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A/E
An informal abbreviation for architectural/engineering or architect/engineer.
A/E/I/P
Architectural Engineering, Interior Design or Space Planning firm.
AAS
Atomic absorption spectrometry. A method of measuring the presence of elements such as lead.
Abandonment
Decommissioning an unusable underground storage tank in place by cleaning and filling it with an inert material.
Abatement
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.
ABIH
American Board of Industrial Hygiene. Oversees certification and code of ethics for certified industrial hygienists (CIH) and occupational health and safety technologists (OHST).
Above Building Standard
Services and finishes provided by a landlord that exceed those provided under the base rent. The tenant reimburses above standard services to the landlord.
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
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.
Abstract
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.
AC (Alternating Current)
The most commonly used type of electricity, in which the source changes or reverses the polarity of the terminals, typically 50 or 60 times per second.
Accent Lighting
Lighting that provides an unusual or dramatic effect to accentuate or draw attention to a specific object or area.
Acceptance
An unequivocal acknowledgment of an agreement to accept the terms of an offer.
Acceptance
A much less common form of bank debt. These obligations take the form of a guarantee of a promissory note issued by a borrower.
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.
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.
Accounts Receivable Insurance
Indemnifies or covers businesses for the financial loss that results when they are unable to collect money owed because of damage to accounts receivable records, or pays the expense of reconstructing the records.
Accredited Management Organization (AMO)
A distinction awarded by the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) to companies who subscribe to the principles of the IREM bylaws.
Accredited Residential Manager (ARM)
A professional classification offered by the IREM.
Accrual-Accounting method
Under this method, income is assumed as received and expenses are assumed 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.
ACGIH
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
Acid cleaning
Removal of millscale, rust, and scale from the metal surfaces of boilers or cooling tower condensers through the use of strong chemical cleansers.
Acidic soil
Soil common in areas with heavy rainfall, sandy soil, and soils rich in organic matter.
Acidity
Having a pH value less than 7.
ACM
Asbestos-containing material. According to the EPA, any material composed of more than 1 percent asbestos.
ACS
Automatic call sequencer. A telephone system that puts incoming calls on hold and indicates how long each caller has been on hold.
Active solar heating system
Solar heating systems that capture and store heat from the sun's rays using pumps, valves, heat exchangers, and other auxiliary equipment. These systems also require a fluid to transfer heat to a building's interior.
Activity settings
Places that are designed to support particular behaviors, such as large formal meetings and small informal gatherings
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 and fluids.
Acute effect
A severe or immediate reaction to a hazard, usually resulting from a single, large exposure.
ACV
Actual cash value. The actual cost to replace property with new property, less reasonable depreciation.
ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. A federal act that requires employers to make facilities where business is conducted fully accessible to persons with disabilities.
Addendum
Amendments to construction contract documents made prior to receipt of bids or proposals for construction.
Additional insured
A person or business entity, other than the named insured, who has certain rights and coverage under the insurance policy.
Additional persons as insureds coverage
Adds your employees as insureds under your general liability insurance coverage for acts performed within the scope of their employment.
Additional rent
(1) Results from lease provisions that allow increases of fixed expenses, such as taxes and insurance, to be passed on to the lessee 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 often includes late payment fees, costs of collection, and other miscellaneous expenses and may include operating expenses in excess of an expense stop.
Adjacency analysis
A method of assigning priorities to the proximity needs of different individuals or organizational units. Used extensively in space planning.
Adjacency diagram
A diagram documenting critical adjacencies (physical proximity) of workstations and support functions, or proximities of organizational groups to each other.
Adjunct
Add-on telecommunications equipment, with its own CPU and intelligence, that works with a telephone system but is separate from it.
Adjusted basis
An asset's original cost increased by improvements and reduced by depreciation and tax credits.
Administrative agencies
(1) Those regulatory or other bodies created by the U.S. Congress or a state legislature to enforce specific laws. (2) Law-making agencies of the federal government that are created by acts of Congress to regulate specific areas. Federal administrative agencies include the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Administrative support
Includes mail and reproduction services, transportation services, guest and hospitality services, food service, and others.
