What is Steel Detailing?

Steel detailing is the production of detailed plans and drawings for steel fabricators and erectors. These drawings help the erectors know where and how to erect the fabricated steel members on the job site. They also help the steel fabrication shop know the exact requirements for fabricating each individual member, or piece of steel. Steel detailing is a specialist area of structural drafting.

A steel detailer interprets architectural and structural engineering drawings to gain a thorough working knowledge of the overall design intent of a building. They provide these detailed designs for manufacturer and erection of columns, beams, braces, trusses, stairs, handrails, joists, etc. for large steel structures like buildings, bridges, industrial plants, stadiums, etc.

Shop Drawings

Shop drawings are created to specify the exact detailing requirements for fabricating each individual member of a structure, and are used by the steel fabricator to fabricate these members. These drawings should show material specifications, member sizes, all required dimensions, welding, bolting, and other information. The shop drawings are intended for use by the fabrication shop, and thus contain little or no information about the erection and installation of the steel members they depict; this information belongs in the erection drawings

Erection Drawings

Erection drawings are used to guide the steel erector while on the construction site. These drawings usually show dimensioned plans to locate the steel members. They also show specific information and requirements, including all work that must be done in the field (such as bolting, welding or installing anchors). Since the erection drawings are intended for use in the field, they contain very little specific information about the fabrication of any individual steel member; members should already be completed by the time the erection drawings are used.

Computer-aided Drafting

Today, manual drafting has been largely replaced by computer-aided drafting (CAD). Almost all steel detailers now create drawings on a computer, using software specifically designed for steel detailing. The two most common computer applications in use today are Tekla Structures and SDS/2. With these softwares, the detailer literally builds the project in a 3D model before producing detailed shop drawings.

Compliance & Regulations

Steel Detailers must comply with the requirements of the design drawings and with all industry standards and protocols, such as those established by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). The detailer is usually not responsible for design, including structural strength, stiffness, and stability (which are the responsibility of the structural engineer), or major dimensions of the structure and compliance with relevant building codes (which are the responsibility of the architect).

What is Steel Detailing?