The NCS v4.0 is comprised of the National Institute of Building Sciences' Foreword and Administration, the American Institute of Architect's CAD Layer Guidelines, the Construction Specification Institute's Uniform Drawing System and the National Institute of Building Sciences' Plotting Guidelines.
The following are sample pages from each module of the standard (Adobe Acrobat PDFs):
Foreword and Administration
The foreword and administration provides a brief history of the development of the NCS and the process for its future evolution and development.
These guidelines discuss layer name format, and provide exhaustive layer lists for over twenty types of layers. The Layer module includes new layer lists for survey/ mapping, geotechnical, civil, landscape, structural, fire protection, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, Process and telecommunications.
The Uniform Drawing System (UDS) is a standardized system for organizing and presenting building design information. This flexible resource is used to organize and manage construction drawings for virtually any project and project delivery method, for the entire life cycle of a facility.
Drawing Set Organization:
Establishes set content and order, sheet identification, and file naming for a set of construction drawings.
Sheet Organization:
Provides format for sheets - Includes drawing, title block, and production reference areas and their content. Also includes a coordinate-based location system and preferred sheet sizes.
Schedules:
Sets consistency in format, terminology, and content. Additional guidelines include how to "build" a project-specific schedule and an organizational system for identifying and filing schedules.
Drafting Conventions:
Addresses standard conventions used in drawings: drawing orientation, layout, symbols, material indications, line types, dimensions, drawing scale, diagrams, notation, and cross-referencing.
Terms & Abbreviations:
Provides standard terms and standard abbreviations used in construction documents and specifications. It provides consistent spelling and terminology, standardizes abbreviations, and notes common usage.
Symbols:
Addresses commonly used standard symbols, classifications, graphic representation, and organization in creating, understanding and fulfilling the intent of construction documents. The symbols are categorized using MasterFormat™ 2004 numbers and titles for easy referencing. A product of a joint effort with the CADD/GIS Technology Center.
Notations:
Provides guidelines for notation classification, format, components, and location; use of notes; terminology; and linking to specifications.
Code Conventions:
Identifies types of general regulatory information that should appear on drawings, locates code-related information in a set of drawings, and provides standard graphic conventions. This tool can be used to expedite code review by designers and plan review authorities.
Plotting Guidelines:
Provides gray scale, color, and line width tables..
Voluntary adoption of the Standard across the industry will improve the efficiency of building design, construction, and management throughout the life-cycle of facilities. Adoption will benefit architects, engineers, contractors, and building owners by establishing a common language for the building design and documentation process. Implementation of the NCS eliminates overhead costs that many organizations now incur trying to maintain proprietary office standards, training new staff in their use, and coordinating proprietary office formats among various design consultants.