General steel detailing process
Steel detailing is the process of producing a set of fabrication drawings which are relied upon for the production of steelwork.
In basic terms, architects design the building (size, finishes, materials etc.). Structural Engineers calculate, design and specify the structural elements. Both of these disciplines convey this information in drawings. Steel fabricators cannot fabricate their steel from architects or structural engineers drawings. To fabricate steel one requires Fabrication Drawings.
Fabrication Drawings are derived from a combination of the architectural & structural engineers drawings. The setting out of the steel (in plan and elevation) is taken from the architects’ drawings and the sizes as well as the connections from the structural engineer’s drawings.
Drawing requirements
The steel detailer needs to convey sufficient information on the fabrication drawings to allow the fabricator to produce the required steel without any queries.