When you first come across steel structural drawings, you may be overwhelmed by the complexity of the lines as well as the symbols. Don’t worry, every structural steel expert starts at this moment.
Reading the construction drawings is an effective way to understand the blueprints. You can understand the role of each steel beam and connection. Then you can effectively control the construction progress and quality of the steel structure.
In the following content, Xinguangzheng will take you to interpret the steel structure drawings step by step. This involves the key steps from basic layout to detailed construction. Hope it can bring you some help.
Table of Contents
What is steel structure drawing?
Structural drawing is a technical document. It primarily describes how the structural steel components will be connected during the construction process.. This is similar to providing an accurate construction flow chart. Architectural drawings are created before structural drawings. In some special cases, structural drawings are created based on architectural drawings.
Structural steel drawing is a technical document that primarily describes how the components of a steel structure will be linked during construction. It also guides the contractor in choosing the right building materials. Essentially, a structural steel drawing clearly explains where each structural steel member should be located. Therefore, learning to read structural steel drawings can provide you with accurate information about your project and later provide you with the right construction and management decisions.
Structural steel drawings are composed of the following main sections
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Structural Height: Introduces the height of the building’s exterior walls
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Structural Plan: shows the location of the floors, roofs and foundations of the building. It also shows the location of specific elements (e.g., where steel purlins are to be installed) and textural elements.
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Contractor’s construction ideas: design improvements based on the final ideas provided by the contractor.
How to read steel structure drawings in detail
Study the steel design guide
The first step in understanding structural steel drawings is to read the design guide. This section usually contains the following key points:
Special Requirements of the Structure: Identify all the special requirements in the drawings for specific areas or functions. This is because these requirements will affect construction and material selection.
Specification focus: Focus on the core info in the design spec. This includes material types, workmanship standards, and quality control requirements.
Construction Technical Measures:Know the technical measures to watch during construction. They ensure the project runs smoothly.
Applicable Standards and Codes: Familiarize yourself with the technical standards and engineering codes used in the design to ensure that the construction complies with the relevant regulations.
Reading the foundation layout plan
When interpreting foundation layout drawings, it is important to grasp the following points:
Foundation details and settings: Pay attention to foundation data such as height, axial positioning values, and shape of the foundation, which are extremely important. Also identify the location of pre-set holes or embedded components in the foundation. This information is critical for subsequent structural installation.
Architectural drawing cross-reference: Check the layout drawings against the architectural drawings to ensure the accuracy of the axis and foundation arrangements. In addition, if there are walls without foundations, check if pile beam support is required. Also in check if there are any other foundation equipment adjustments.
Comparison of plan and section: By comparing the foundation plan and section, find out whether there is any change in the ground elevation or the top surface of the foundation, and put forward corresponding improvement programs. It is also necessary to clarify the height of different components, the number of pre-drilled holes and the specific location of embedded components.
Foundation Forms and Reinforcement Methods: Understand the different forms of foundations and their specific reinforcement methods, and grasp the dimensional information of each component. Also check the dimensions and reinforcement details of each element, especially in areas where extra strength is required. Also confirm the layout of embedded components and pre-drilled holes in the foundation for subsequent structural installation. Repeat the process until ambiguities are resolved and remaining issues are documented.
Read the structural layout drawings
Structural layout drawings typically include elevations, sections and standard drawings. The following points will help you interpret these drawings more effectively:
Understand structural layout and height: Identify the structural form, plan position and height of major elements in the structural layout drawing. Additionally, identify the specific location of components throughout the project in conjunction with the architectural drawings.
Classify Components: Classify major components based on sectional, standard and detailed drawings. This allows for the identification of similarities and differences, especially the characteristics of individual nodes and embedded components.
Reading Detailed Structural Drawings
Detailed structural drawings contain information on the exact position, dimensions and connections of each component. When reading, verify the following:
Check member locations and elevations: Check the location, elevation and number of each member in the plan and section drawings to ensure that they are consistent in the detail drawings. Also avoid any deviations in elevation, position or size.
Identify the connection: Understand the connection between the members and determine whether it meets the design requirements. Also confirm the relative position and elevation of the members to avoid conflicts with other members.
Layout of accessories and reinforcement: Check in detail the layout of accessories and reinforcement in the structure, and compare them with the material list to ensure that the information in the drawings is consistent with the actual materials.
The final step is to summarize the structural steel drawings. Organize the documentation and record all identified problems, suggesting any necessary changes. This ensures that every detail of the structural steel drawings is fully understood prior to construction.
Essential skills to read structural steel drawings
To more accurately interpret structural steel drawings, it is important to master the following key skills. By understanding the following elements, you will be able to more effectively grasp the information in the drawings and therefore participate in the construction project more efficiently.
Understanding Project Scale
In drawings, each dimension is usually scaled down to represent the dimensions of the actual structure. To properly interpret these scales, you first need to familiarize yourself with the different types of scales and the scenarios in which they are used. For example, industrial plants and large buildings often utilize specific scales to clearly present the structure on the drawings. Understanding these scales may be difficult for novices. Therefore it may be a good idea to communicate with or ask for guidance from Xinguangzheng’s engineers to more intuitively understand the actual dimensions on the drawings.
Understand the meaning of symbols and notes
To understand steel structure drawings, you need to understand their specific symbols as well as their specific meanings. For example, there are common symbols such as circles, rectangles, and triangles. These symbols usually indicate information such as sections, elevations, and heights. Most of the symbols have their specific meanings and interpretations. Therefore, to understand these conformities, it is best to memorize their specific interpretations.
Understanding Annotation Symbols
In addition, the annotation symbol is a special symbol that doesn’t quite serve the same purpose as the symbols mentioned above. Such symbols are mostly placed at the edges of drawings or in specific areas. Their role is mainly to provide guidance to the constructor regarding construction procedures related to the construction.
Finding circled numbers
Circled numbers are important guidelines in drawings and are usually used to mark certain key locations. Due to the small scale of the drawings, it is difficult to include all the detailed information in the page content. Therefore, this information will be detailed in other sections, and the circled numbers act similarly to a table of contents. This indication allows you to quickly find the necessary information in other sections. If you see a circled number, it is advisable to look carefully at the corresponding page number for comprehensive information.
Recognize and understand common abbreviations
Abbreviations are common in structural steel drawings and are used to convey information in a concise manner. Compared to symbols, it can be difficult to understand and memorize all the abbreviations. Therefore, you can learn the meaning of some common abbreviations. For unfamiliar abbreviations, seek professional help from an engineer.
Summarizing
In the above content, we have talked about some tips on how to read steel structural drawings. We hope what we have said can bring you some help.
As a steel structure contractor in China, we can provide complete steel structure solutions. If you need, you can contact our engineers for professional help.
