The purchaser will not have to pay interest, loan commitment fees, or other finance charges and expenses to finance the acquisition of the real estate. | |
| all-channel network | An organizational structure in which every team member communicates with every other team member. | |
| allergen | A biological material, such as the mold penicillium, that elicits a response from the body, usually on the sensitive membranes where the body contacts the environment (e.g., the eyes, nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs). | |
| Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments | ASBE is an alliance of leading sustainable manufacturing companies committed to the education of the marketplace on sustainability. Additionally, the Alliance is compiling a bundled offer of green products for use in the construction of high performance green buildings. Milliken & Company is a founding member. www.greenerfacilities.org | |
| alligatoring | (1) Cracking caused by shrinkage of the bituminous surface of built-up roofing or parking areas, or the exposed surface of smooth-surfaced roofing, in which the cracks have the scaly look of an alligator?s hide. (2) Cracking of a finish coat of paint, usually caused by its application before undercoats or primer are completely dry, or by exposure of the surface to extreme heat. | |
| allocation | The economic mechanism that combines self-interested behavior with scarcity and results in competition for material benefit. | |
| allocation of insurance premiums | The division of insurance costs between a business?s departments or among property management clients so that a fair percentage of the cost is apportioned to each. | |
| allowable costs | Costs paid by the seller on behalf of the buyer at closing. These costs are legally paid by the seller and include title insurance and financing points. | |
| alloy | A metal formed when two or more metals are fused, melted, or otherwise joined. | |
| alphanumeric | Including both letters and numbers, but not graphic data. | |
| ALTA/ACSM survey | A survey that conforms to the standards of the American Land Title Association/American Congress of Survey and Mapping. It generally shows the surveyor?s findings about the property boundaries, the easements and exceptions to coverage cited in the title commitment, and the improvements and utilities within the property. | |
| alteration | Construction to modify existing features of a building; also, construction to prepare a space for occupancy by a specific occupant group or tenant. See also tenant improvement. | |
| alternate site | A location, other than the normal facility, used to process data and/or conduct critical business functions in the event of a disaster.
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| alternating current (AC) | The most commonly used type of electricity, in which the source changes or reverses the polarity of the terminals, typically 60 times per second in the U.S. and 50 in other countries. | |
| alternating current (AC) generator | A device that converts mechanical energy into AC electricity through electromagnetic induction. | |
| Alternative Energy | Energy from a source other than the conventional fossil-fuel sources of oil, natural gas and coal (i.e., wind, running water, the sun). Also referred to as "alternative fuel." Milliken seeks renewable resources to meet its energy needs. See Methane. | |
| Alternative Officing | A mechanism to optimise the accommodation requirements of an organisation using non-traditional workplace environments. | |
| alternator | An electrical generating device that reverses the functions of the rotating armature (windings) and stationary magnetic field in a standard generator. | |
| ALU | See arithmetic logic unit. | |
| Ambient Air | The surrounding air. | |
| Ambient Lighting | LIGHTING: The general lighting present in an area --excluding task lighting and accent lighting but including general lighting and daylight streaming in. | |
| ambient temperature | The temperature in the general area surrounding a specific location, usually resulting from the combined effects of internal and external heat loads. | |
| AMC | Asset Management Council. Also referred to Maintenance Engineers Society of Australia (MESA). | |
| AMENDMENT | A document by which significant changes are made to the terms of an executed contract. Changes requiring an amendment include, but are not limited to adjustments in costs, services, time period, and method of payment. The amendment is incorporated as part of the original contract. | |
| Amenities | Indoor or outdoor facilities and/or conditions associated with a building, site, or community used for personal comfort, convenience or enjoyment of leisure as distinct from the work of industry or business. | |
| amenity | (1) A feature of a building that enhances and adds to the value or desirability of a property. (2) In commercial leasing, a nearby convenience such as a restaurant, shop, or parking that adds desirability to a block of leased space. | |
| Amenity Area | Any area in a facility used by employees for non-work activity, such as employee dining rooms, vending areas, lounges, day-care centers and fitness or health centers. | |
| AMENITY AREA 1 | Any area in a facility used by employees for non-work activity, such as employee dining rooms, vending areas, lounges, day-care centers and fitness or health centers. (definition from IFMA website)
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| amenity package | The collective amenities in a building. | |
| American Board of Industrial Hygiene (ABIH) | An organization that oversees certification and code of ethics for certified industrial hygienists and occupational health and safety technologists. | |
