Answer: Steel Detailing is the production of shop drawings for a steel fabricator of Melbourne. A steel fabricator is a company who provides, and sometimes installs, the steel framework for a construction project. A steel detailer’s duty is to generate the drawings that the fabricator will use to cut and weld all the necessary members together.
Steel Detailing is a specialist area of structural drafting. A Steel Detailing Company interprets architectural and structural engineering drawings to gain a thorough working knowledge of the overall design intent of a building or structure. Using this translated information, the Steel Detailing Company then produces an altogether different set of clear, unequivocal and accurate drawings for the purpose of steelwork fabrication. A steel detailer broadly generates the layout instructions to facilitate the installation and erection of the steel framework.
A very generalized description of this relationship between fabricator and detailer can be described like this – the architect designs the look of the structure, and the engineer calculates the required sizes and locations of the steel to make the structure safe and strong. Finally, the steel detailer uses both sets of plans to provide detailed drawings with exact dimensions and lengths for each individual part that the welder and installer actually use.
All steel members required to build the structure are fabricated and erected from shop and erection drawings created by the structural steel detailer. Traditionally, these drawings were created by manual drafting methods, using pencils, paper, and drafting tools as a parallel bar or drafting machine, triangles, templates of circles and other useful shapes, and mathematical tables, such as tables of logarithms and other useful calculating aids. Eventually, hand held calculators were incorporated into the traditional practice.
Steel Detailing: The Basics
The process of steel detailing begins with the drawing up of blueprints for fabricators and contractors. This includes the plans, reports, and estimates for a project. In steel detailing, the main two drawings that will be involved are erection drawings and shop drawings.
Erection Drawings
These important drawings will give a visual plan to the dimensions of a steel-based project. Giving a view of the overall structure, erection drawings include details regarding the exact location of each steel component in a project, what needs to be done to install them properly, as well as any vital diagnostic information about needed materials such as bolts and anchors. These drawings will create the blueprint for all parts of the construction of the project based on the items that are fabricated based on shop drawings.
Shop Drawings
Shop drawings are also known as “detail drawings”. These drawings are precise and exact, showing nearly every detail of each steel component in a project. This could include columns, beams, braces, joists, or trusses. If a fabricator is going to make it, the steel designer needs to draw it up. Shop drawings will often include the specifications of materials, any particulars as to the dimensions, as well as information regarding welding and bolting. These drawings will become the backbone of the fabrication of the elements that will make up the erection drawings.
Steel Detailing Standards & Expectations
For any project in any part of the world, a steel detailer is responsible for maintaining the highest level of standards.
As a vital link between the structural engineer and the architect, the steel detailer provides drawings that will give guidance as to the design, strength, and integrity of steel structures. Once they are completed, the detailer will then seek the approval of both the architect and structural engineer before any fabrication can occur.
So, a steel detailer is like an engineer? Or an architect?
A steel detailer uses the architect AND engineer’s plans to produce the shop drawings for the fabricator. A very generalized description of this relationship can be described like this… the architect designs the look of the structure, and the engineer calculates the required sizes and locations of the steel to make the structure safe and strong. Finally, the steel detailer uses both sets of plans to provide detailed drawings with exact dimensions and lengths for each individual part that the welder and installer actually use.
Ah ha! So choosing the RIGHT detailer is paramount.
A steel detailer plays a tremendous role in the overall project progress. The detailer must be familiar with regulations and guidelines from all aspects of construction. OSHA, AISC, minimum bearing limits, and common standards/practices must be included in the detailer’s skill set. A good detailer can make even the most complex project very feasible for any fabricator. At M-SAC Steel Detail, we let our track record do the boasting. 80% of our business comes from repeat customers. Although our rates are NOT the lowest around, our customers know what to expect each time they choose us as their detailing firm for those “delicate” or “tougher” projects. We’d like the opportunity to impress your company.
Indiana Steel Fabricating – Guiding You In Steel Design
At Indiana Steel Fabricating, we pride ourselves on our reputation and years of experience dealing with builders, contractors, and building owners in every part of the building process. Our team is experienced in the process of steel detailing and can help you and your team with any information or guidance needed for nearly any steel-based project. Our expertise has helped us complete countless projects for a variety of industries.
If you need more information on steel detailing, are looking for a steel quote, or would like to talk to an expert in the field, give us a call today. At Indiana Steel Fabricating, no one knows steel like we do.
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