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 admittance at the perimeter of a building 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.
Advance premium mutual insurance companies
Insurance companies that set their premiums at a level that they believe 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.
Adverse possession
A 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.
Aerobic bacteria (AEROBES)
A slime-forming bacteria that can thrive only in the presence of oxygen. Slime is most often found in evaporative condensers and air conditioning piping.
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 exists at the inception or beginning of the policy period.
Agency by estoppel
Agency 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
Relationship in which one party (the principal) grants to another (the agent) the management of some business or affair that is to be transacted in the name of the principal.
Agency-billed premium
Insurance premium billed by the insurance agent.
Agent
One entrusted and authorized to act for another.
Agent of record letter
Letter specifying on the insurer's letterhead which agent or broker the insurer recognizes as the insured's agent.
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
A provision in the loss-of-income coverage form that waives the coinsurance requirement based on an agreement between the policyholder and the insurance company that the amount of insurance coverage purchased represents full insurance to value.
AHERA
EPA Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (40 CFR Part 763). Regulations targeting asbestos in schools. A Model Accreditation Plan (MAP) established for asbestos workers, supervisors, and inspectors, and for designers and management planners.
AIHA
American Industrial Hygiene Association. An organization that defines and promotes the practice of industrial hygiene.
Air emission inventory
A document that identifies the amount of pollutants being emitted from a facility or region.
Air handling system
The system that moves conditioned air throughout the interior of buildings.
Air handling unit
The heart of the air handling system via fans, filters, and other equipment. It circulates, cleans, heats, cools, humidifies, dehumidifies, and mixes air for distribution within a building.
Air horsepower (AHP)
The work done in moving a given volume or weight of air at a given speed.
Air toxics
The 189 chemicals identified by the EPA Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) provision, as hazardous air pollutants. Can cause acute health effects in humans.
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
Action level. As defined by OSHA, the point at which something must be done to correct or eliminate the presence of a hazardous substance.
Alarm response
A security service consisting of monitoring alarms in the building, responding to investigate the causes of the alarms, and acting when the response dictates.
Algea
Simple plants that require sunlight for growth. They produce thick mats on 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.
Alkaline soil
Soil high in calcium carbonate or other minerals. Supports a wide variety of plants.
Alkalinity
Having a pH value greater than 7. In water treatment, the important forms of alkalinity are bicarbonates and carbonates.
Allergens
Biological materials, such as the mold penicillium, that elicit 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).
Alligatoring
(1) Cracking caused by shrinkage of the bituminous surface of built-up roofing, 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.
Alphanumeric
Including both letters and numbers, but not graphic data.
ALTA / ACSM survey
A survey showing (i) the surveyor's findings about the property boundaries, (ii) the easements and exceptions to coverages cited in the title commitment, and (iii) the improvements and utilities within the property.
Alternating current Generators
Devices that convert mechanical energy into AC electricity through electromagnetic induction.
Alternator
An electrical generating device that reverses the functions of the rotating armature (windings) and stationary magnetic field in a standard generator.
Ambient Lighting
The general level of illumination created by overhead fixtures and outside natural light.
Ambient temperature
The temperature in the general area surrounding a specific location, usually resulting from the combined effects of internal and external heat loads.
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
American Drawing Right (ADR)
A United States registered equity security that evidences stock ownership in a foreign business firm.
Ammeter
A meter that measures electric current in amps (A).
Ammeter (Clamp on)
An electric meter that can measure the current flow through a conductor without actually connecting the meter to the circuit.
Amortization
Periodic payments, usually level, which include repayment of principal and payment of interest on the declining principal balance of a loan.
Amortization of a loan
The gradual reduction of a debt balance through periodic partial payments of principal over the term of the loan.
Amosite
A brown or gray type of asbestos mineral frequently used as a plaster-like insulation material on pipes and boilers.
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. Article 310-16, National Electrical Code (NEC).
Amperage-Interrupting capacity
The maximum amount of short-circuit current that a circuit breaker can safely interrupt.