| American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) | A member-based organization and community of professionals that advances worker health and safety through education and the development and dissemination of scientific and technical knowledge. (Definition from the ACGIH website, www.acgih.org.) | |
| American Disabilities Act (ADA) | The American Disabilities Act of 1990 is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability | |
| American drawing right (ADR) | A United States registered equity security that evidences stock ownership in a foreign business firm. | |
| American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) | An organization that defines and promotes the practice of industrial hygiene. | |
| American National Standards Institute (ANSI) | A private, non-profit organization, founded in 1918, that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. ANSI?s mission is to enhance both the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity. (Definition adapted from the ANSI website, www.ansi.org.) | |
| American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) | An international membership organization founded to advance the arts and sciences of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, and related issues. (Definition adapted from the ASHRAE website, www. ashrae.gov.) | |
| American wire gauge (AWG) | For most common applications, electrical wires are numbered according to this standard. The wire size number gets smaller as the wire diameter increases. | |
| Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) | A federal act that requires employers to make facilities where business is conducted fully accessible to persons with disabilities. | |
| ammeter | A meter that measures the flow of electric current in amperes (A). | |
| AMO | See Accredited Management Organization. | |
| Amortization | The process of recovering, over a period of time, the capital investment through scheduled, systematic repayments at regular intervals. Periodic contributions to a sinking fund to discharge a debt or make a replacement at a future date. | |
| amortization period | The time taken to complete the process of recovering a capital investment through regular repayments (usually from resulting income) to discharge a debt or make a replacement at a future date.
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| amortize | To reduce a debt over a prescribed period of time, usually by equal monthly payments of combined principal and interest. | |
| amosite | A brown or gray type of asbestos mineral frequently used as a plaster-like insulation material on pipes and boilers. | |
| AMP | Association of Maintenance Professionals
WWW.amp.org | |
| ampacity | The current-carrying capacity of a conductor. The maximum ampacity of a conductor is the largest amount of current that can flow through a conductor without causing the conductor to overheat. See article 310-16 of the National Electrical Code. | |
| amperage | The measure of the flow of electrons through a conductor. | |
| amperage-interrupting capacity | The maximum amount of short-circuit current that a circuit breaker can safely interrupt. | |
| ampere | A measure of the rate of electron flow or electric current; the number of electrons passing a certain point within a conductor or circuit per unit of time; usually abbreviated A or amp and symbolized by I. | |
| ampere-hours | Battery rating that indicates the ability of a battery to provide a current flow (amperes) for a specific period of time (hours). Also called amp-hours. | |
| AMPRI | Asosiasi Manajemen Properti Indonesia (the Indonesia Property Management Association). The non-profit association of both the companies and the professionals in Property/Facility Management in Indonesia. AMPRI is the affiliate of BOMA International. | |
| anaerobes | See anaerobic bacteria. | |
| anaerobic bacteria | Bacteria that can thrive only in the absence of oxygen. Usually create corrosive acids. Also called anaerobes. | |
| analog | Physical characteristics? such as voltage, pressure, or shaft rotations?expressed in numerical form. | |
| analog device | A device that measures the relative strength of a specific item or force and translates that measurement into a corresponding voltage using a needle indicator vs. a digital display. Also called an analog meter. | |
| analog signal | A control signal that varies over a range, for example the temperature of a room. | |
| analytical report | A presentation of facts complete with an interpretation of those facts. | |
| Analytical tools | Any process used to evaluate some aspect of an item. Each tool is used for a specific purpose. Several tools are outlined in this white paper. | |
| anchortenant | The largest tenant(s) in an office or retail building. | |
| Ancillary Area | Floor area which supports more than one workspace, such as meeting rooms or utility area for two or more business units, but is not shared by the whole organisation. | |
| angle beam | An L-shaped section designated by the length of both legs and the thickness of metal in the legs. Angles are used for miscellaneous metal in buildings such as lintels. | |
| Animation | A collection of tracks that define the dynamic property changes to associated objects. | |
| annealed glass | Ordinary glass that breaks into large shards, thus constituting a safety hazard. | |
| anniversary index | The value of a dollar of rent adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index on each annual lease anniversary date. | |
| annual | Planting that germinates from seed, grows and blooms, forms seeds, and dies within one growing season. | |
| Annual Capital Renewal Expenditures | Expenditures over and above facility maintenance operating budget expenditures required to keep the physical plant in reliable operating condition for its present use. These expenditures are over and above normal maintenance for items with a life cycle in excess of one year and are not normally contained in an annual facility operating budget.
