1

MVD SHEET FILE NAMING 

6 February 2010

Electronic Drawing File Naming Convention 

Electronic files shall be named as recommended in Chapter 2 of the 

A/E/C CADD Standard. This naming convention allows for the use of 28 

characters, with the first 20 characters being optional. The first 

twenty optional characters, defined as the Project Code in the A/E/C 

CADD Standard, shall be as defined below. The actual number of 

characters utilized in the Project Code field may vary (20 character 

maximum). However, use of the last eight characters of the file name, 

those immediately preceding the file extension, is mandatory. 

Sheet Files 

The first 20 characters (Project Code) of a sheet file name shall 

consist of the ProjectWise (PW) Project Code/Name. Use of the 

underscore symbol “_” to separate the fields is optional. With the 

exception of hydrographic data, reference drawings shall follow the 

sheet file naming convention. 

EXAMPLE: A structural sheet file containing concrete outlet plan and 

sections for a Mississippi River plans and specifications drawing set 

would have the file name MR76_S-4010---.dgn. 

SHEET FILE PROJECT CODE 

(20 character maximum) 

8 Character A/E/C File Name 

S- Discipline Designator w/Level 2 Designators (A/E/C Table 2-

3) 

4 Sheet Type Designator (A/E/C Table 2-4) 

10 Sheet Sequence Number 

--- User definable (use as placeholders) 
2

Table 2-3 

Discipline Designators with Level 2 Designators 

Discipline 

Designato

r Description Content 

General 

 G- All General 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 GI General Information 

Drawing index, code summary, symbol 

legend, orientation maps 

 

GC General Contract Phasing, schedules, contractor staging 

areas, fencing, haul routes, erosion 

control, temporary and special 

requirements 

 GR General Resource Photographs, soil borings 

Hazardous Materials 

 HAll Hazardous Materials 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 HA Asbestos 

Asbestos abatement, identification, or 

containment 

 HC Chemicals 

Toxic chemicals handling, removal or 

storage 

 HL Lead Lead piping or paint removal 

 HP PCB PCB containment and removal 

 HR Refrigerants Ozone depleting refrigerants 

Survey/Mapping 

 V- All Survey/Mapping 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 VA Aerial Survey Aerial surveyed points and features 

 VF Field Survey Field surveyed points and features 

 VH* Hydrographic Survey 

 VI Digital Survey Digitized points and features 

 VU Combined Utilities 

Geotechnical 

 B- All Geotechnical 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

Civil 

 C- All Civil 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 

CB* Civil Beach 

Renourishment 

Beach disposal and renourishment 

 CD Civil Demolition Structure removal and site clearing 

 

CE* Civil Ecosystem 

Restoration 

Environmental restoration 

 CF* Civil Flood Control Levees, spillways, pump stations 

 CG Civil Grading 

Excavation, grading, drainage, erosion 

control, retention ponds 
3

 

CI Civil Improvements Pavers, flagstone, exterior tile, 

furnishings, retaining walls, and water 

features 

 CN* Civil Navigation Navigation, harbors, dredging 

 

CO* Civil Operation and 

Maintenance 

Repair and upgrade to O&M structures 

 CP Civil Paving Roads, driveways, parking lots 

 

CH* Civil Shore Protection Erosion protection structures on 

shoreline 

 CR* Civil Recreation Recreation facilities 

 CS Civil Site Plats, topographic, dimension control 

 CX* Civil Security Security-related work 

 

CT Civil Transportation Waterways, wharves, docks, trams, 

railways, airfields, and people movers 

 

CU Civil Utilities Water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, 

power, communications, natural gas, 

and steam systems 

Landscape 

 L- All Landscape 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 LD Landscape Demolition 

Protection and removal of existing 

landscape 

 LG Landscape Grading Proposed contours and spot grades 

 LI Landscape Irrigation 

Mainlines, valves, controllers, pumps, 

etc. 

 LL Landscape Lighting 

 LP Landscape Planting Landscape planting 

 LR Landscape Relocation Vegetation relocation information 

 LS Landscape Site All site hardscape and callouts 

Structural 

 S- All Structural 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 SD Structural Demolition Protection and removal 

 SS Structural Site 

 SB Structural Substructure 

Foundations, piers, slabs, and retaining 

walls 

 SF Structural Framing Floors and roofs 

 SR* 

Structural 

Reinforcement Concrete reinforcement and anchors 

 ST* 

Structural 

Superstructure 

Walls, decks, abutments, gates, and 

weirs 

 SC* Structural Components Gates, armor, bulkheads, and railings 

Architectural 

 A- All Architectural 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 AS Architectural Site 

 AD 

Architectural 

Demolition Protection and removal 

 AE Architectural Elements General architectural 

 AI Architectural Interiors 
4

 AF Architectural Finishes 

 AG Architectural Graphics 

Interiors 

 I- All Interiors 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 ID Interior Demolition 

 IN Interior Design 

 IF Interior Furnishings 

 IG Interior Graphics Murals and visuals 

Equipment 

 Q- All Equipment 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 QA Athletic Equipment 

Gymnasium, exercise, aquatic, and 

recreational 

 QB Bank Equipment Vaults, teller units, ATMs, drive-through 

 QC 

Dry Cleaning 

Equipment 

Washers, dryers, ironing, and dry 

cleaning 

 QD Detention Equipment Prisons and jails 

 QE Educational Equipment Chalkboards, library 

 QF 

Food Service 

Equipment 

Kitchen, bar, service, storage, and 

processing 

 QH Hospital Equipment Medical, exam, and treatment 

 QL Laboratory Equipment 

Science labs, planetariums, 

observatories 

 QM 

Maintenance 

Equipment 

Housekeeping, window washing, and 

vehicle servicing 

 QP Parking Lot Equipment Gates, ticket, and card access 

 QR Retail Equipment Display, vending, and cash register 

 QS Site Equipment Bicycle racks, benches, playgrounds 

 QT Theatrical Equipment Stage, movie, rigging systems 

 

