[The professional practice of architectural working drawings pdf free download

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This book is designed to teach attitudes, basic drafting skills—both hand and computer-aided (CAD) skills, and fundamental concepts of architectural. the-professional-practice-of-architectural-working-drawings-wakita-osamu-a-linde- a free download from replace.me Document: TWf 01 (revised.
 
 

Working Drawings Handbook ( Pages )

 
This book is designed to teach attitudes, basic drafting skills—both hand and computer-aided (CAD) skills, and fundamental concepts of architectural. the-professional-practice-of-architectural-working-drawings-wakita-osamu-a-linde- a free download from replace.me Document: TWf 01 (revised.

 

The Professional Practice of Architectural Working Drawings.[PDF] The professional practice of architectural working drawings | Semantic Scholar

 

It drives me nuts. And it bothers me that the spelling of some words has been changed for architectural practice, for reasons that are not all that clear to me gage versus gauge, for example.

But I have accepted that, and have moved on. Yet I see misspellings all the time. To me, it betrays a lazy mind. Bad spellers know that they are bad spellers, and even if you are a good speller, you generally know what words are problem words for you. Poor spelling is unprofessional, and it has no place in a set of working drawings. The percentage varies as a function of the size and complexity of the project. The remaining fee is the net architectural fee, and this is what your project team has to work with to do all your work.

As you prepare your cartoon set see the section on Cartooning later in this manual , you begin to get your arms around the number of drawings you will need in the working drawings set. But there are many other activities that need to happen during the working drawings phase, and some fee needs to be allocated for them. You can use the following breakdown as a guide keep in mind that contract requirements differ, and your project may or may not look like the one below.

The manner in which these costs of reproduction plotting, bluelines, xeroxes, etc. A common standard would be that reproductions used in-house by the architectural team and the consultants would be part of the net architectural fee, while progress sets distributed to the owner and contractor would be considered true reimbursable expenses meaning that extra dollars would be available from the owner to cover those costs.

As you can see. But you begin to get some idea of how much fee is available for each drawing. But how many hours is that? But that is not the cost to the firm of employing you, nor is it the rate that the firm charges for your time. A typical multiplier to cover those kinds of things would be around 3. This may not actually be billed to the client in this way, but it is usually tracked as a cost to the job in this way.

Therefore, at your hourly rate, you will have about 35 hours to complete this sheet. If more than one person is working on the sheet, a similar calculation must be done for each person, and then added together to find out what the total projected cost is for that sheet. The following Drawing Progress Report DPR form gives you a worksheet to track your hours and your drawing progress to make sure you stay on track. The real danger is not believing it.

You have to trust this information. We have provided you with some tools to facilitate this, but these tools are no substitute for being proactive. Make a daily to-do list of the things that you need to complete each day. Be reasonable. Tie it to the worksheets that show how much time you have to accomplish various tasks. If the worksheets tell you that you have 8 hours to do all of the cross-referencing on a given sheet, then do your best to get it done in 8 hours. If you find that you have been distracted or less productive than you should have been, then make the commitment to stay as long as it takes to finish that task.

And the next day, and the day after that. Deal with the work on a daily basis and keep yourself on schedule. Click here for a link to a typical Weekly Project Team Meeting Agenda Cross-Referencing Before technology enabled us to draw complete virtual models of our designs, architects developed a sophisticated 2-dimensional system that consists essentially of plans horizontal cross-section cuts , sections vertical cross- section cuts , and elevations.

Each of these 2-dimensional drawings uses orthographic projection no perspective or vanishing to convey the essence of the building. We routinely begin to understand the building by looking at the plans. The plans show us the size, shape, and horizontal locations plan dimensions of all the major features of the building.

We then typically go to the elevations and building sections to help us understand the building in the third dimension. By putting the two views together mentally, we begin to understand what the building 3-dimensionally.

A system of directional signs has also been developed to help us find our way through the drawings. We use these signs so we know from the plan where the building sections are cut.

We know from the building sections where we can go to find wall sections of selected areas at a larger scale. We know from the wall sections where we can go to find even larger drawings of selected details shown on the wall sections.

The details may refer us back to the plans or the elevations to tell us even more about the building. This whole system is called cross- referencing.

It is important to understand this system in order to be able to guide the contractor through the set of drawings in as clear a manner as possible. You should understand what information belongs on the plans and what belongs on the building sections or elevations. Similarly, you should understand what belongs on the wall sections and what belongs on the details. But until you learn it, make sure you ask the appropriate questions. For example, the plans should show you horizontal dimensions, while the sections and elevations should show you vertical dimensions.

