Why you need quality structural drawings for your construction project
Structural design documents can be grouped into two categories, drawings and calculations. Both are equally important in ensuring a building’s ability to carry out its design loads. Once construction gets underway, however, drawings assume a more critical role.
Calculations help engineers determine which structural members and connections are best suited to a given project. Through calculations, engineers can figure out the strength, stiffness, size and layout of these elements.
Drawings are the language engineers use to convey a project’s design requirements to contractors. They show the types of members and connections, their locations and how they cooperate. The clarity of structural drawings, as well as the level of detail they contain directly impact a contractor’s ability to read and understand what they should be building. Quality drawings reduce permitting revision cycles, help contractors arrive at an accurate estimate, and lessen the risk of requests for information and change orders during construction.
Avoid extra costs during construction
If vague or inaccurate drawings misguide the contractor during construction, the cost and schedule impact of the errors may be severe. Formal procedures for adjusting the contract’s scope, schedule and budget, may add unexpected costs and jeopardise your project’s completion date.
Precise quotation
Before the construction begins, your prospective contractors will provide an estimate for the work. This estimate will be dependent upon the drawings that the design team has issued for bidding. While these drawings are not extremely important for construction, they plan an essential role in communicating the design requirements of the project.
Ensuring the quality of structural drawings
Limit guesswork and avoid confusion
Contractors need to be able to understand the drawings. However, they should be able to find all critical information to limit guesswork and eliminate confusion. Therefore, the drawings should include all dimensions but exclude irrelevant scope. In addition, the notes must be concise, with precise wording and in line with the drawing.
Deal with all design issues during the design phase
Resolving all the problems during the design phase, i.e., before the construction phase, will ensure maximum effectiveness while keeping the costs at bay. But, if you leave any issue to be dealt with during construction, it will likely lead to increased costs and reduced efficiency.
Make sure they include all essential details
Details are vital. They are enlarged drawings of particular components of the structure. They enable the reader to zoom in and see all the tiny details and differences. Each of the details must be perfectly clear and relevant to the big picture. What follows are typical structural elements that structural drawings should include.
Structural and civil engineering for your project
Considering a build, retrofit, extension, or conversion and need structural advice? dbstructural engineers provides structural and civil engineering for homeowners, architects, contractors and generally anyone who needs engineering support.
We’ve completed projects in Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Greater London, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, and beyond. So whether you’re building in Bedford, have a home conversion in Buckinghamshire, or building a development near London – we’re happy to talk.
Contact our team of engineers here.