Translation for the Construction Industry: Building Codes, Projects, Estimates

Specifics of Construction Translation

The construction industry in each country is regulated by its own standards: SP (Codes of Practice) and GOSTs in Russia, Eurocode in the EU, Building Regulations in the UK, IBC (International Building Code) in the USA. In translation, it's important not just to convey the text, but to link the terminology of two regulatory systems.

Examples of discrepancies:

• Russian concrete class B25 — corresponds approximately to C20/25 under Eurocode (not "B25 concrete")
• Reinforcement class A500C — in international classification B500B or B500C (per Eurocode 2)
• "Red line" (line of building restriction) — a concept specific to the Russian Urban Planning Code
• "POS" and "PPR" — Project of Construction Organization and Work Execution Plan — have no direct equivalents in Western practice

Types of Construction Documentation

We translate the full range of construction documentation:

Design documentation ("P" stage):

• Explanatory note (PZ) — general project description, urban planning solutions
• Architectural solutions (AR) — floor plans, facades, cross-sections
• Structural solutions (KR) — load-bearing structure calculations, reinforcement, connections
• Engineering systems: HVAC, water supply and sewerage, electrical equipment
• POS — construction organization project

Working documentation ("R" stage):

• Drawings with dimensions, details, material specifications
• Work volume schedules
• Equipment and material specifications

Cost Estimate Translation

A cost estimate is a document where every figure and every abbreviation matters. Russian cost estimation documentation (in GESN, TER, FER format) is structured differently from a Bill of Quantities (BoQ) in international practice.

When translating estimates, we:

• Preserve the structure of sections and subsections
• Translate work item names referencing international classification (UniClass, OmniClass)
• Convert units of measurement (m³, l.m., pcs.)
• Leave prices in the original currency — conversion is handled by the client
• Preserve Excel calculation formulas unchanged

Average estimate volume — 30–100 pages. Major projects (factories, infrastructure) — up to 500 pages.

Drawing Translation

Drawing translation is a separate process, different from text translation. Stages:

1. Receiving source files. Optimal — DWG/DXF (AutoCAD). If only PDF is available — manual text overlay is performed.
2. Text extraction. From DWG — automatically (all text objects). From PDF — manually or via OCR.
3. Translation. In a CAT system with a construction terminology glossary. Abbreviations are expanded or translated per an agreed list.
4. Text reinsertion. In DWG — text block replacement. In PDF — overlay via Acrobat or InDesign.
5. Review. An engineer checks placement accuracy, readability, and absence of overlaps.

Title blocks are translated per the client's template or in accordance with GOST 21.101 / ISO 7200.

Building Codes and Standards: Regulatory Document Translation

Building code translation is a task for a translator with an engineering background. Regulatory documents contain:

• Mandatory requirements (using formulations "shall", "should", "not permitted")
• Calculation formulas with letter designations (designations differ between Russian codes and international standards)
• Tables with limit values, coefficients, tolerances
• References to related regulatory documents

In translation, we preserve all formulas, designations, and references, but add a translator's note indicating the equivalent international standard (if one exists).

Pricing and Timeline

Technical translation of construction documentation:

• Text documents — from 850 RUB per page (1,800 characters)
• Drawings (DWG) — from 800 RUB per A3 sheet (depends on text density)
• Drawings (PDF, manual processing) — from 1,200 RUB per sheet
• Cost estimates — from 850 RUB per page
• Productivity — 6–10 pages per day (depends on complexity)

We work under contract and sign NDAs. Simplified taxation (no VAT). Office in Moscow, working remotely across Russia. Since 2013, we have translated documentation for over 80 construction projects.