Also referred to as CAPEX. | |
| annual debt service | The annual amount of money used to pay the principal and interest on borrowed money being amortized, which is usually in the form of a promissory note from a lender. | |
| annual percentage rate (APR) | The simple interest rate charged to a borrower by a lender. | |
| annual summary | A record of each year?s occupational injury and illness totals from the OSHA No. 200 log. | |
| annual work plan | A plan of facilities work, including both projects and operations activities, to be accomplished in the present year or coming year. | |
| Annualized Component Renewal Cost | The average annual cost, in today's dollars, of establishing a long-term funding reserve to replace building components as computed from detailed analysis performed during the life cycle projections of individual building components. | |
| annuity | An annual income. An annuity is a contract for income payable at regular intervals and at specified amounts. | |
| annuity capitalization | A method of converting net income to a value estimate. This method relies on a predictable income stream, which usually means the existence of leases and employs the process of discounting. | |
| annular space | The space between the two cylindrical walls of a double-walled tank. | |
| annunciator panel | A control panel that displays the source of an activated fire detector, security breach, or other building emergency. | |
| anode | (1) A metal surface that emits positively charged ions transferred to a cathode through an electrolyte. (2) A place along a metal surface where metal loss occurs. The dissolving metal releases electrons into an electrolyte. | |
| anodic hardcoat coloring | An anodizing process that develops a denser, harder, and even more abrasion-resistant coating than standard anodizing. Color-fast earth tone hues can be integrally developed as an added benefit of these architectural hardcoat finishes. | |
| anodized aluminum | Aluminum treated by electrolysis to develop a protective coating on its surface to improve resistance to oxidation and corrosion. | |
| ANPRM | See Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. | |
| ANSI | American National Standards Institute is a premier source for timely, relevant, actionable information on national, regional, international standards and conformity assessment issues. | |
| ANSI (American National Standards Institute) | LIGHTING: A consensus-based organization which coordinates voluntary standards for the physical, electrical and performance characteristics of lamps, ballasts, luminaries and other lighting and electrical equipment. | |
| ANSI Codes | LIGHTING: These are 3-letter codes assigned by the American National Standards Institute. They provide a system of assuring mechanical and electrical interchangeability among similarly coded lamps from various manufacturers. General Electric uses the assigned ANSI Codes as Lamp Ordering Codes for most Projection Lamps. | |
| ANSI/EIA/TIA-568 | A United States industry standard published jointly by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) and the EIA/TIA (Electronic Industry Alliance/Telecommunications Industry Alliance) specifying a generic structured cabling system for commercial buildings. | |
| anthropometry | The study of the dimensions of the body and its segments. | |
| anticipated emergency | An emergency that should be included in an emergency response plan. When evaluating such an emergency, a facility owner or manager should envision a reasonably predictable worst-case scenario, determine the potential for the emergency in that scenario, and then plan responses accordingly. | |
| antigen | A substance, such as a toxin, that can trigger an immune response. | |
| Antimicrobial | An agent that prevents the growth of microbes. Milliken?s AlphaSan? is a safe and stable silver-based ion tested for efficacy and toxicity and cleared by the FDA and EPA for food contact. | |
| API | See application-programming interface. | |
| APPA | Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA) serves as a resource to the press and other media outlets on topics related to facility management at educational facilities.
