Dubai Building Code (DBC) aims at unifying building designs across Dubai. The regulations of DBC are arranged under 10 themes, integrating the relevant elements of building designs. Here we have listed down the important Dubai Building Code terms to help you understand the code thoroughly.
Dubai Building Code Terms
A general overview of the Dubai Building Code can help you develop a brief understanding of what the code is all about. If you are planning to construct buildings in Dubai, you must be fluent in the Dubai Building Code terminology.
Access Aisle
The access aisle is a levelled area parallel to a parking space. This area is designated for people with additional mobility needs.
Accessible Route
The accessible route allows uninterrupted, barrier-free movement. It is built in a manner to ensure that anyone can enter, exit, move, orient themselves and communicate comfortably and autonomously both in public areas and around and inside the buildings.
Affection Plan
An affection plan is also termed a site plan. It is a plan, issued by the Authority, of the plot or site indicating details such as plot boundaries, dimensions, areas, surroundings, setbacks and more.
Ambulant disability
Sluggish or unstable walk caused by a temporary or chronic disability. Such sufferers can walk with or without the use of additional walking aids.
Amenity space
Amenity spaces are public or private areas within a plot boundary or a development site. Such areas are for the building occupant’s recreation or convenience (such as parks, gyms, swimming pools, play areas, and similar uses).
Annex
Annex is a building attached to or associated with the main building. It provides additional space or accommodation to the main building.
Architect
An architect is a licenced person in charge of designing or supervising building works or both.
Assembly
Designated area for gathering people for worship, entertainment, amusement, discussions, transportation, awaiting, or similar uses.
Atrium
An atrium is a large space created by a floor opening or sequence of openings with a covered top. It often connects two or more storeys or floors rising higher than 15 metres from the finished floor.
Authority
Any department, ministry, entity, or local or federal government institution in Dubai related to the provisions and implementation of the DBC.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)
ANPR is a technology that reads vehicle registration plates through optical character recognition to create vehicle location data.
Boundary Wall / Fence
A fence built to divide the land between two adjacent landowners is known as a boundary wall.
Building lifecycle
A sequence of stages that a building goes through over its lifetime is called the building lifecycle. It starts with the initial design, continues through construction, commissioning, handover, and operation, and ends with the demolition and recycling of destroyed systems.
Building elevation
Building elevation is a flat representation of one side of a building.
Building envelope
A building envelope is the separation of the exterior and interior of a building. The envelope facilitates climate control while protecting the interior. It includes the exterior system of a building such as the windows, doors, foundation, floor, roof, and insulation.
Building maintenance unit
It is a power-operated platform installed permanently for easy and safe access to the building envelope for maintenance, cleaning, and inspections.
Building management system (BMS)
BMS is a computer-based control system that controls and tracks the mechanical and electrical equipment such as lighting, ventilation, power systems, security systems, and fire systems in one building or more.
Building services
It includes all the necessary services required to operate a building. Such services include plumbing, mechanical, electrical, etc.
Capacity factor
The capacity factor is the filling rate of an elevator, expressed as a percentage of rated load, during each trip.
Change of use
It is a change in the occupancy of a building that could further alter the change in the code requirements for a site for which it was initially designed.
Civil Engineer
A licenced person in charge of designing or supervising civil engineering works, or both.
Cleat
A cleat is a component of a support system, consisting of elements placed at regular intervals on a cable or conduit to hold it in place.
Commissioning
Commissioning is a quality-oriented process designed to meet the required objectives. It assures that all the components and systems of a building are designed, installed, operated, and maintained as per the client’s requirements.
Containment
Containment is an enclosure system that resists penetration and prevents people from exposure to hazards.
Conductor
Any device or material capable of conducting electricity is called a conductor.
Conduit
A conduit is a component of a closed wiring system for cables in electrical installations. Electrical conduits house electrical wires for various building and structural applications.
Connector
It is a part of a cable coupler or an appliance coupler used to create an electrical connection between different parts of a circuit.
Consultant
A licenced person in charge of providing consulting advice during design or construction, or both.
Contractor
A licenced person in charge of carrying out construction works and practising contracting activities.
Cross-slope
Cross-slope is a slope perpendicular to the direction of travel.
Curb Ramp
A curb ramp is built on a curb to provide an accessible pedestrian route to safely transition between the roadway and the sidewalk.
Developer
A person or entity who prepares land for construction or creates residential subdivisions and private enterprises or rehabilitates existing buildings.
Development
Development is a general term for the construction of a building or structure. The creation of an addition or alteration to a building or structure; a significant change in use or the intensity of use of any building or structure.
