Fraction to Decimal Equivalents
Decimal
0.03125
0.0625
Customary Metric
Vin 254mm
Th (03048 en or 3048 mm
yd. 094m
1 mi, 1.609344 km
0.0938
0.1250
0.1563
0.1875
0.2188
0.2500
0.2813
03125
Metric
03438
645.16 mn
0.3750 0.092.903 m®
0.4068 (0.836127 m?
0.408 685 ha oF 4046.86 mi
2.59000 kn?
0.4375
0.4688
0.5000
0.5313
0.5625
0.5938
0.6250
Metric Customary
‘micrometer (Lit) 0.0000394 in, or 0.03937 mils
0.6568
0.6875 1mm 00393701 in,
0.7188
0.7500
1m 3.28086. or 1.09361 yd.
1am 0.621371 mi,
0.7813
0.8125
0.8438
a Customary
Sone (0.001550 sq. in.
0.9375
0.9688
1.0000
10-7639 sq, for 1.19599 sq, yo.
2.47105 acres
0368102 sq. mi.UNITS OF MEASURE: SI METRIC UNIT DATA
The General Conference on Weights and Measures (abbreviated to CGPM from the French Con-
férence Générale des Poids et Mesures), which meets every four years concerning issues related
to the use of the metric system, has established specific rules for use, type style, and punctua-
tion of metric units. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)—formerly the
National Bureau of Standards (NBS)—determines metric usage in the United States. Millimeters
are the preferred unit for dimensioning buildings, with no symbol necessary if they are used
‘consistently. Meters and kilometers are reserved for larger dimensions such as land surveying
and transportation.
Unit names and symbols employ standard, lowercase type, except for symbols derived from
proper names (for example, N for newton). Another exception is L for liter, to avoid confusing the
lowercase I with the numeral 1. Prefixes describing multiples and submultiples are also lowercase,
‘except for M, G, and T (mege-, giga-, and tera), which are capitalized in symbol form to avoid confu-
sion with unit symbols, but which maintain the lowercase standard when spelied out. No space is.
left between the prefix and the letter for the unit name (mm for millimeter and mL. for milliliter). A
space is left between the numeral and the unit name or symbol; for example, 300 mm.
Linear Metric Equivalents
Millimeters Meters Decameters | Hectometers Kilometers
(am (a) (éan) (tm) (en)
01 iF 0,001 0,000 1 0.00001 0,000 001
1 0 ‘001 0.001 0.0001 0.00001
10 0.1 0.01 0.001 0.0001
100 1 | 0 0.01 0.001
1000 10 1 01 0.01
10.000 “700 “100 10 1 01
100000 1000 10 1
Area Metric Equivalents
Square Square Square Square Square
Millimeters | Centimeters | Decimeters | Meters ‘Kilometers
(nm?) (om’) fam) (mr) | (an)
1 001 0.001 | 0.000001 |
100 1 oot 0.0001
10.000 100 1 oo | 0.000001
1 000.000 10.000 100 4 a 0.0001
11900 000 10000 oot
1000000 1
“0.000001
0.0001
001Although the United States and Canada mark the decimal with a point, other countries use a
‘comma (for example: 5,00 vs. 5.00). For this reason, commas should not be used to separate
‘groups of digits. Instead, the digits should be separated into groups of three, both to the left
and the right of the decimal point, with a space between each group of three digits (for example,
1,000,000 is written as 1000000). This convention for metric units is used throughout the book.
Units with Compound Names
Physical Quantity Area in Metrics
‘ea suere meter SI metric units for area, like
volume, are derived from the
base units for length. They are
Density ilogram per cubic meter expressed as powers of the base
Unit: for example, square meter
=m? = 10° mm?
Volume ‘eubic meter
Velocity meter per second
‘Angular velocity | rean ger second
The square centimeter is not a
‘Acceleration meter per second squared iy recommended unit for construc-
‘Angular acceleration | radian per second squared tion and should be converted to
~ ‘square millimeters.
Volume rate of flow | cubic meter per second
- — - The hectare is acceptable only
in the measurement of land
Moment offorce | newton meter and water.
Moment of inertia | tlogram meter squared
Intensity of heat flow | watt per square meter ’ When area is expressed by linear
dimensions, such as 50x 100 mm,
the width is written first and the
luminance candela per square meter peter eee secon
Thermal conductivity | watt per meter kehin
SOFT AND HARD CONVERSIONS,
Conversions of customary and SI units can be either “soft” or “hard.” In a soft conversion,
12 inches equals 305 millimeters (already rounded up from 3048). In a hard conversion of this
same number, 12 inches would equal 300 millimeters, which makes for a cleaner and more
rational equivalency. This is the ultimate goal of total metrication within the building trades.
The process, however, is an extensive one, which will require many building products whose
planning grid is in customary units to undergo a hard metric conversion of their own, making 6
inches equal 150 millimeters (instead of 152) and 24 inches equal 600 millimeters (instead of
610). Thus, to conform to a rational metric grid, the actual sizes of standard products such as
drywall, bricks, and ceiling tiles will need to change.
Every attempt has been made in this book to represent accurately the relationship between
customary and SI units. Except where noted, soft conversions are used throughout and, due
to constraints of space, are usually written as follows: 1/-6” (457).
Measurement eng Geometry 111(SIRS Se RTE Feet and Meters Scale
Inches and Millimeters Scale (1:1)COMMON PAPER SIZES SHEET FOLDING
Individual sheets that must be folded (for rea
sons of fle storage or mailing) should be folded
in @ logical and consistent manner that allows
the title and sheet number information to be
Visible in the bottom-right corner of the folded
sheet. Large numbers of sheets are best bound
into sets and rolled for shipping or laid flat for
storage.
Standards institute)
ANS! (American National
Architectural
3
2
2
g
cs
5
3
5
a
3
:
3
3
5
3s
2
5
3
:
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136 MATERIALS, STRUCTURES, AND STANOAROSChapter 15: The Human Scale
The scale of the human body informs almost every aspect of architectural design. The
dimensions in this chapter represent an average range (the lower number denotes the
25th percentile, while the upper number denotes the 97.5th percentile).
shoulder
center of
Adult Male FigureOn the drawings below, the gray bars indicate
inches and the blue bars indicate millimeters.
Wd
144
137
n2
"shoulder
‘center of
gravity
pelvis
‘Adult Female Figure