Also refer to TEFMA. | |
| apparent authority | In an agency relationship, apparent authority expands the scope of the agent?s authority beyond the authority explicitly given by the principal. This occurs when an agent acts outside the scope of the explicit terms of authority but in a manner that the principal, through his or her conduct, knowingly allows. Also called ostensible authority. | |
| apparent consent | The consent that a reasonable person would infer from a plaintiff?s conduct. | |
| apparent lead concentration | The initial XRF reading from a painted substrate. This reading may include lead in both the paint and the underlying substrate. | |
| apparent power | The power consumed by a circuit with both inductance and resistance, expressed in units of volt-amperes. | |
| appellate court | A court that decides whether the law was correctly interpreted and applied at the trial court level. | |
| Appliance/Equipment Efficiency Standards | Many states have established minimum efficiency standards for certain appliances and equipment. In these states, the retail sale of appliances and equipment that do not meet the established standards is prohibited. The federal government has also established efficiency standards for certain appliances and equipment. When both the federal government and a state have adopted efficiency standards for the same type of appliance or equipment, the federal standard overrides the state standard even if the state standard is stricter.
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| Application | LIGHTING: Also called "lighting application," it refers to the particular use the lamp is being put to. (e.g. high-bay industrial application or retail lighting application.) The term can also refer in a general way to "application engineering" which deals with specific parameters and usage of light sources. (e.g. how to do a lighting layout, where to place fixtures and so on.) | |
| Application Programming Interface (API) | A description of the way one piece of software asks another program to perform a service. | |
| application service provider (ASP) | An Internet business model that offers software services on demand over the web, without the need to invest in specific software products. | |
| application-programming interface (API) | A set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software applications. | |
| appraisal | The act or process of estimating value. An opinion of the nature, quality, value, or utility of specified interests in, or aspects of, identified real estate. | |
| appraisal provision | See arbitration provision. | |
| appreciation | The increase in value of a real estate property. | |
| Appreciation Potential | The possibility or probability that a real estate investment will increase in value during the holding period. | |
| approach | The difference between the temperature of water leaving a cooling tower and the entering air?s wet-bulb temperature. | |
| appurtenance | A structural addition to land. Types of appurtenances include, but are not limited to, buildings, fences, and specialized structures such as towers and security barriers. | |
| APR | See annual percentage rate. | |
| arbitrage | The process of purchasing goods or monies in one market and selling them in another market at a higher price. | |
| Arbitration | Using an independent third party to settle disputes without going to court. The third party acting as arbitrator must be agreed by both sides. Contracts often include arbitration clauses nominating an arbitrator in advance. | |
| arbitration provision | An insurance policy provision that specifies the process by which disagreements about claims will be settled. Also called an appraisal provision. | |
| arc discharge lamp | A device that produces light when an arc is generated between a cathode and an anode within a lamp filled with gases. | |
| Arc Lamp | LIGHTING: Also called a discharge lamp, or an arc discharge lamp. | |
| arcade space | A category of retail space that may be located anywhere in a building where there is a transitional walkway where people travel from one place to another. Also called a concourse. | |
| architect/engineer | An individual or firm on contract to develop project design and construction documents based on a statement of requirements provided by a building owner. | |
| architectural partition plan | A construction drawing that indicates the placement and type of all new and existing partitions and doors. | |
| architectural plans | Drawings organized according to the trades required for a job. Architectural plans typically show floor plans, sections, details, and lists of items such as finishes. | |
| architectural scale | A device for measuring scaled dimensions in the English system of measurement, in terms of halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths of inches to the foot. Such scaling is typically used on building construction documents. See also engineering scale. | |