Development Control Regulations (DCR)
A document indicating planning regulations for the full development of a structure, and each plot in a subdivision plan, as issued by the relevant planning authority or master developer.
Direct current (DC)
Unidirectional flow of an electric charge.
Distribution board
The distribution board is an assembly containing switching or protective devices associated with outgoing and incoming circuit terminals. Means of isolation may be included in the board or may be provided separately.
Diversity factor (or Diversity)
The diversity factor is the ratio of the sum of individual maximum demands of the different types of load during a specified period to the maximum demand of the power station during the same period.
Drainage system
A system comprised of drainage equipment, and other components. These components collect wasted water and discharge it using gravity, or an effluent pumping plant which can be part of a gravity drainage system.
Duct
A duct is an enclosure of either metal or insulating material. It is intended for the protection of cables which are pulled in after the ducting has been erected.
Damp-proof course
The damp-proof course is a layer of waterproof material or construction in the wall of a building near the ground, primarily to prevent rising dampness.
Damp-proof membrane
A damp-proof membrane is a material to prevent moisture transmission.
Drained air space
The drained air space is a layer within a wall that allows any entering water or moisture to be drained out.
Gross wall area
Area of the wall that provides the thermal barrier of the building. It includes the solid area and any openings in the wall, such as doors or windows. It is the actual measured area, not the projected area on a drawing.
Earth
Conductive mass of the earth, of which the electric potential at any point is conventionally taken as zero.
Electrical installation
An electrical installation is an assembly of electrical equipment that fulfils a specific purpose with coordinated characteristics. It is supplied from a common origin.
Emergency switching
The operation intended to remove, as quickly as possible, danger, which might have occurred unexpectedly.
Engineer
A licenced person in charge of designing or supervising construction works, or both.
Environmental impact assessment (EIA)
Process of predicting, identifying and evaluating the likely impacts (initial and cumulative), both beneficial and adverse, of a project on the environment including the potential effects of the environment on the project.
Enclosure
Part providing protection of equipment against certain external influences and in any direction protection against direct contact.
Equipment
Equipment is any device or item that can generate, convert, transmit, distribute or utilise electrical energy. Examples of equipment are machines, accessories, apparatus, transformers, measuring instruments, wiring systems, appliances, etc.
Equipotential bonding
It is an electrical connection between conductive parts and metalwork.
Exposed conductive part
Conductive part of equipment which can be touched, and which is not a live part, but which can become live under fault conditions.
External influence
Any influence external to an electrical installation that affects the design and safe operation of that installation.
Extra-low voltage
Voltage normally not exceeding 50 V AC or 120 V ripple-free DC, whether between conductors or to earth.
Energy transfer station (ETS)
Dedicated plant room in the facility or building where a cooling energy transfer system is installed to supply chilled water to the premises.
Fault
A fault is a circuit condition where current flows through an unintended path. It can result from the bridging of insulation or its failure.
Fixed equipment
Fixed equipment is designed to be fastened to a support or otherwise secured in a specific location.
Flexible cable
Cable in which the structure and materials make it suitable to be flexed while in service.
Flexible cord
A flexible cable is one with a cross-sectional area, not exceeding 4 square millimetres, for each conductor.
Fuse
A fuse is a device that breaks the circuit. It does so by melting one or more of its components when the current exceeds a defined limit.
Fuse element
Part of a fuse designed to melt when the fuse operates is called the fuse element.
Fuse link
Part of a fuse including the fuse element(s), requires replacement by a new or renewable fuse link after the fuse has operated and before the fuse is put back into service.
Floor finish
Exposed floor surfaces of buildings including coverings applied over a floor or stair.
Floor height
The vertical distance between two successive finished floors. For the uppermost storey, from the top of the ceiling joints to the top of the floor finish floor or, to the top of the roof surface where there is no ceiling.
Flight time
Flight time is the time between the instant the car doors are locked and the time when the elevator is levelled on the next adjacent floor.
Grouping
Elevators serving to all or part of the floors in a common lobby as one group.
Groundwater pressure
The pressure of groundwater held within a soil or rock, in gaps between particles.
Geotechnical laboratory
Physical or legal entity in charge of carrying out geotechnical soil investigations and licensed to practice investigation activities in Dubai following the applicable legislation.
Geotechnical Specialist Contractor
A licenced person in charge of carrying out specialist geotechnical works and design, and practising geotechnical construction and design activities following the applicable legislation.
