10 Things We All Hate About Structural Steel Drafting

Posted by Babette on May 27th, 2021

Structural Drafting Services™

Structural Drafting and Design are probably the one area that requires the least amount of training to qualify for certification. Many CPAs feel that it is more important to have a firm understanding of structural engineering and mechanical drafting principles, rather than a deep understanding of structural drafting and design principles. The best structural design and drafting services providers have a very strong command of both disciplines. Structural designers can provide clients with Structural Steel Drafting a structural steel drafting services definition and explain the various design processes that are involved in structural steel fabrication. To be an effective structural design and drafting service provider, structural designers must be able to produce accurate structural steel drawings and structural design and drafting plans that incorporate accurate, reliable engineering data.

Structural Drafting and Design encompass a wide range of services that include full structural design and drawings, preliminary drawings, foundation design, erection analysis and permitting, steel engineering, welding, detailing, and many others. The structural design and drafting services that a structural engineer provides must meet the requirements of structural engineers, the architectural engineer in charge of designing the project, and the structural company or manufacturer that is undertaking the project. Once an accurate structural design and drafting plan are developed, it is submitted to structural engineers for review and approvals before construction is begun. If the structural engineering plan is approved, a foundation engineer submits a foundation proposal to the contractor for design and construction consideration. Then the construction process begins.

From the preliminary drawing to the erection phase of structural steel fabrication, structural design and drafting must accurately describe each phase of the process. As part of structural design and drafting, the structural engineer must create accurate structural diagrams, making use of computer Aided design (CAD) program. The use of CAD program allows engineers to construct sections of a steel construction from multiple perspectives with varying degrees of complexity. Using this program, engineers are also able to simulate structural environments including dynamic and static sections, bending, taper, equilibrium, resistance, tensile stresses, and temperatures.

In addition, structural drafting services also require the accurate measurement and recording of loads and forces applied to the structure during various phases of the process. The accuracy of these measurements and recordings is crucial for ensuring structural stability. The documentation created by structural drafting services include foundation details, roof trusses, joist details, floor details, staircase detailing, column details, interior and exterior bracing details, roof and wall profiles, doors, windows, access ways, appliance locations, roof trusses, and attachment details. In most cases, engineers rely upon archived data when completing these tasks. Archive data consists of previous drawings and measurements that have been retained in chronological order for future reference.

Often structural engineers rely on a team of detailers to complete structural design and construction projects. This construction team comprises both engineers and detailers. The function of the detailers is to visualize the building or structure to be designed and to ensure it meets all required specifications and codes. All structural elements are brought into view during the structural engineering process. Once the project is underway, the structural engineers and detailers continue to monitor the progress of the work from the overhead crane viewing points and from various other key advantage points throughout the construction site.

Another important factor in structural engineering includes the creation of detailed drawings and plans. The structural engineer will create construction plans using a variety of tools such as mechanical and structural drawings, blueprint plans, and shop drawings. Once the construction phase is complete, the plans are inspected by a third party to confirm all of the facts and verify that the construction is proceeding according to plan. All structural elements are then manually placed onto the construction site through a hoisting system. All of the necessary coordination with factory production can take place at this stage of the process as well.

After the structural design has been executed on the construction site, all necessary connections details are manually placed onto the drawings. All necessary measurements and angles are then manually entered into the computer A/C drawings. If the actual physical drawing is required, most companies will use a computer-aided design (CAD) application program to produce the accurate structural layouts. All of the above mentioned processes are completed rapidly, accurately, and efficiently.

Many businesses that require structural engineering services will also have many other requirements such as approval procedures, bidding information, specification information, and many other forms of specifications. For this reason, many companies will outsource their structural drafting services to a CAD/CAM specialist company. Using a CAD/CAM specialist service allows companies to easily change or add any required specifications when they need to without having to re-design the entire blueprint plan. These specialists are highly skilled at creating accurate and timely drawings that are capable of providing a clear and precise depiction of every aspect of the project. With today's highly advanced CAD/CAM technology, structural engineers can quickly and accurately design and structural engineering project.