| architectural section | A cutaway view of a particular group of building components showing how they go together and specifying details and dimensions. | |
| archival records | Records that document significant events in the history of an organization. See also inactive records and vital records. | |
| archival storage | Storage space designed to preserve records by carefully restricting access and monitoring environmental conditions. | |
| area | The square footage of any plane surface or cross-section. | |
| area amenities | Those amenities within the neighborhood or the geographic area surrounding a building and comparable buildings. | |
| area cleaning | Performance of all cleaning tasks within a given area by the same cleaner, except for restroom and project cleaning. | |
| area of duct | The product of the height and width of a duct. | |
| Area Per Person | The net lettable area of an occupancy in square meters (Property Council of Australia?s Method of Measurement) divided by the number of full time (or equivalent) employees (FTE) occupying the space. Also defined as space utilization rate. | |
| area sample | A stationary asbestos air sample that targets a certain volume of air in a building space; used for hazard assessments and abatement clearances. | |
| area take-off | A calculation of space area from a floor plan, for purposes such as estimation of construction costs, allocation of building operating costs, or size of a department?s occupancy. | |
| arena catering | Type of event catering: arena catering is the provision of food to guests at various types of event. e.g. sport events and concerts. | |
| arithmetic logic unit (ALU) | Performs arithmetic and logical operations. | |
| ARM | (1) See Accredited Residential Manager. (2) See adjustable rate mortgage. | |
| armature | A rotating part of an electric motor that consists of coils of wire around a metal core in which electric current is induced or in which the input current interacts with a magnetic field to produce torque. | |
| arson | The crime of maliciously burning property. | |
| articles of organization | A formal document that legally creates a limited liability company when filed with the state in which the limited liability company is formed. | |
| as-built condition | See as-is condition. | |
| as-built drawings | An accurate record of the placement of construction components and the routing of other components such as cables, pipes, and ducts that indicate how a building was actually built, rather than how it was designed to be built. As-built drawings are submitted by each trade (e.g. mechanical, electrical). They document a building?s systems and components, as observed and documented in the field. See also record drawings. | |
| as-is condition | The existing condition of a tenant space, including all improvements. It is also used as a condition of a sale wherein the buyer agrees to purchase and accept the property in its current condition. The seller makes no representations or warranties as to the condition or habitability of the property. Also called as-built condition. | |
| ASBEC | The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council, the peak body of organisations working on sustainability in the built environment: PCA,
Energy Efficiency Council, Green Building Council, Engineers Australia and others. Has published excellent research on economic case for
government support for greening commercial buildings.
www.asbec.asn.au | |
| asbestos | The generic name for a number of naturally occurring, hydrated mineral silicates with a unique fibrous structure known for fire resistant qualities. | |
| asbestos abatement | Remedial actions employed to prevent fibers from being released from ACM or to remove the ACM entirely. | |
| asbestos abatement liability insurance | Insurance that covers an asbestos abatement contractor against claims of third-party bodily injury or property damage arising from a release of asbestos during abatement activities. | |
| Asbestos Analysts Registry (AAR) | A program run by the American Industrial Hygiene Association to establish the proficiency of field staff who are analyzing asbestos using phase contrast microscopy. | |
| Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) | EPA regulations (40 CFR Part 763) targeting asbestos in schools. It is a Model Accreditation Plan established for asbestos workers, supervisors, and inspectors, and for designers and management planners. | |
| asbestos removal | The process of completely removing asbestos-containing material. | |
| Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act (ASHARA) | An extension of the EPA?s Model Accreditation Plan into public and commercial buildings. | |
| asbestos-containing material (ACM) | According to the EPA, any material composed of more than 1 percent asbestos. | |