The building section should be a simple profile of the portions of the building that intersect the cutting plane, and more detailed wall sections should be cross-referenced from them.

The wall sections should show more detail, but unless the scale is sufficiently large , not as much detail as the details cross- referenced from them. This distinction is very difficult to make now that technology allows us to zoom in on any part of our drawings to show as much detail as we want. That will give you a great idea of how much detail you can and should show on those drawings. Schedules Schedules are really just tables, or perhaps special MS Excel worksheets.

In my experience, door schedules, for example, routinely have the highest density of errors of anything in the drawing set. They require diligence and perseverance, just as all schedules do. Now that schedules can be created on the computer, there is a tendency to hand-write the schedules out by hand, and have them transcribed by support staff into Excel or another spreadsheet program. Then you have to check it to make sure it was transcribed correctly. I strongly encourage you to learn the software and sufficient data entry that you are able to create the schedules yourself.

This takes two steps out of the process, and should result in a higher degree of accuracy. Schedules are used to convey a lot of information about a large number of things in a very concise and straightforward way. Even a simple project may have several dozen doors and frames, and a variety of interior finishes.

A schedule is still the answer to this issue. A door schedule should include this information for each door: 1. Door mark the number given to the door on the floor plan 2.

Opening size 3. Number of leaves active and inactive and their respective sizes 4. Door type 5. Door material and finish 6. Frame type 7. Frame material and finish 8. Fire resistive requirements 9. Hardware group Location of relevant head, jamb, and sill details If the finishes are too complicated to handle using the finish codes see Standard Symbols , then use the following sample Finish Schedule.

For this reason as well as others , you should do your detail studies freehand, in pencil. You may scan them if you wish, but a copier works just as well.

You can add notes to the drawing using a very quick freehand technique. The details can then be drawn up on the computer after you have thoroughly studied all of the conditions around the building. They have been suggested, discussed, and used for many years — at least thirty that I know of. But I have rarely seen a detail library that is conceived and implemented successfully. And there are many reasons for this. One reason is that folks have a very hard time distinguishing between a standard detail and a one-time use detail.

For example, we may want to use the same windows in a building with wood siding that we used a few projects ago on a building with brick veneer. That is certainly enough difference to put those details into a non-standard category. However, many site details are fairly standard. A flag pole base or a concrete curb is probably going to be pretty similar from one project to the next.

Once you have identified a detail as a potential detail for the library, go ahead and begin drawing it for the project at hand. But stop short of adding project- specific information such as grade elevations and the like. Then place a copy of it in a folder for the library, and go on to finish it. There are probably a number of tried and proven ways of cataloging standard details.

The method I prefer is to catalog them by building system — exterior envelope, roofs, site, and the like. In renovation projects, many decisions are driven by the feasibility of modifying existing features of the building. In order to make informed decisions, the existing conditions must be clearly understood. Since we cannot always anticipate how the design may evolve, we must prepare as complete and as accurate a record as we can in order to assess the impact on design issues that were not known at the time of the verification work.

Neatness and clarity in your field verification notes are very important. Use Schematic Design drawings as the redline set.

For field purposes, xeroxes of partial plans may be most convenient. Verify room configuration measure as required to verify. Do not get bogged down in detail unless the effort seems needed to you. If you have questions, ask your Project Architect. Photograph walls, ceiling conditions, and special problems for areas affected by new construction.

No photos needed for rooms that will not be altered. Identify photos by date, room number, and initials of photographer. The room numbers shall correspond to Schematic drawing numbers wherever possible.

If the room number comes from the existing drawings, indicate so on the photograph. Keep notes that correspond to the photos if it seems necessary. Compare existing drawings to actual materials—note discrepancies. Drawings shall be marked to indicate existing materials including finishes.

In some areas, xeroxes of existing drawings may be required to understand the area—especially for demolition. When you return from the project site, you will be responsible for organizing the photos and transferring their information onto the Master redline set.

Photos will be organized in notebook form to accompany the redline set. Keep the photos and negatives in specially made plastic sleeves. Negatives should be kept in the project files. Note significant equipment panel boards, fan units, cabinet heaters, life safety equipment, hose cabinets, pull stations, etc.

Pay particular attention to location of expansion joints and covers. The degree of accuracy reflected in your measurements is important, but keep in mind that a measurement between two walls that are slightly out of plumb could vary by an inch or more, depending on the height at which the measurement was taken.