Ampere-Hours or AMP-Hours
Battery rating that indicates the ability of a battery to provide a current flow (amperes) for a specific period of time (hours).
Amperes or amps
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 and symbolized by I.
Anaerobic bacteria (Anaerobes)
A bacteria that can thrive only in the absence of oxygen. Usually creates corrosive acids.
Analog
Physical characteristics — such as voltage, pressure, or shaft rotations — expressed in numerical form.
Analog device or meter
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.
Analog signal
A control signal that varies over a range (e.g., temperature of a room).
Annual
Planting that germinates from seed, grows and blooms, forms seeds, and dies within one growing season.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
The simple interest rate charged a borrower by a lender over the period of a year.
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.
Annuity
Literally meaning 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 relies on a predictable income stream, which usually means the existence of leases, and employs the process of discounting.
Annunciator panel
A control panel that locates and 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 the water.
Anodic hardcoat coloring
An anodizing process that develops a denser, harder, and even more abrasion-resistant coating than standard anodizing. Color-fast "earthtone" hues can be integrally developed as an added benefit of these architectural hardcoat finishes.
Anodized aluminium
Aluminum treated by electrolysis to develop a protective coating on its surface.
ANPRM
Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Issued by the EPA; summarizes a proposed regulation and invites public comment.
ANSI
American National Standards Institute. A professional organization that publishes standards for safe work practices and exposure to toxic substances.
Anthropometry
The study of the dimensions of the body and its segments.
Antigens
Substances such as toxins that can trigger an immune response.
Apparent authority
In an agency relationship, authority that the principal knowingly permits the agent to assume or that the principal holds the agent out as possessing (also called Ostensible Authority).
Apparent consent
Consent that a reasonable person would infer from the plaintiff's conduct.
Apparent lead concentration
The average of at least three X-ray fluorescence (XRF) single-cycle readings on a painted surface.
Apparent power
The power consumed by a device with both inductance and resistance, expressed in units of volt-amperes (VA).
Appellate courts
Courts that decide whether the law was correctly interpreted and applied at the trial court level.
Application
A software program designed to perform the tasks associated with a specific type of work, such as word processing, database management, or cost accounting using spreadsheets.
Appreciation
An increase in value such as the value of real estate property.
Appurtenances
Structural additions to land, including, but not limited to, buildings, fences, and specialized structures such as towers, security barriers, etc.
Arbitrage
The process of purchasing a good in one market and selling the same good in another market at a higher price.
Arbitration provision
The policy provision that specifies the process by which disagreements about claims will be settled.
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 common in mercury and high pressure sodium lamps.
Architectural partition plan
A construction drawing that indicates the placement and type of all new and existing partitions and doors.
Architectural scale
Scales based on the English system of measurement using 12 inches to the foot and fractions of inches.
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 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 rest room and project cleaning.
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-offs
Calculations of space area in square feet or meters, taken from a drawing.
ARM (Associate in Risk Management)
A designation awarded upon completion of three examinations focusing on risk management.
Armature
The rotating component of an Alternating Current (AC) generator constructed of multiple winding or coils wrapped around a laminated steel core.
Arson
A crime consisting of the malicious burning of another's dwelling or other building.
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 is sale of real property
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.
Asbestos
Generic name for a number of naturally occurring, hydrated mineral silicates with a unique fibrous structure known for fire resistant qualities.
Asbestos abatement liability insurance
Covers the asbestos abatement contractor against claims of third-party bodily injury or property damage caused by a release of asbestos during abatement activities.
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.
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.
ASHARA
EPA Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Reauthorization Act. Extended the Model Accreditation Plan (MAP) into public and commercial buildings.
ASHRE
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers.
As-is or as-built condition
The existing condition of a tenant space, including all improvements.
Asked price
The price a securities dealer or stockbroker will accept to sell an investment security to a purchaser.
