How Steel Detailing Works
National Steel Detailing provides high-quality Steel Detailing and Shop Drawing Services!
Need fast and precise structural drafting services with error-free solutions? National Steel Detailing is for you!
Steel detailing is a drafting process which helps the fabrication of hot and cold rolled steel. The process involves creating detailed drawings for contractors and fabricators, which is essential as it provides a crucial link between professionals such as architects, engineers, fabricators and contractors. Steel detailing is primarily used in the construction and development of bridges, buildings, non-building structures and industrial plans. National Steel Detailing provides these services with accuracy and care.
Early Stages
Steel detailing is a multi-layered process in the construction field. Firstly, the structural engineer or architect will pitch an idea about a project, and give a general description on paper. The drawing they create could be linked to mechanical systems which pertain to steel members and their fabrication. The steel detailer will take these early drawings and produce them into detailed and accurate diagrams for every steel piece. These plans and drawings could refer to the making of steel members such as trusses, beams, braces, columns and joists.
Shop Drawings
These detailed and precise drawings produced by the steel detailers are known as shop drawings. They indicate the exact specification for fabricating each member of a structure. Comprehensive shop drawings typically include several elements, such as size, required dimensions, material description, preparing surfaces, welding, painting and manufacturing conventions.
Erection Drawings
The steel fabricator produces structural steel members based on the detailer’s shop drawings. Then, the steel detailer will once again step in to produce erection drawings for the steel members in the field. These drawings will be referred to by the steel erector so that they know where to build with the steel pieces. Within the erection drawings, the detailer will include dimensional plans to identify the steel members in addition to any other work needed on the site, including bolting, welding and installing masonry anchors.
Techniques Used
Steel detailing has utilised cutting-edge technology to produce incredibly professional designs. Previously, steel detailing was don on paper, using pencils, rulers and triangles. Today, steel detailers use Computer-Aided Design (CAD), which is a software that allows designing in 2D. It has revolutionised the industry, making things much faster and easier while also more cost-effective. Most companies now use 3D CAD, in which the model has an additional z-axis, allowing diagrams to be created in 3D. With this computer software, projects can easily be scheduled and tracked, creating a high degree of output with very high accuracy.
Additional Tasks
As well as completing the above tasks, the steel detailer may also have other responsibilities, which may include having to show drawings to the structural engineer before they are released to the fabricator, to be evaluated. They also have to observe parameters of design drawing and make sure they comply with industry standards. To check the accuracy of their design, the steel detailer should send their drawing to another steel detailer. If there are cases where there is insufficient information about structural drawings, they may offer links subject to the structural engineer’s sanction. Finally, it is essential that they resolve any complaints or comments that may have come out of the approval process.
National Steel Detailing specialises in the production of steel workshop drawings used by steel fabricators and manufacturers. We provide fast and accurate structural drafting services with error-free solutions. If you’d like to know more about us and our services feel free to reach out! You can do so by simply clicking on this link and filling out a contact form!