Therefore, record them as typical coursing dimensions. Team Members: Identify the members assigned to each team. Timing and Tasks: Indicate dates for various verification activities. Field Measurement Graphics: 1. Use standards set by office for dimension lines, dashed above, dashed below, centerlines, tenant lease lines, property lines, etc. Sketches to be done in consistent media; preferably graphite on graph paper.

Drawings should be sketched with a reasonable sense of scale and clarity. Sketches should be oriented on the sheet in the same orientation as the schematic design drawings. All sketches should be hardlined on trace paper or on CAD. Standard graphic symbols should be used on each drawing. Dimensioning and noting should occur approximately in the same placement and orientation from drawing to drawing.

CAD name for drawings should be at the bottom left hand corner of each individual drawing. We used to have to go through some fairly complicated photographic processes to get a photo onto a sheet of drafting film, but technology has simplified this process immeasurably. Photo-drafting allows you to note demolition or new finishes for existing construction without having to measure and draw the building from scratch.

You may still have to do that, for other reasons, but before you do, think about how you might be able to use photos to reduce or eliminate drawing. You might go where your fancy takes you, and you might end up in some beautiful spot where you decide to spend the rest of your life. Or… you might not. Perhaps you prefer to plan your trips, knowing where you want to go and how long you have to get there. So it is with working drawings. Every set of working drawings must be planned to ensure that the drawings will be logically organized.

Planning encourages the Project Architect to think about all the drawings that are necessary to adequately communicate the design, and gives him or her an opportunity to group or separate drawings in a way that will facilitate bidding and construction. Cartooning is a graphic way of planning and organizing the set of working drawings, and of planning the composition of each sheet within the set.

Use one for every sheet in the set, including the title sheet Block out each sheet, showing the approximate size, shape, and location of each drawing on the sheet. The work plan begins with a list of basic requirements that each drawing must comply with, and a checklist of elements that should be included on the drawing.

The work plan is then copied on the back of each cartoon set sheet, and acts as a road map for the person to whom that sheet has been assigned. Sample work plans for various kinds of sheets are included in the Appendix. Contractors see many different drawings from many different architects, and the drawings are not all as well organized or planned as well as yours are.

It is our responsibility to make this process as direct and as clear as possible. A little planning at the beginning will go a long way towards accomplishing that goal. Planning will encourage you to think about what drawings will be necessary to communicate the design and give you an opportunity to group drawings in a way that will facilitate bidding and construction. You start reading the front page, no problem. Then you turn the page and resume reading.

But you soon realize that page two is where page three should be, and page three is on the back and upside down so that when you get there and turn the page, page four is upside down where page two should have been in the first place. While there may be a time and place for this kind of cuteness, working drawings is not it.

Working drawings must be so clearly organized that anyone with the need to decipher them can do so easily. The general contractor, subcontractors, materials suppliers, manufacturers, building officials, owners, consultants, and even checkers in your own office are all seeking different information from different parts of the drawings, in different levels of detail. Your challenge is to find a way of communicating effectively with each of these groups.

The whole idea is to put page two where everyone expects to find it, and the same with page three, and so forth. Clear and organized sheet design promotes communication of construction drawings quickly and easily. When ignored, details can disappear into a maze of lines, dimensions and notations.

A poorly organized set of construction drawings can drive up construction costs as well as increasing the number of questions during construction. This costs you and the contractor time that you might otherwise be using to do something fun. A little attention to organization when you begin a set of drawings can benefit all concerned.

The following items will help keep drawings clear and organized from the very start. Determine a sheet size which is appropriate to the project scale and complexity. Avoid using odd sized formats whenever practical. In addition, using a sheet that is too large for a particular project encourages over drafting and wasted time in trying to fill the empty space. Be consistent. Locate title blocks, key plans, keynotes legends, and plans in the same position on each sheet to speed orientation.

It is also desirable to have the title block on the right margin so it is visible without unrolling the entire set. Group similar drawings together on the same sheet. If a project requires few details and a separate sheet is not required, locate the details around the upper and left margins. Group similar details together maintaining scale and orientation where ever possible.

When sketching details or sections, plan for final scale and space on the construction drawings. Allow space for titles, dimensions, keynotes, and grid designations. It is in our best interest to follow an accepted industry standard when it comes to organizing a set of drawings so as to be better able to defend our construction documents and to communicate our ideas with the least amount of confusion.

Drawing Organization — Drawing Identification What would you think if you got into a new car, a model you had never seen before, and as soon as you sat down, you discovered that the steering wheel was in the backseat?

Or that the speedometer was in the trunk, and the fuel gauge was in the glove compartment? Maybe the engine was mounted to a separate trailer you were dragging behind you, and the switch for the headlights was under the hood? After your initial wonderment, you would probably start to become outraged.