Asphalt
The dark brown to black, highly viscous hydrocarbon residue produced from the petroleum distillation process, used as the waterproofing agent in built-up roofs. Asphalt comes in a wide range of viscosities and softening points, from about 135°F (57.2°C) (dead level asphalt) to 210°F (98.9°C) or more (special steep asphalt).
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 composed of asbestos fibers bound together by a blend of selected asphaltic binders. Pigments are added for color and in some cases polystyrene plastic for strength. Asphalt tiles tend to be brittle. Removal of asphalt tile may be considered hazardous.
Assault
A threat of being physically attacked. (2) 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.
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 companies
Insurance companies that concentrate on writing insurance for farm properties in rural areas of the country and that have the right to charge back or assess their policyholders for losses if the losses are more than were expected.
Asset
Something, such as a building or piece of equipment, that retains value for a period of time (longer than one year) after it is purchased. An asset has residual value as well as a predicted economic life, usually expressed in years, that represents the period of time during which it will retain some economic value.
Asset Management
Maximizing value to a portfolio of properties from acquisition to disposition within the objectives defined by the owner. Asset management uses strategic planning, investment analysis, and the positioning of a property in the marketplace.
Asset Manager
A member of a financial institution who is responsible for the management of investments, and whose main goal it is to create value by directing and measuring asset performance.
Asset-based CAFM applications
Computer-based management systems that track furniture and equipment piece by piece. See also Catalog-Based CAFM Applications.
Assigned risk pools
A market for risks that do not meet the underwriting criteria of insurance companies in the voluntary market.
Assignment
(1) A transfer of an entire interest in an unexpired lease term. (2)A transfer of rights from one party to another.
Assumption
A transfer of obligations from one party to another.
Assumption of risk
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
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
Aboveground storage tank. A container, constructed to hold a substance, with less than 10 percent of its volume, including the contents of connected pipes, underground.
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. Permits natural light to illuminate interior 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 term that describes the tenant's recognition of the mortgagee as the landlord in the event of a loan default.
Attractive nuisance
(1) Some condition or situation on the premises of a property that is inherently dangerous and particularly enticing to trespassing children. (2) The legal doctrine that makes the property owner negligent for having conditions on the property that are both attractive and dangerous to children, e.g. tractors, open pits, unattended swimming pools.
Attributable costs
Costs that can be directly associated with a particular project, program, or cost center. These costs are often called pass-through costs. See also Indirectly Attributable Costs and Nonattributable Costs.
Attributes
In software, descriptive information attached to a piece of data to help identify and describe it (e.g., the part number, style, color, finish, brand name, manufacturer, or condition of a chair). Attributes can be used to set up data tables within a database management system. See also Spatial Designation.
At-will employee
An employee who can change or terminate the employment relationship at any time for any lawful reason.
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.
Audit
(1) A detailed environmental investigation focusing on the current operating and administrative procedures of a facility to evaluate environmental health and safety concerns for regulatory compliance. (2) A methodology used by asset managers to verify the correctness of property-accounting records. The auditor will meticulously look over specific files that are initially requested and explore any additional files in the process.
Audit point
A formal letter from an auditor that lists deficiencies in a company's accounting records or controls.
Audit trail
A term that refers to the proper accounting documentation of an accounting transaction.
Audited financial statement
This indicates that a company has employed a professional, independent accounting firm to review its financial records. These statements must be signed by a CPA.
Auditing
The function of the insurance company that primarily ensures that the insurance company receives the proper premium based on the audited policy exposures.
Audit-response letter
A letter sent in response to the post-audit letter. It is important that a timely and thorough response be provided.
Authority having jurisdiction
Local rules supersede those outlined in the National Electrical Code/Canadian Electrical Code (NEC/CEC). Location interpretation of the NEC/CEC is left to the discretion of a local inspector, building department, or electrical board. Local rules may never be less stringent NEC/CEC.
Autoexec.bat
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 storage hot water heater
A water heater incorporating a storage tank, controls, and a heating mechanism in a single unit.
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.
AWG
American standard wire gauge. For most common applications, electrical wires are numbered according to this standard. The smallest-diameter wire is assigned the number 40 and the largest 4/0.
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