Ground level
The average level of the ground surface or sidewalk at the centre of all exterior walls of a building.
Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system (HVAC)
An HVAC system controls the temperature, purity, and humidity of air in an enclosure. It comprises different equipment and distribution systems to maintain the air quality and temperature in a building or part of a building.
Handling capacity (HC5)
An average number of passengers that an elevator or group of elevators can transport in 5 minutes.
Handling capacity (HC5%)
Percentage of the occupant load that an elevator group can transport in 5 minutes.
High depth
A building more than 7 metres below or more than two basements below the level of exit discharge is termed high depth building.
High-rise building
Building height greater than or equal to 23 metres and up to 90 metres is termed high-rise building.
Insulation
Insulation is any material enclosing that does not conduct electricity.
Inverter
A device which converts the direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC).
Isolator
Mechanical switching device which, in the open position, meets the requirements specified for the isolating function.
Kiosk
Temporary or permanent structure of lightweight construction occupied as a retail outlet, food outlet or service outlet. Kiosks are generally located at malls, shopping centres, assembly areas and exhibition centres.
Labour accommodation
A building used for group accommodation for workers of a company or a firm, for which sanitary facilities and other services are common.
Local road
A roadway with the primary function of providing access to adjacent properties and roadways of a higher functional classification.
Low-rise building
Building height less than or up to 15 metres is termed a low-rise building.
Low-depth underground building
Building up to 7 metres below or having up to two basements below the level of exit is known as a low-depth underground building.
Live part
The live part is the conductive part in a circuit intended to be energised in normal use. It usually includes a neutral conductor.
Masterplan
A master plan is a comprehensive plan to guide the long-term physical development of a specific area based on identified objectives, timelines, and strategies for implementation. It includes plans for land use, community utilities and facilities, transportation of people and goods, and resource use and conservation.
Modification
A modification is a fit-out of a unit or space or a change to a building element or a service system.
Main building
A building dedicated to prime functional use within a plot is called the main building.
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Mall
A mall is the pedestrian area within a building that serves as access for multiple tenants with levels that are open to each other. A covered mall has a roofed or enclosed common pedestrian way, whereas, an open mall has an unroofed common pedestrian way.
Massing
Massing is the physical volume of the overall building or project.
Means of egress
Means of egress or exit is an uninterrupted and unobstructed route from any point in a building to a public way.
Mechanical parking
Mechanical parking is a parking area that has parking machines, lifts, elevators or other mechanical devices for vehicles.
Mezzanine floor
A mezzanine floor is an intermediate level between the floor and ceiling of any storey. It is equal to or less than one-third of the floor it is contained in. A partial floor greater than one-third of the floor is not a mezzanine.
Mid-rise building
Building height greater than 15 metres but less than 23 metres, is termed a mid-rise building.
Mixed-use building
A mixed-use building is a building or structure containing two or more occupancies.
Manhole
A manhole is a chamber constructed to provide access to the drainage system. The chamber dimensions permit a person entry at the sewer drain level (if required).
Nosing
Nosing is the projecting front part of a stair tread or landing that can be rounded or shaped differently.
Neutral conductor
A neutral conductor is a three-phase 4-wire system or the conductor of a single-phase installation which is earthed at the source of the supply.
Nominal voltage
Nominal voltage is the voltage value assigned to a system for convenient designation.
Occupancy
The purpose for which a building or plot is used or intended to be used.
Occupant load
The total number of occupants in a building or a portion.
Office
Building or space within a building in which business or professional activities are conducted. These offices for sale in Dubai can be your ideal space for starting your business.
Open space
An open space is a portion of a plot or a building level that is set aside for public or private use.
Overcurrent
Overcurrent is the current exceeding the required value.
Overload
Overload is the overcurrent that occurs in an electrically stable circuit.
Plug
A plug is an accessory having pins designed to engage with a socket outlet. It serves as the electrical connection and mechanical retention of a flexible cord or cable.
Plot
Area of land that is clearly defined (by coordinates, location, landmarks, distinct numbers, and the lengths of its sides). It is intended for construction under any approved plan and is legally authorized to be used for construction.
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Plot area
A plot area is the total area of a plot between its boundary lines on a horizontal plane.
Prescriptive design
A prescriptive design is one that meets all the requirements.
Project
A project can be any construction of a building on leased property. It can be any civil work that includes any modifications in pre-built facilities.
Parapet wall
It is a part of a wall above the roof line.
Paved
Paved means to create a smooth surface using blacktop, concrete, asphalt, or other similar substance.
Pergola
A pergola is a shading device that uses solid material for shading or ornamentation.
