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Pipe Fittings & Piping Terms

Useful Abbreviations & Definitions

Below is a list of the most common abbreviations and terms found in the piping industry:

ACS:: Attestation de Conformité Sanitaire
AFS:: American Foundrymen's Society
AGA:: American Gas Association
AISI:: American Iron and Steel Institute
ANSI:: American National Standards Institute
API:: American Petroleum Institute
ASA:: American Standard Association
ASME:: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASTM:: American Society for Testing and Materials
AWWA:: American Water Works Association

BB:: Bolted Bonnet
BC:: Bolted Cap
BCD:: Bolt Circle Diameter
BCF:: Bead and crevice free
BFV:: Butterfly valve
BHN:: Brinell Hardness Number
BS:: British Standard
BSI:: British Standards Institution
BSP:: British Standard Pipe
BSPP:: British Standard Pipe Parallel
BSPT:: British Standard Taper Pipe Thread
BV:: Ball Valve
BW:: Butt Weld
BWE:: Butt Weld End

CDA:: Copper Development Association
CI:: Cast Iron
CSA:: Canadian Standards Association
CV:: Check Valve
CW:: Counter Weight
CWP:: Cold Working Pressure
CxC:: Cooper to Cooper

DAC:: Double Acting Cylinders
DD:: Double Disc
DEF:: Double Emboîtement Mâle
DG:: Double Disc Gate
DI:: Ductile Iron
DIN:: Deutsches Institute fuer Normung
DMV:: Distribution main valve
DN:: Nominal Diameter
DWV:: Drainage:: Waste:: Vent Fitting 

ECV:: Emergency Control Valve
ESD:: Emergency Shut Down

FE:: Flanged End 
FF:: Flat Face 
FIV:: Formation Isolation Valves
FLG:: Flange 
FM:: Factory Mutual Laboratories
FOB:: Free On Board
FTTG:: Fitting 
FW:: Flexible Wedge 

GLP:: Liquid Gas of Petroleum
GOST:: Gosstandart of Russia
GV:: Gate Valve 

HB:: Brinell Hardness
HBC:: Rockwell C Hardness
HF:: Hard Faced 
HW:: Handwheel 

IBBM:: Iron Body Bronze Mounted 
ID:: Inside Diameter
IPS:: Iron Pipe Size 
ISA:: Instrument Society of America
ISNRS:: Inside Screw Non-Rising Stem 
ISO:: International Organization for Standardization
ISRS:: Inside Screw Rising Stem 

JIS:: Japanese Industrial Standard

MIV:: Main Inlet Valve
MJ:: Mechanical Joint 
MSS:: Manufacturers Standardization Society
MTR:: Material Test Report

NC:: Normally closed
NEMA:: National Electrical Manufacturers Association
NPS:: Nominal Pipe Size
NPT:: National Pipe Taper (Pipe Thread)
NRS:: Non-Rising Stem 

OD:: Outside Diameter
OS&Y:: Outside Screw and Yoke
OWG:: Working Pressure: Oil, Water, Gas

QO:: Quick opening

PCD:: Pitch Circle Diameter
PIV:: Post indicator valve
PN:: Nominal Pressure (metric)
P-T:: Pressure - Temperature
PRV:: Pressure Reducing Valve 
PVF:: Pipes:: Valves and Fittings 

Rc:: Rockwell "C"
RF:: Raised Face 
RJ:: Ring Type Joint
RS:: Rising Stem
RWD:: Resilient Wedge Disc

SAC:: Simple Acting Cylinder
SB:: Screw-In-Bonnet
SB:: Silver Brazed
SE:: Screwed Ends
SE:: Solder End
SG:: Solid Gate
SIV:: Service isolation valve
SJ:: Solder Joint
SOV:: Shut Off Valve
SPW:: Spiral Wound gasket
SS:: Stainless Steel
STD:: Standard
SW:: Solid Wedge Disc
SWE:: Socket Weld End
SWP:: Steam Working Pressure

TB:: Threaded Bonnet
TE:: Threaded End
TC:: Threaded Cap
TOR:: Tout Ou Rien

UB:: Union Bonnet
UC:: Union Cap
UL:: Underwriter's Laboratories

WV:: Water valve
WOG:: Working Pressure: Water, Oil, Gas
WSP:: Steam Working Pressure
WWP:: Water Working Pressure