The Difference Between A Steel Detailer And An Architect

All construction projects require the work of an architect or civil engineer and a steel detailer to make all the necessary calculations and drawings to produce the design - like National Steel Detailing.

In order for a safe and sturdy structure, these professionals are essential, but many people are still confused as to what the different is between the roles.

To put it very simply, the architect works with the client to design a project from start to finish, while the steel detailer uses the architect’s drawings to design appropriate steel structures that will form a structure’s skeleton, however there’s more to it…

Architects:

Basically, an architect is a building designer, and they design all parts of the structure and use engineers to design specific systems for it. The architect is hired by the owner of the project, and the architect hires the additional consultants to be paid from the architect’s fee.

The architect is responsible for the building’s design in total, and the consultants are responsible for designing their own specific system within the building.

Steel Detailers:

Steel detailing is part of the Structural Design consultants responsibility. The steel detailer is responsible for the detailing of structural design if it’s steel, and they don’t cover structural systems consisting of wood, concrete, masonry, etc. However, a Structural Engineer may get the steel detailer to make the steel system interact with other materials. 

Essentially, the key difference between an architect and a steel detailer is that weight of responsibility varies. The architect will always be a registered architect, but the steel detailer may not be a registered civil engineer.

The Weight Of Responsibility:

Registered engineers and architects have a higher level of responsibility than almost anyone else in construction; they are both financially and professionally liable for every structure they design. A project always has an architect who is responsible for the entire building, a structural engineer who is responsible for the structural components, and other engineers who take care of more specific elements of the building. It is the weight of responsibility and culpability that is the biggest difference between an architect and a steel detailer, even though they are complex professions.

National Steel Detailing specialises in 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!