This scenario sounds ridiculous, but it is very similar to the kind of thing we do to contractors nearly every day. We may think we are organizing our drawings logically, coherently. But the guy down the street has the same notion, and he organizes his drawings totally differently.

No wonder contractors get so annoyed with us. We can do better. We need to move in the direction of a more consistent approach to presenting information from office to office. And we should have a darned good reason for departing from established standards and conventions.

Keep in mind, too, that there are many other individuals who look at our drawings— owners, lenders, members of the boards of directors, materials suppliers, building officials, and more. By being more consistent in our approach to our drawings, we can all do a great service to our profession, and the construction industry.

It is most convenient to provide this information in a title block, which can be created as a reusable entity in CAD. The void can then be filled in with project-specific information, such as, project name, address, and number. Other areas of the title block will have to be completed by computer where appropriate.

It is helpful to include a sheet index on the general information sheet at the beginning of the set. This index should show each sheet number and sheet contents matching the description shown in the title block , organized by discipline.

Elevations, stair sections, or sections that are not details A5. If the architectural drawings show level one on sheet A1. The same applies for plumbing sheet P2. Therefore, it is helpful to put each reflected ceiling plan directly following the corresponding floor plan, to allow the sheet numbering concept to carry through. Identification of drawings issued after the selection of a contractor should also be consistent in nature. Drawings required to accompany Supplemental Instructions or Proposal Requests should share the same number as the instruction or request and can be preceded with a SI or PR.

The same can be said for other additional issued information from the architect and the consultants Change Orders, Construction Change Directives, etc. Small Project Organization Many projects do not need so many sheets to explain the work involved.

In such a case it is better to combine information onto a single sheet to avoid high reprographics costs and to make it easier to find things. The project manual should contain written information only. This includes abbreviations, symbols, door information except door hardware schedule , and details.

It makes sense that all graphic information be grouped together and all written information be grouped, since one literally references the other.

It is also difficult to keep several volumes in the same location, and not having details at hand or to have a problem locating them in a project manual, for example, could be very frustrating. Grid blocks can be used in any combination for large drawings. Customize only if needed. This sheet also includes a key plan to illustrate exiting from building. Locate tenant on key plan. Sections, Signage.

Add decimals if more than one sheet is necessary. They have long been considered fair game for individual expression and ingenuity in adapting drawing notations to the limited space usually available in a set of working drawings. However, it is important to be mindful that abbreviations will have to be interpreted and understood by people with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds.

Since the use of abbreviations can lead to misinterpretations and confusion, they should generally be avoided. There are some good reasons to abbreviate, though. Perhaps space is limited, or perhaps the abbreviated form is more common and readily understood than the long form gyp.

Where abbreviations are desirable, only those abbreviations which are generally understood and accepted throughout the industry should be used. Abbreviations should be easily recognizable to promote understanding of a specific note — not obscure it. When misused, abbreviations can frustrate and annoy, taking far more time to decipher than lettering the entire work or note. If you encounter a special situation for which you feel it is desirable to abbreviate, there are some guidelines which should be followed.

Abbreviations should conform to commonly accepted practice, and should be easily recognized in order to achieve this: 1. Choose one abbreviation for a specific term, and use it throughout a set of drawings.

Limit abbreviations to four or five letters. Do not use abbreviations that are nearly as long as the original word or phrase. The purpose of an abbreviation is to limit space, not provide punctuation. Besides, the contraction is implied by the use of a period at the end of an abbreviation BLKG.

Coordinate abbreviations used by other disciplines and within the specifications to avoid conflict and confusion. Provide an abbreviations list specific for each discipline. Do not include those abbreviations listed in the specifications. Edit the list to incorporate any project-specific abbreviations included in the drawings.

If in doubt, do not abbreviate. Any time spent contemplating an abbreviation is better spent writing out the full word or phrase. While use of appropriate abbreviations can speed completion of a drawing and provide a cleaner, more readable drawing, misuse can render a drawing virtually incomprehensible. This is intentionally a restrained list. Familiarize yourself with this list.

When preparing your drawings, use only the abbreviations which appear on this list. Do not make up new variations, and do not abbreviate anything that is not on this list. It is in our best interest to follow an accepted industry standard when it comes to abbreviations so as to be better able to defend our construction documents and to communicate our ideas with the least amount of confusion.

No one would even attempt something so obviously doomed to failure. Yet, as a group, we do something very similar when we use different words to describe the same thing in a set of working drawings, or when we use the same words to describe different things, even if the words are all in English.

