What kind of information is contained in fabrication and erection drawings copy

What kind of information is contained in steel fabrication and erection drawings?

Structural Shop drawings which are typically generated for pre-fabricated components are provided to structural design team by contractors, suppliers and subcontractors etc, as they generally have good connections which engineering service providing companies from where they hire these services. Prefabricated components for which fabrication drawings are created by steel detailers include columns, joists, trusses, handrail and beams etc which are developed from steel and these components are employed for assembling structural framework.

Structural engineers and architects are not directly obliged for developing these drawings yet, these drawings cannot be generated without their support, as they have to be in uniform communication with steel detailers during steel detailing process. But if we talk about legalities of construction process, they are nowhere responsible for the development of fabrication drawings and erection drawings. For the entire manufacturing crew, fabrication drawings hold too much importance as they get the detailed picture of what is required from them to be fabricated. Similarly for the crew accountable for erection or installation of the structure, erection drawings are immensely important because they obtain details about steel members and the way they should be placed during installation. Fabrication drawings contain complete manufacturing related details in them, which are utilized for manufacturing steel parts. But once steel fabrication drawings are perfectly completed by steel detailers, in the next step these drawings are reviewed by architects and engineers which help them to understand fabricators’ view in terms of fabrication of steel components.

Brief information about fabrication is also contained in construction documents, but during steel detailing a detailed version of that information is created by steel detailers which help in defining intricate details. Neither fabrication drawings nor erection drawings are provided to clients without the approval of engineers, since they have the ultimate say on it. While reviewing these drawings structural engineers compare the information that is provided to detailers through specifications with the drawings to figure out their legitimacy.

If information related to dimensions, sizing, welding and bolting etc (of steel parts) is provided comprehensively in the drawings with required accuracy, drawings can be release to manufacturing crew. Similarly when structural engineers feel that the information accommodated in erection drawings is totally reliable and error free these drawings can be released to the crew liable for installation of the structure.