Book on preparing drawings?
Book on preparing drawings?
(OP)
I would love to get my hands on a book that deals with developing a set of drawings. I feel like I'm ahead of my peers on the technical end of the job, but only on par (possibly lagging a little) on the drawing side.
I feel like at least part of the reason is that this seems to be fairly subjective. When I work with one engineer they like to see things a certain way. If I try following that with another engineer, they'll typically want it done differently. I don't feel like I have a good handle on how it SHOULD be done.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
I feel like at least part of the reason is that this seems to be fairly subjective. When I work with one engineer they like to see things a certain way. If I try following that with another engineer, they'll typically want it done differently. I don't feel like I have a good handle on how it SHOULD be done.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.






RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
The best I advice I can give is to observe what your office does and the way other offices do it and decide which is better. Take note whenever you have an RFI or misunderstanding or question on the shop drawings because there may be something on the drawings or in the spec that led to the question or confusion.
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
I didn't mean my personal CAD skills, I meant actually putting together a full set of drawings.
I guess I'll have to continue to plug along and learn as I go. This definitely seems to be the hardest part of the job.
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
Part of the problem is with the drafters themselves who may be conversant with cad techniques but don't always know how structural materials fit together in a simple way.
The other part of the problem is that I failed to spend enough time in the early part of the drawing development to ensure that the final product would end up the way I wanted it. And once the drawing is half completed, there is a reluctance to make a major change.
BA
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
I have a collection of drawings, that I have acuired over the years, for projects that were done by other engineers and other firms. I reference them not only for technical issues, but also for drawing layout, format, what kinds of things are they detailing/not detailing, etc. I have found them to be very helpful in helping me develop my 'style' of putting together a drawing set.
Its often good to see how other engineers in other firms appoach such basic things as drawing layout, format, etc. Sometimes, when you work at the same place, with the same people, for a long period of time a kind of 'group think' takes hold that you may not even be aware of. A different perspective on things is very helpfull.
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
Unfortunately there is no "cure-all" but you can rest assured that's the way many of us have perservered.
hey, feel free to write a book, could bring you some extra cash!
Regards,
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RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
The questions they have will tell you what they are looking for. Also, maybe try to get drawings back after the project is done be built. I'm in mechanical, and after the the company's shop builds something, I will go and grab the drawings back from the shop before they trash their copy. A lot of times these are marked up where the fabricator added/subtracted dimensions to figure out what it should be where he/she wanted to measure it. Sometimes the dimensioning was done a certain way for tolerancing, but many times it could be dimensioned the way the shop actually measured it. Better off having the dimension they want so there are not math errors, unless there is some critical overriding factor for why this hole needs to be measured from this point.
-- MechEng2005
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
A fab shop, now that I might agree with. Typically detailers in fab shops are on the mark and know what works and doesn't work. But I concede this only for steel and not rebar shops. For rebar shops, see above for contractors.
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RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
Also, make the drawings pretty. I mean the information has to be right, but making them pretty is good start to good drawings. Remember, 95% of the people looking at your drawings are probably not an engineer. They are architects, contractors, plan reviewers, or just some guy. They don't have a clue if the engineering is right, but they know pretty when they see it.
Next try to avoid unnecessary information or clutter. If it does not have to do with the structure don't put it on the drawings. This is especially true with plans (sections can go either way); don't put non-loading bearing stud walls, toilets, flower pots, furniture, or etc. on the drawings it is cluttery and not needed.
To summarize the path to good drawings involves consistency, pretty, no unnecessary information, and consistency. Consistency is very important.
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
I usually start by drawing everything before putting labels on. Only after everything is drawn do I make the attempt to call everything out... or at least as much as possible. Doing it this way I end up fitting the labels after I see the flow of the set of drawings as opposed to trying to fit the set of drawings to the details... if that makes sense.
I do the same no matter if I'm working on a project of my own or helping another engineer. I don't try to guess what they want because I usually can't find a typical format/layout they like. If they don't like it they'll red line it.
I also keep a set of common details that I like (in addition to the company's typical details). They make a good template to keep me in that same mindset.
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
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RE: Book on preparing drawings?
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RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
The first thing I recommend is looking at drawing done with your firm and seeing what is conveyed. It is very easy to put too much information on a drawing. When that happens no information ends up getting conveyed.
Put together a drawing standards template if your firm doesn't have one already. In it you can have default samples of linestyles and font sizings and layers. This helps a ton.
The only other great advice I got from a mentor in drafting was "Say it once. Say it right. Reference it." This way you are sure you will never have internal inconsistamcies in your drawing set.
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
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RE: Book on preparing drawings?
RE: Book on preparing drawings?
ACI 315 Detailing Manual (this has engineering drawings as well as shop drawings)
AISC Detailing Manual
The only ones I remember seeing are the older versions but nevertheless still applicable.