As a profession, we should agree on some common definitions for commonly used terms, and then be consistent—and relentless about being consistent—in their usage. Any effort in communication first requires that a common language be established between participants.

The English language generally serves us well for this purpose, but there are some terms that have special meanings when used in a construction context. By reference or by inclusion, construction documents should begin by defining terms, standards, abbreviations, and symbols that will be necessary to clearly interpret and understand the information presented.

These are most often identified on an initial drawing sheet, in the General Conditions of the contract, and in Division 1 of the specifications. Make it your mission to know the words used in the general conditions, and elsewhere in the specifications, and then to use these words, terms, or expressions to describe the same things every time they are used.

Except for simple English, only identified terms, abbreviations, and symbols should be used. These should be identified for use prior to the start of the drawing. Referenced standards often use specific words to communicate information or identify materials and methods. These same words should be used for the same intentions in the construction documents.

Creation of the project specifications should begin with this same process of defining the language to be used. Specified products should generally be identified by the same non-proprietary terms as are used by manufacturers.

In the drawings, the use of the non-proprietary terms from specifications aids the reader in finding the matching specification. A proprietary name should not be used in drawings. The drawings identify where specified products are required and how they are to interface with other specified products.

By not repeating information from the specifications in the drawings, small changes in the specifications can be made without affecting the drawing notation. Words not having a consistent spelling or meaning within the industry will always be present. If a set of documents is consistent within itself and its referenced standards, there should be little chance for confusion. For words not taken from referenced standards or from manufacturers, it is recommended that one dictionary be established as the reference of choice for that project.

Spellings used should generally be the first listed. Some words in common use in the industry are not appropriate. Many words or word uses have been identified as poor choices by liability insurance carriers. Having been pivotal in deciding liability cases against design professionals, such words have become suspect for being interpreted in ways other than intended.

Think of symbols in the same way you think of road signs. When symbols are used well, they enhance the readability, clarity, and graphic quality of working drawings or they can confuse, obscure, and obfuscate. The following guidelines should help us to use symbols well.

Symbols should be simple to draft. Any drafter should be able to draw them with little trouble. Most CAD systems provide a library of common symbols.

These symbols should conform to industry standards, and if they do not, you should seriously consider customizing them. Then, send your CAD manufacturer a copy of this book, along with an admonishment about the need to standardize throughout the industry. Symbols should be standardized so that the drawing can be easily understood. Preference should be given to symbols that are commonly used throughout the industry.

Symbols should be unique. Anyone who reads the drawing should be able to ascertain the meaning of each symbol without difficulty. It should not be easily confused with other symbols. Symbols should be readily discernible from other elements on the drawings.

The reader should not confuse symbols with drawing elements or have difficulty finding symbols. Symbols must not obscure the drawing. Symbols must be drawn so that they are informative, but not the predominant features of the drawing. Symbols must show the importance of information. A hierarchy of symbols should be developed so that the prominence of the symbol relates in a general way to the importance of the information to which it applies.

There are five categories of symbols commonly used in architectural working drawings. They are independent of drawing scale. The reference symbols we recommend here follow the Uniform Drawing System in concept. Break the line as needed.

Rely on compass point designations for major exterior elevation references. Label them as North, South, East, and West. There are some differences, however. We consider the drawing number to be redundant, and represents additional unnecessary work. The letters in the above example indicate the drawing identifications, and are sufficient. We consider the door number to be an adequate symbol, and placing it inside a circle is like inserting a square peg in a round hole.

We believe this is a mistake, but we could not get confirmation from CSI on this. Materials Indications The UDS uses this 3-line symbol for steel and other metals, and the 2-line symbol for aluminum. This may be a mistake, because the 2-line symbol has been used for steel for many years and the 3-line symbol for aluminum. The UDS uses this symbol to represent loose fill insulation, and has no symbol for batt insulation. This symbol has been used for batt insulation for many years.

This may be a mistake in the UDS Manual. Materials indications must be consistent throughout a set of drawings and, where possible, they should be consistent with what are generally considered to be industry standards. Materials symbols graphically indicate certain materials and are used to help differentiate one material from another. They can be dependent or independent of drawing scale. We recommend using materials symbols that follow the CSI Uniform Drawing System see exceptions shown earlier in this chapter.

Concepts: To follow a nationally recognized industry standard for Materials Symbols so as to ensure understandable communication with the document user and to better be able to defend our documents on the jobsite. Limit the use of materials indications to those areas where they will most effectively clarify the intent.