| asbestos-in-place insurance | Insurance that provides liability protection to property owners who decide to leave asbestos in place under an operations and maintenance program. | |
| asbestosis | A chronic, nonmalignant, progressive, irreversible lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos-containing materials. | |
| ASHARA | See Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act. | |
| ASHE | American Society for Healthcare Engineering. http://www.ashe.org/ashe/about/mission/index.html | |
| ASHRAE | American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers. http://www.ashrae.org/ | |
| asked price | The price a securities dealer or stockbroker will accept to sell an investment security to a purchaser. | |
| ASP | See application service provider. | |
| Aspect | Appearance to the eye or mind. The extent of view to the outside of building from a specific position on the floor. | |
| aspect ratio | The ratio of the long dimension to the short dimension at the cross section of a duct. | |
| asphalt | A dark brown to black, highly viscous hydrocarbon residue used as the waterproofing agent in built-up roofs. It is produced from the petroleum distillation process. Asphalt comes in a wide range of viscosities and softening points, from about 135°F (dead level asphalt) to 210°F or more (special steep asphalt). See also bitumen. | |
| asphalt mastic | A mixture of asphaltic material, graded mineral aggregate, and fine mineral matter that can be poured when heated, but that requires mechanical manipulation to form. | |
| asphalt tile | A substance bound together by a blend of selected asphaltic binders. Pigments are added for color and in some cases polystyrene plastic for strength. | |
| assault | An act intended to cause harmful or offensive contact with the plaintiff or a third person, or intended to cause imminent apprehension of such contact, and where the plaintiff is thereby put in such imminent apprehension. The standards for criminal and civil assault vary slightly. | |
| Assaults | Any aggressive act of hitting, kicking, pushing, biting, scratching, sexual attack or any other such physical or verbal attacks directed to the worker by a patient/client, relative or associated individual which arises during or as a result of the performance of duties and which results in death, physical or mental injury. An assault may be committed without touching, striking, or doing bodily harm to another person. | |
| assent | The agreement of the offeror and offeree as to the terms of their bargain. | |
| assessable stock | An equity security which provides that, in the event of failure of the firm, the stockholder of record can be assessed a predetermined amount to satisfy creditors of the firm. | |
| assessed value | Administrative, government-imposed valuations or the value according to the tax rolls in ad valorem taxation. | |
| assessment mutual insurance company | An insurance company that concentrates on writing insurance for farm properties in rural areas of the country and that has the right to charge back or assess policyholders for losses if the losses are more than were expected. | |
| Asset | Anything considered by an organisation having a positive value, especially of financial value. | |
| Asset Management | A systematic process of maintaining, upgrading and operating assets, combining engineering principles with sound business practice and economic rationale, and providing tools to facilitate a more organised and flexible approach to making the decisions necessary to achieve the public?s expectations. | |
| asset manager | A job title for a person who is responsible for the management of investments, and whose main goal it is to create value by directing and measuring asset performance. | |
| Asset Register | A record of items considered worthy of identification as discrete assets, A physical asset register includes information about each asset, such as type of construction and technical details. | |
| Asset Utilization | Percentage of time a plant is operating at Maximum Demonstrated Production Rate, with perfect quality and defined yield. This is often used as a metric for CMMS implementations. | |
| asset-based CAFM application | A computer-based management system that tracks furniture and equipment piece by piece. See also catalog-based CAFM application. | |
| Assignable Area | Portion of the plannable area on a floor that can be assigned to occupant groups or functions. (ASTM E631-93a Reapproved 1998)
DISCUSSION - Assignable area includes interior walls and interior encroachments. It does not include restricted areas, occupant voids, unassignable areas or secondary circulation. Users may choose to measure interior encroachments, and if measured, interior encroachments like secondary circulation area are generally pro-rated back to the occupant(s), e.g. not directly assignable.
