Steel detailing is a specialised job, and a steel drafting professional is an essential person to have onboard for any construction work that involves the use of structural steel. The role of a steel detailer is to create in-depth CAD models and fabrication drawings that are vital to the design and assembly of the steel sections of the project.
Every building project requires the input of a wide range of specialists, and steel detailers collaborate with other professionals within the process to create a successful outcome. In this blog post, we look at which stakeholders a steel detailer works closely with as part of their role.
During the planning stage
The initial stage of any construction project is design, planning, and detailing. Steel detailers have a significant role to play in this part of the process. During this stage, a structural steel drawing company will work closely with the project’s architects. A steel detailer will provide computer-aided design (CAD) services based on the architect’s drawings, putting together detailed CAD models of the steel elements. This includes parts such as staircases, balconies, or ladders.
By producing structural steel drawings, steel detailers help architects to visualise their design in greater detail and to promptly identify any potential problems or risks. This is vital to avoid costly and time-consuming mistakes later on.
Along with architectural drawings, the renderings made by a steel detailer during the planning stage also help architects with communicating their designs well to the client. It’s essential that CAD models made by steel detailing specialists have accuracy down to the millimetre so that they effectively communicate the design and ensure that errors are identified and rectified early on in the process.
Vital for fabrication
Creating fabrication drawings using software such as Advanced Steel is a fundamental part of a steel detailer’s role. These drawings are essential because they communicate to steel fabricators all of the technical information they need to know in order to successfully construct the structural steel fabrications required for a project.
Steel detailers usually produce a package of fabrication drawings for fabricators that include various types of drawings. These include general drawings that show a number of different views of the structure, as well as detailed renderings of specific steel parts. Materials lists that indicate the materials required and their quantities also form part of this package. The fabrication drawings also usually include details about how to assemble the steel sections, and might also include instructions for the steel’s finish.
Whatever the nature of the construction project, accurate steel detailing and good collaboration between steel detailing professionals and steel fabricators is essential. Errors caused by inaccurate fabrication drawings or poor communication between the steel detailer and the fabricator could mean that steel sections are incorrectly sized or unsafe. These are serious problems – they mean that the steel structure will need to be disassembled and then corrected, costing extra time and money. In turn, this could easily cause a building project to go over budget or past its deadline.
Who can help with steel detailing for my project?
If you’re working on an architectural or construction project that makes use of structural steel, you’ll certainly need professional steel detailing services to ensure it’s a success. Restoric Design is a highly experienced structural steel drawing company that has worked on a vast range of architectural projects.
If your project requires quality steel detailing work for its structural steel elements, our professional services will help to ensure success. Get in touch for more information about our services or to discuss how we can assist your current project.