Planning regulations
Planning regulations are the restrictions by planning Authorities for the use of land and buildings, the massing and height of buildings, the relation of a plot’s building coverage to open space, the density of population, and the location and size of setbacks and yards, and the provision of any amenities as parking, pools, etc.
Podium (Tower Base)
A podium or a tower base is a lower group of floors of a tower. It might or might not include the ground floor, and have different planning prerequisites from the typical floors of the tower.
Premises
A house or building with its land and outbuilding, owned by a person is called the premises.
Provider
An entity that designs, tests, installs, commissions, maintains the utilities or supplies and is licensed and approved by an Authority is known as a provider.
Reconstruction
Reconstruction is the act of remodelling or rebuilding.
Renovation
Renovation means changing the linings/finishes or work done to strengthen a structure. It does not involve the reconfiguration of internal spaces.
Ramp
A ramp is an inclined flat plane that is steeper than 5% from the horizontal surface.
Recovery
Recovery is the processing of waste by replacing other materials for a useful purpose. For instance, using waste to generate energy or conversion of organic waste into a composite.
Recycling
Recycling is the processing of used materials into new products to prolong the life of useful materials. It reduces the consumption of fresh resources, and energy, and reduces pollution and conventional waste disposal.
Residential unit
Residential units are single units providing independent, complete living facilities. It includes permanent provisions for sustainable living. An apartment can be a type of residential unit.
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Reuse
Reusing is the activity that enhances an item’s life, usually consisting of returning the item to active use in a related or same capacity.
Right of way (ROW)
Right of way is the right of a person to proceed with primacy over others. It can also be a strip of land occupied by a sidewalk, road, railroad, gas pipeline, electric transmission line, sewer, water line, etc. It is also one of the important Dubai Building Code words.
Riser
A riser is a near-vertical element in a set of stairs, creating the space between two steps.
Sanitation pipework
Sanitation pipework is the arrangement of discharge pipework connected to a drainage system. This pipework is with or without ventilated pipes.
Sikka
A Sikka can be a public or private path that separates two adjacent plots or a group of plots. It can be used by pedestrians as either primary or secondary access to any plot.
Skylight or Overhead glazing
A skylight is installed at an angle of 15 degrees or more from the vertical place. It is made of glazing material either glass or other transparent or translucent material.
Staff accommodation
A building or part of a building in which sleeping units can be rented, having private toilets and shared cooking facilities, for combined occupancy by staff members affiliated with similar institutions.
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Stage
A stage is a raised platform within a building used for plays, music, or other entertainment activities. It can also be used for delivering lectures or hosting shows and conferences.
Structure
A structure can be any construction or material erected on the ground, or it can be attached to anything located on the ground.
Student accommodation
A building or part of a building where sleeping units are provided for students and which is mediated by any institution.
Studio
A studio is an independent residential unit. It has no separate rooms instead it has a large space with a combined living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.
Super high-rise building
Buildings with heights greater than 90 metres are termed super high-rise buildings.
Serviceability
A condition beyond which a structure or member becomes no longer fit for service. It can be judged as unfit for its intended use.
Strand
Strands are high-strength steel wires woven around a central wire that works as prestressing reinforcement in tendons.
Townhouse
Townhouses are units attached by one or more walls to adjacent units. You can explore these options for townhouses for sale in Dubai if you are searching for a townhouse.
Villa
A villa can be a residential or a commercial unit. It is located on a separate plot allocated for the dwelling of a single-family. It can have an independent car parking space, a swimming pool, and a front yard.
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Vehicle access
Vehicle access is a paved roadway, intended to provide enter and exit routes of traffic from a public ROW into a building entrance or parking area.
Vehicle barrier
A vehicle barrier is a component that serves as a restraint for vehicles. It is located near the open sides of a parking lot or building walls or ramp.
Video surveillance systems (VSS)
VSS are the surveillance cameras through which an area can be monitored.
Warehouse
A warehouse is a large space that can be used for the storage or sheltering of goods, products, vehicles, merchandise, etc.
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Wayfinding
System of providing appropriate information to assist a person to pass through the built environment towards a specific destination.
Zoning
Zoning is the virtual separation of different floors in a building. It is based on the elevator groups. For instance, elevators that serve a zone do not serve another one.
That is a wrap on the Dubai Building Code terms. Moreover, this real estate glossary can help you become fluent in the real estate market. Besides, if you are on a property hunt, you can have your pick from these properties for sale in the UAE.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s leading property blog for more informative real estate terminologies.
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