Long brick walls rendered in their entirety are much more difficult to read than if the materials are indicated sparingly. Keep in mind the reproduction techniques that may be used. Continuous tones do not generally reproduce well by photographic methods including xerox , and should be avoided. Dot screens can be used to similar effect, but make your choices carefully. Fine dot screen patterns will be splotchy if a reduced size reproduction is made. The same criteria should be used in making selections from the available patterns.

They should be used where a material stops or where it changes direction. We recommend using identity symbols that follow the CSI Uniform Drawing System see exceptions shown earlier in this chapter. Using the UDS module the industry standard will help persuade them to alter their symbolism to a format you can use. We recommend using line symbols that follow the CSI Uniform Drawing System see exceptions shown earlier in this chapter.

Template symbols resemble the actual objects being symbolized. They are scale dependent. Click Here for Link to: Standard Symbols There are many popular symbols which commonly appear in a set of working drawings. There are also many variations. Create your own standard set of symbols, based on the UDS standards, and place it on your standard cover sheet, prepared as a standard on CAD. Then, copy it. Send it to your friends and colleagues, even competitors or enemies — anyone who might be tempted to deviate from the standard.

Peruse it, use it, abuse it even. It must become the law Repetition of information on multiple drawings and the subsequent multiple corrections that inevitably result cost both time and money.

Similarly, duplication of information may add to the cost of construction. Most simply stated, do not repeat the same information on different drawings. When preparing the cartoon set, determine which information or level of detail should appear on which drawing. Strive for clarity, simplicity, and consistency. Concepts: Every office should have a Department of Redundancy Department to help eliminate our natural tendency to be redundant, to repeat ourselves, to say the same things over and over.

Invariably, as a design evolves, certain earlier decisions must change. If that decision was documented in many different locations throughout a set of drawings, it will have to be changed at each location. Do not repeat on building sections, wall sections, exterior and interior elevations.

Mark them as similar and note variations from the standard. Most room elevations, including many classrooms, offices, toilets, and the like can be described using the floor plan in conjunction with a casework schedule, standard mounting height notes, or details. If there are rooms in a project, there are probably no more than 10 standard room finishes and perhaps some minor variations to those.

Create a room finish legend of the 10 types and subtypes and show a symbol on the floor plans with the legend adjacent. Avoid sheets of duplicative schedules. On a given drawing, completely note the most typical section or detail and simply reference other sections or details to the one noted. Note any variations to the typical on the affected section or detail. This may seem like a logical thing to do, and perhaps for design or presentation drawings, it is.

But for working drawings, it obfuscates the clarity of your drawings. This information more appropriately belongs in the technical specifications of the project manual. The specifications indicate quality requirements, while the drawings indicate quantities and how different materials come together. If there is room to provide sufficient detail at small scale, omit the large scale.

If not, draw it in detail at large scale and show only a schematic representation at small scale. If a small-scale plan shows a door jamb tight to an adjacent wall, there is no reason to draw an enlarged plan detail. If it is remote from a wall juncture, dimension it. Wall sections should be of sufficient scale to include critical vertical detailing. Building sections will typically be of sufficiently small scale to require detail enlargements adjacent if possible of key junctures.

As a minimum, limit the number of building sections to those necessary to generally describe building cross sectional characteristics. Move from plan to schedule to details. Every symbol shown on Architectural RCP is a duplication of engineering drawings and consequently a potential source of conflict.

Dimensioning Hands and feet. I suppose there was a time when these seemed like wonderful measuring devices. After all, you always had them with you unless you were a convicted thief.

Obviously, things were simpler then. In the intervening years, those of us still using the English system of measurement have made countless improvements to make the system more workable. First, we standardized the length of a foot. Good move. Then we divided it into twelve equal parts. How convenient. Then we divided these twelve increments into halves and into halves again and again and again — just to make certain that our base 10 calculators could never be used to add up the parts.

But we are not trying to change that here. We are simply trying to work with the system we have. This chapter is for the rest of us. Dimensioning is necessary to define the size and location of various building materials, components and elements.

When well done, dimensioning can clarify and simplify the construction of the most complex building. However, even the simplest building can be rendered virtually indecipherable if dimensioning is not adequately considered.

Dimensioning is a comparatively simple arithmetic exercise, and it is so important that there is simply no excuse for not taking the time to do it right. However, there are ways to make this process simpler and easier to manage, and these techniques should be used on every job. Arrange dimensions in a hierarchy that corresponds to the building hierarchy. The next line, moving in toward the building, should dimension the column grid. The third line in should dimension the building offsets.