******
A Unified Approach for Measuring Office Space
For Use in Facility and Property Management
Copyright 2007. Building Owners and Managers Association International and International Facility Management Association. All rights reserved. ISBN # 1-883176-73-5
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| assigned risk pool | A state-established market for insurance risks that do not meet the underwriting criteria of insurance companies in the voluntary market. Also called involuntary market. | |
| assignee | A party to whom contract benefits are assigned. Unlike a third-party beneficiary, the assignee acquires no rights under the contract until and unless a party to the contract (assignor) transfers his or her rights by assignment. | |
| assignment | (1) A transfer of an entire interest in an unexpired lease term. (2) A transfer of rights in a contract from a party (assignor) to someone who is not a party to the contract (assignee). Includes the transfer of a tenant?s entire interest in leased premises to an assignee. (3) A transfer of right, title, or interest in property. | |
| assignor | An original party to a contract who transfers rights in the contract to someone who is not a party to the contract (assignee). | |
| assumption | (1) A transfer of obligations from one party to another. (2) A delegatee?s acceptance of a delegation of duties under a contract. | |
| assumption of risk | A legal defense to negligence based on express or implied assumption by the plaintiff of the risk of injury resulting from the negligent act. | |
| assumption-of-risk theory | An allegation that the plaintiff knew he or she was entering into or involved in a situation with known or apparent risks, and the defendant should not be held responsible since the plaintiff failed to object to the inherent risks or remove himself or herself from the situation. | |
| AST | See aboveground storage tank. | |
| asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) | A network technology that transfers data in cells or packages of a fixed size. | |
| at-will employment | An employer-employee relationship that can be changed or terminated at any time by either the employee or the employer for any lawful reason. Contrast to contractual employment, in which the terms of the employment relationship are covered by a contract. | |
| ATAP | Association of Threat Assessment Professionals http://www.atapworldwide.org/
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| ATFACHMENT I | The unique, program-specific part of a contract that contains the statement of work for each provider including services to be provided, manner of service provision, method of payment, and special provisions. | |
| atmospheric pressure | Natural air pressure, which is 14.7 psia at sea level. See also gauge pressure. | |
| atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) | An instrumentation method commonly used to identify and quantify metals. It can be used to measure the presence of elements such as lead. | |
| atrium | A floor opening or series of floor openings connecting two or more stories and covered at the top by panels of plastic or glass. Atria permit natural light to illuminate interior areas. | |
| attainment | A designation given to areas that consistently meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards. This term is also used to describe the goal of areas that consistently do not meet NAAQSs, or nonattainment areas. | |
| attainment area | An area that meets regulatory limits for specific ambient air pollutants, typically sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and particulate matter. | |
| attempt | A crime that consists of an overt act combined with the intent to commit a crime. | |
| attornment | A tenant?s recognition of the mortgagee as the landlord in the event of a loan default. | |
| attornment clause | A clause included in a formal subordination, attornment, and nondisturbance agreement between a tenant, lender, and landlord under which the tenant agrees to recognize the lender as the successor to the landlord under the lease agreement in the event the lender subsequently becomes the owner of the mortgaged property. | |
| attractive nuisance | The legal doctrine that makes the property owner negligent for having conditions on the property that are both attractive and dangerous to children, such as tractors, open pits, or unattended swimming pools. | |
| attributable cost | A cost that can be directly associated with a particular project, program, or cost center. See also indirectly attributable cost and nonattributable cost. | |
| attribute | In software, descriptive information attached to a piece of data to help identify and describe it. Examples include part number, style, color, finish, brand name, manufacturer, and condition of a chair. Attributes can be used to set up data tables within a database management system. See also spatial designation. | |
| Attribute Data | Tabular or textual data describing the geographic characteristics of features. | |
| Audit | A thorough inspection of the base building, interior development and infrastructure; also used as a tool to provide senior management with the cost of capital renewal programs on which to base strategic facility planning. | |
| AUDIT 1 | A thorough inspection of the base building, interior development and infrastructure; also used as a tool to provide senior management with the cost of capital renewal programs on which to base strategic facility planning. (definition from IFMA website) | |
| audit opinion | A written statement concerning a company?s financial records. A qualified opinion specifies any reservations the auditor may have. An unqualified opinion indicates that the auditor has no such reservations, that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the company and the results of its operations. | |
| audit point | A formal letter from an auditor that lists deficiencies in a company?s accounting records or controls. | |
| AUDIT TRAIL | A recorded flow of transactions from initiation to finalization with supporting documentation to justify each transaction. | |
| audit-response letter | A letter sent in response to the post-audit letter. It is important that a timely and thorough response be provided. | |
| audited financial statement | A document that evidences that a company has employed a professional, independent accounting firm to audit its financial records. This statement must be signed by a CPA. | |
| augered-in-place pilings | An in-site pile foundation that transmits the load to the firm loadbearing strata through their points. | |
| Australian Competition and Consumer Commission | See ACCC | |
| Australian Conservation Foundation | ACF. A middle of the road green group, more activist that the World Wildlife Federation (see WWF) but much happier to collaborate with business than Greenpeace.
