The Transition from 2D to 3D: Steel Construction Detailing
The Difficulties of 2D Steel Detailing
In the past, steel detailers, fabricators, and erectors did not have 3D models and worked with two-dimensional drawings. This meant the design team had to communicate in a 2D world so they could bid, build, and perform the job correctly. This also meant they had to provide completely accurate section cuts and details on design documents. This required the communication of all dimensions like edge of slab, inside faces of walls, and the locating of all non-grid steel and roof opening frames before the job was detailed and fabricated. Because this level of detail is difficult, the result was hundreds of RFIs, ASIs, etc. – This became the norm and the accepted practice. Steel detailers were expected to write all these RFIs while bidding the job as though they had completed design documents.
3D Modeling Software
3D Modeling software like Tekla has completely transformed the way steel is designed, detailed, and fabricated. This technology has opened the door for new possibilities. Many people have the misconception that a project must be 100 percent complete before a single drawing can be produced from a 3D system. This is untrue. The only information required to release one beam is the same information you would need if detailing manually. This 3D technology is especially impactful for large steel projects. The increase in design-build projects, especially those involving more than 10,000 tons of steel, is creating detailing schedules that wouldn’t be possible using traditional, 2D detailing methods.
Impact of 3D Modeling on Steel Detailing
Not only has 3D modeling become a life-saver for large detailing shops, but it has also been beneficial to smaller shops who might not have previously been able to take on large steel jobs. Rob Schoen said, “15-20 years ago, a company with less than 20 detailers would never have been considered for a job over 2,000 tons. Today, it’s common for small detailing operations with five guys to do these large jobs. This increased automation can also have negative consequences. It’s easier than ever for an in-experienced individual to produce structural shop drawings. This ultimately leads to a deterioration of the finished drawings and increased costs from changes to these drawings.
Rob Schoen and Darren Hartman co-wrote the article What Makes a Good Design Drawing in the February 2015 issue of Modern Steel Construction.
The above article is a summary of a section from that article as well as an article titled Between Dimensions: 3D detailing software is making strides, but 2D is still going strong by Geoff Weisenberger in the February 2007 issue of Modern Steel Construction.
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