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The Art of Structural Drafting

by Clifford Schwinger, P.E.The Harman Group, Structural Engineers

King of Prussia, Pa / New York, NY

Tips for Producing High�Quality

Structural Drawings

DVASE breakfast seminar 10/12/16

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( The characteristics of good drawings

( The process of producing good drawings

( Standards, procedures & training

Seminar goal

Review,

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What do we need to show?

How do we show it?

Seminar goal4

Structural drafting is the language by which

engineers communicate design requirements for

both members and connections to contractors,

fabricators & detailers.

What is structural drafting?

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What happened?

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Too much analysis

What happened?

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Too much analysis

What happened?

Too little detailing

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• Does your model include the details?

• Is the model constructable?

• Will the contractor be building from the model or

from drawings?

“It’s all about the model.”

Today’s mindset,

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( Expose problems during design

( Clearly communicate design requirements

( Enhance safety

( Reduce RFI’s and change orders

( Increase profit for your company

Why does drawing quality matter?

Good drawings will,

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Suggestions from detailers,

fabricators & contractors

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( Show the dimensions

( Show reactions

( Define connection design requirements

( Do not show notes & details that do not apply

( Don’t hide important requirements in notes

( Provide all details

( Review the drawings before issuing them

( Think before saying “TYP” & “SIM”

Suggestions from detailers & fabricators16

Similar?

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− Be consistent & concise (write less, say more)

− Do not show things not in your scope

− Ask yourself “What is the purpose of this detail?”

− Strive for “photo(quality” details

− Envision building the structure

− Pay attention to the “little” things

− Make drawings understandable for non(engineers

Additional suggestions18

( Presentation

( Text over text

( Lines over text

( “Orphan” details

( “Garden salad” detail sheets

( “Lazy” details

“Little” things

It’s not “just presentation”.

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The “little” things20

− Look at the drawings through the eyes of others

− Scour the drawings – look for RFI’s

− Think about constructability & “designability”

Some additional suggestions

Pretend you are not an engineer and

that you are looking at the drawings for

the first time.

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Framing Plans

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Framing Plans

Strive to produce framing plans that are

easy to understand by people who are

not engineers

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Constructability & connection

designability

26Connection designability

27Connection designability

28Connection designability

29Connection designability

30Connection designability

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31Connection designability

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Concept connection details

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Concept connection details34

Concept connection details

No good

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Transfer forcesor,

Understanding EOR responsibilities when

delegating connection design to the fabricator

Member design, connection design and interface

between the two

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Transfer forces

Failure to consider transfer

forces, and properly

design and detail for them

can lead to structural

failures

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Transfer forces38

Transfer forces

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Transfer forces40

Transfer forces

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Transfer forces42

Transfer forces

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Critical connection details

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Critical details

( Hangers

( Slide bearings

( Unusual connections

( Connections with big reactions

( Connections with unusual geometry

( Critical load path connections

( Transfer girder details and connections

( Sloped columns

( Secondary bracing details

( Spandrel details

( Transfer force details

( Interfaces with existing buildings

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Critical details46

Critical details

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Don’t kick the can down the road

• Issues not dealt with during design will have

to be dealt with during construction.

• Issues dealt with during construction will

often be accompanied by change orders

• Issues not dealt with during design may

never be dealt with

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Don’t kick the can down the road

• Issues not dealt with during design will have

to be dealt with during construction.

• Issues dealt with during construction will

often be accompanied by change orders

• Issues not dealt with during design may

never be dealt with

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Scour the drawings. Try building your design from your

drawings. Detail everything.

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In(house peer reviews

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In(house peer reviews

A second set of eyes will find,

− Mistakes

− Confusion

− Missing information

− Constructability and designability problems

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Office standards and training

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Office standards & training

( Drafting standards

( CAD standards

( BIM modeling standards / procedures

( Typical details

( Go(by drawings

( Training

( Formal procedures

( In(house peer reviews

( Continual assessment

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You can’t grow a tomato in a week

Training58

Drafting standards

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“Go(by” drawings60

Typical details

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Training

Wrong

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Training

Correct

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Wrong

Training64

Training

Correct

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Procedures

Pre(CAD sign(off on details

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In(house peer reviews

Ongoing Quality Assurance

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Continual communication

The guiding principal70

Summary

− Establish standards

− Train staff

− “Go(by” drawings

− Conduct multiple in(house peer reviews

− Envision building the structure

− Consider constructability & connection designability

− Show the reactions

− Provide all sections and details

− Provide photo(quality concept connection details

− Look at the drawings through the eyes of others

− Pay attention to the “little” things

− Consider transfer forces

− Think about load paths – and clearly document them

− Provide paths to all sections, details and notes

− Don’t kick the can down the road

− Communication and teamwork

To produce high quality structural drawings,

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Will someone some

day want to frame one

of your drawings?

Good drawings are works of art0

Thank you!

Clifford Schwinger, P.E.

cschwinger@harmangroup.com