The fourth line should locate the small elements, such as the openings. Dimension all items from an established reference point, such as a grid line, and do not necessarily close the string of dimensions to the next grid. The nature and complexity of each building will dictate to dimension to finish faces, actual faces, or to the centerlines of building elements. For most projects, the default should be to dimension to the face of concrete or masonry, and to the finish face of gypsum board applied to studs.

Dimension to the centerlines of columns, gridlines, and modular partitions. Do not dimension items such as partitions or doors that are centered or otherwise located by being on a grid, mullion, or by typical condition.

Dimension as much as possible from structural elements, rather than from items that may not be installed when the layout takes place.

Do not dimension openings that are dimensioned in a schedule. Dimension to the centerlines of windows when the dimension of the actual unit installed as determined by competitive bidding on one of several approved equivalents may vary from the size of the unit you have shown on the drawings except where window units are within masonry walls, in which case, masonry opening dimensions should be used.

Use actual as opposed to nominal dimensions for all construction except masonry. Use nominal dimensions for unit masonry, and make sure that masonry openings are indicated as such.

Do not dimension to the centerlines of doors. Doors should be located by dimensioning to one jamb at the edge of the opening only when the location is not otherwise made clear by its context as it would be when it is centered in a corridor, for example , or when it is not shown in a detail.

When dimensioning unit masonry, always use coursing dimensions, both horizontally and vertically. Never dimension any part of a masonry wall on the assumption that the difference can be made up by stretching or shrinking the mortar joints. Always keep in mind the exact coursing intervals for the particular block or brick sizes you are using.

Give consideration to the overall dimensioning strategy in dimensioning large and small scale drawings. When dimensioning common features in different parts of the plan, make sure the different ways of dimensioning them result in the same relative locations for those items the same dimensions.

Make sure long strings of dimensions are tied to gridlines. Dimensions should be checked, then double-checked, and then checked again.

Use an Add-Feet, Jr. Look for alternatives ways to arrive at the dimensions for a cross-check, and then scale the dimension to make sure you are in the ballpark. Use common sense in determining a dimensioning strategy, and make it clear when you are deviating from the norms you have established for your project.

Dimension to the face of the concrete wall, and then tie that face back to the gridline. Masonry and Coursing Dimensions Brick and concrete block are modular materials, and we must be mindful of their coursing dimensions when we lay out and dimension buildings.

The chance for error is multiplied when we start adding opening into masonry walls. Windows Windows are pre-manufactured units that are available from the manufacturer in specific, pre-determined sizes. If you want to put one of these units in a masonry wall, be sure that you can get one that comes in a standard coursing dimension for the brick or block you are using.

Not such a good match. Framed Openings The frames in framed openings are put in placed after the masonry is installed. They can be any size you want, as the pieces are cut to measured field dimensions right at the job site.

But you still need an opening that courses out with the masonry you are using. A final reminder: Keep it simple, take your time and do it right. Others may favor dimensioning to the centerlines of partitions, or creating nominal dimensions for partitions and dimensioning that way. There is no right way or wrong way of doing it — only the way preferred by the office you are in. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and certain projects may present very compelling arguments in favor of one method versus another.

These arguments should be considered, even if the most favored method is not the current office standard. If you are not absolutely clear on what the preferred method is in your office, go and find out. It is imperative that the dimensioning methodology be consistent throughout the entire set of working drawings. Understand what level of dimensioning is appropriate for details and what level is appropriate for broad scope information. Show dimensions the least number of times, preferably once, in the most logical place.

Change becomes easier that way. Slice through the building every so often with a string of dimensions. Random dimension strings are a sure sign to the contractor that some items have been missed. The outermost should be a building overall length, next dimension the column grid, the next string follows the major building offsets if applicable , and finally dimension small elements such as openings.

Casework and Millwork are the only areas where it is common to dimension in inches only. You could mix up the batter for the first layer, and then bake it, and then frost it. And then start over for layer two. You would follow a logical sequence of events that allowed each activity to happen at the appropriate time, resulting in the most efficient process for doing the work.

As architects, our reputations depend on our ability to conceive creative ideas. But our livelihoods depend on our abilities to communicate these ideas effectively to the people who will be translating our ideas into built reality.

Remember that our mechanical and electrical engineers may want to use sepias, CAD plots, or electronic versions of our drawings as backgrounds for their work. Similarly, certain drawings in the set should be started before others. The same criteria apply. Talk to them; find out what they want. It is better to deviate from this sequence than it is to make assumptions that impede the productivity of our consultants.