QV Video/Photographic 

Equipment 

Television, darkroom, and studio 

 QY Security Equipment 

Access control and monitoring, 

surveillance 

Fire Protection 

 F- All Fire Protection 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 FA 

Fire Detection and 

Alarm 

 FX Fire Suppression 

Fire extinguishing systems and 

equipment 

Plumbing 

 P- All Plumbing 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 PS Plumbing Site 

Extensions and connections to Civil 

Utilities 

 PD Plumbing Demolition Protection, termination, and removal 

 PP Plumbing Piping Piping, valves, and insulation 

 PQ Plumbing Equipment Pumps and tanks 
5

 PL Plumbing 

Domestic water, sanitary and storm 

drainage, fixtures 

Process 

 D- All Process 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 DS Process Site Extension and connection to civil utilities 

 DD Process Demolition Protection, termination, and removal 

 DL Process Liquids Liquid process systems 

 DG Process Gases Gaseous process systems 

 DP Process Piping 

Piping, valves, insulation, tanks, pumps, 

etc. 

 

DQ Process Equipment Systems and equipment for thermal, 

electrical, materials handling, assembly 

and manufacturing, nuclear, power 

generation, chemical, refrigeration, and 

industrial processes 

 

DE Process Electrical Electrical exclusively associated with a 

process and not the facility 

 

DI Process 

Instrumentation Instrumentation, measurement, 

recorders, devices and controllers 

(electrical and mechanical) 

Mechanical 

 M- All Mechanical 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 MS Mechanical Site 

Utility tunnels and piping between 

facilities 

 MD Mechanical Demolition Protection, termination, and removal 

 MH Mechanical HVAC Ductwork, air devices, and equipment 

 MP Mechanical Piping Chilled and heating water, steam 

 

MI Mechanical 

Instrumentation 

Instrumentation and controls 

 

MY* Mechanical Hydraulic 

Systems 

Pump stations, spillways, slide gates 

Electrical 

 E- All Electrical 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 

EA* Electrical Airfield 

Lighting and Navaids 

Visual air navigation systems 

 ES Electrical Site 

Exterior electrical systems (power, 

lighting, auxiliary) 

 

EC* Electrical Cathodic 

Protection 

Cathodic protection systems 

 EG* Electrical Grounding Grounding, lightning protection devices 

 ED Electrical Demolition Protection, termination, and removal 

 EP 

Electrical Interior 

Power Interior power 

 EL 

Electrical Interior 

Lighting 

Interior lighting 
6

 

EI Electrical 

Instrumentation 

Controls, relays, instrumentation, and 

measurement devices 

 

ET Electrical 

Telecommunications 

Telephone, network, voice, and data 

cables 

 

EY Electrical Interior 

Auxiliary Systems Alarms, nurse call, security, CCTV, PA, 

music, clock, and program 

Telecommunications 

 TAll Telecommunications 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 

TD* Telecommunications 

Demolition 

Protection, termination, and removal 

 TA Audio Visual Cable, music, and CCTV systems 

 TC Clock and Program 

Time generators and bell program 

systems 

 TI Intercom Intercom and public address systems 

 TM Monitoring Monitoring and alarm systems 

 TN Data Networks Network cabling and equipment 

 

TS* SCADA Supervisory Control and Data 

Acquisition (SCADA) systems and 

equipment 

 TT Telephone 

Telephone systems, wiring, and 

equipment 

 TY Security Access control and alarm systems 

Resource 

 R- All Resource 

All or any portion of subjects in the 

following Level 2 Designators 

 RC Resource Civil 

Surveyor's information and existing civil 

drawings 

 RS Resource Structural Existing facility structural drawings 

 RA Resource Architectural Existing facility architectural drawings 

 RM Resource Mechanical Existing facility mechanical drawings 

 RE Resource Electrical Existing facility electrical drawings 

Other Disciplines X 

Contractor/Shop 

Drawings Z 

Operations O 

* = Not in NCS 4.0 1

Notes: 

1. Real Estate uses Resource Real Estate (RR) 

2. Hydrographs, etc uses Other Disciplines 

 

1

 AEC CADD Standard Release 4.0 July 2009 
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Table 2-4 

Sheet Type Designators 

Sheet Type 

Designato

r 

General (symbols legend, notes, etc.) 0 

Plans (horizontal views) 1 

Elevations (vertical views) 2 

Sections (sectional views) 3 

Large Scale Views (plans, elevations, or 

sections that are not details)

4 

Details 5 

Schedules and Diagrams 6 

User Defined 7 

User Defined 8 

3D Representations (isometrics, 

perspectives, photographs)

9 

2

Examples of drawings types: 

General 

 Cover Sheet 

 Index Sheet 

Plans (horizontal views) 

 Site plans/overall plans 

 Plans 

 Plan & Profiles 

 boring log location plans 

Elevations (vertical views) 

 boring logs 

 geologic profiles 

Sections (sectional views) 

 sections 

 structural sections 

Large Scale (plans, elevations, or sections that are not details) 

 structural plans w/elevations and/or sections 

 anything containing more than 1 view (plan, profile, or section) except for plan & profile 

 civil details that contain topography 

Details 

 structural details 

 civil details without topography 

Schedules and Diagrams 

 hydrographs, etc 

 control tables 

 right of way tables

 

 

2

 AEC CADD Standard Release 3.0 September 2006