www.acfonline.com.au | |
| Australian Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts | See DEWHA | |
| Australian Direct Property Investment Association | See ADPIA | |
| Australian Government?s Department of Climate Change | See DCC | |
| Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council | See ASBEC | |
| authority having jurisdiction | The principle that local rules supersede those outlined by federal rules and standards. Interpretation of codes is left to the discretion of a local inspector, building department, or electrical board. Local rules may never be less stringent than federal ones. | |
| Auto Rest Shutdown Circuit | LIGHTING: Circuit senses lamp end life and will automatically shut off power to the lamp(s). When a new lamp is inserted in the socket, the ballast resets, and turns on the lamp automatically. Some shutdown circuits require the power to be interrupted before a new lamp will re-light. | |
| autoexecbat | The name of the batch file that instructs the computer how to automatically load various types of software each time the computer is turned on. | |
| automated attendant system | A telecommunications system used to answer incoming calls, provide instructions to the callers, and route the calls within the system based on the digits that a caller dials. See also voice response system. | |
| automated office | Refers to automated clerical, technical, and managerial functions associated with information-based jobs. | |
| automatic call sequencer (ACS) | A telephone system that puts incoming calls on hold and indicates how long each caller has been on hold. | |
| automatic expansion valve | A valve designed to maintain a constant pressure in the evaporator and to meter the refrigerant by using a pressure sensing device. Also called a constant pressure expansion valve. | |
| automatic sprinkler system | A buildings system that automatically discharges water in order to extinguish or control the spread of fire before substantial damage occurs. | |
| Automatic Sprinklers | The part of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water once a fire has been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been reached. Also refer fire sprinkler. | |
| automatic storage hot water heater | A water heater incorporating a storage tank, controls, and a heating mechanism in a single unit. | |
| automatic viscosity controller | Device that heats or cools fuel to provide proper fuel temperature for efficient combustion. | |
| Automation Compatible Mail | Mail that is prepared according to USPS standards so it can be scanned and processed by automated mail processing equipment such as a barcode sorter.
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| automobile coverage symbols | Numerical symbols on the declarations page of an automobile insurance policy that indicate the coverages that apply to specific autos. | |
| automobile medical payments coverage | Insurance to pay the medical expenses of injured persons without regard to fault. Medical payments coverage pays for the medical expenses of those persons occupying, entering, or leaving the automobile involved in an accident. | |
| availability | Availability describes the requirement that an asset or resource be accessible and in functional condition at all times. The purpose of technical facilities is to simplify processes; they must be 100% available and run absolutely smoothly. This is the objective of technical management .
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| Average | An arithmetical mean, or intermediate quantity of a set of quantities, being the sum or total of all responses divided by the number of respondents. | |
| Average Annual Effective Rate | The average annual effective rent divided by the square footage. | |
| Average Annual Effective Rent | The tenant?s total effective rent divided by the lease term. | |
| Averaging Method | A simple technique used to forecast next period's/year's vacancy rate by averaging previous years' vacancy rates; especially effective where vacancy rates have remained relatively flat or show little variability over time. | |
| avoidance | A loss control method that attempts to rid the business of a loss exposure altogether. | |
| AWG | See American wire gauge. | |
| azeotropic | A blended refrigerant that acts as one refrigerant and behaves as a single component while in a liquid and/or vapor state. Azeotropics are in the 500 series refrigerant family. | |