Hierarchical organization is similarly important on other kinds of drawings as well. For building and wall sections, it helps to keep the construction sequence in mind as you develop the drawing. For example: Start at the footing and work your way up the building. Show the same structural members and connections as the structural drawings show but leave out the detail. The drawings you create will be the products of the thought process that you put into them.

If your thought process is clear, logical, and coherent, then your drawings will communicate clearly. If your process is haphazard, then that is what will be communicated to the contractor. Take care with your work, and let it say good things about you. A contractor may ask himself, or even you, whether you wanted a specific manufacturer of gypsum board sheetrock at certain locations but not at others.

Or he may ponder the difference you had in mind between gyp. A master notation system including keyed notation can eliminate this problem. But that is not the only advantage a notation system has to offer.

We have created a library of standard notation see the link at the end of this chapter. Notation is typically inserted into the drawings as blocks, with attributes. This will accomplish the objectives of saving time and making the notation consistent. A 4-digit CSI number the first four digits of the 6-digit CSI numbering system can then be added to tie the material to its proper address in the specifications.

Even if you choose not to access notes from a computer library of notation, use the master list anyway. It will help keep your notation consistent, a noble achievement in itself. In addition to producing drawings that are more graphically legible, the proper use of standardized CSI notation automatically establishes a direct and deliberate relationship between the drawings and the specifications. Conversely, if improperly used, they can result in anything from simple confusion to potentially costly legal action.

Some other considerations in using a master notation system: 1. Notes as they appear on the drawings will consist of numerals and the actual notation. Go through the master list and choose whatever notes you think you will need and highlight them for editing and sorting by support staff. If you discover later that you need some that you haven’t previously identified, you can select additional ones at any time. References to Civil, Landscape, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and other disciplines must be carefully coordinated with those disciplines.

If you use this reference, make certain that someone following your instructions will find the information you say they will. With some notable exceptions such as demolition notes , notes should refer only to materials. Imperative notes or clarifying notes should be written in full directly on the drawing.

Remember that the drawings quantify and the specifications qualify. Try not to include information in the notes that rightfully belongs in the specifications, and vice versa. Use of the attached master list should help accomplish this. The use of a tag can be very helpful in reducing the number of notes needed. For example, a single project may require several different thicknesses or types of gypsum board.

One method of annotation might be to create a separate note for each size or type. The tagging system is particularly useful in differentiating different colors of the same material, such as paint, plastic laminate, carpet, etc. Once the limits of various sizes, finishes, or colors are indicated in the drawings, the specifications take over to spell out the required finish in detail. This master list of notation should be used as the basis for all note lists used on working drawings.

Where there is some question as to the appropriate section or location for a material not already in the master list, refer to the CSI MasterFormat book from the Manual of Practice. It will serve as an excellent guide for making this determination. Remember that just because an item is metal does not necessarily mean that it belongs in the metals section — it may be an accessory that should be specified in an entirely separate section. It is possible for the same note to appear in more than one section.

This usually occurs with certain accessories. For instance, weeps may be under stone and under brick. Be careful to use the proper note for the condition in question. Demolition notes must be carefully coordinated with specific project conditions.

It is very easy to get overly detailed with these notes. As with any type of lexicon, it is important to develop a standard list of items which is as comprehensive as possible. Yet it is also important to keep the list as brief as possible, to streamline its use.

At some point, usually not too far into its development, a long list becomes unwieldy and detrimental to the process. The Master Menu should be consulted as early as practical in the course of the work so that a preliminary working list of notes can be generated and the project team can get accustomed to its use on the particular project.

In using the Master Menu, make a copy of the entire menu of notes. PCIS – a visual decision tool for construction and design management D. Fukai , R. Srinivasan Computer Science. Demonstrates the potential of PCIS Piece-based Construction Information System as a visualization tool for technical cooperation, collaboration and communication by literally aligning the points of … Expand. Highly Influenced. View 3 excerpts, cites background and methods. Selection of key sustainable indicators to steel buildings in early design phases J.

Andrade , S. Vieira , L. The construction industry attempts to produce buildings with the least possible environmental impact. However, construction activities still greatly impacting the environment; therefore, it is … Expand. Tommelein Business. Auto-referencing of notational labels in working drawings N. Shih Computer Science.

Olatunji , W. Sher Business. Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to elicit the activities in geometric 3D computer-aided design CAD estimating. Construction estimators usually target the structural integrity of data … Expand. Vieira , J. Andrade Engineering. Developing the construction sight: Architectural education and technological change Jonas Ivarsson Education.

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