Role of shop drawings in building construction There is absolutely no difference between shop drawings and fabrication drawings which are usually created by detailers and drafters for the manufacturing op structural and MEP components. Both structural detailing and MEP detailing are parts of drafting services wherein detailed drawings are generated by detailers which incorporate exclusive fabrication related information within them.
Technical knowledge is highly important when it comes to developing detailed drawings for fabrication purpose. Since all the important structural and MEP components are manufactured on the basis of structural shop drawings and MEP shop drawings their importance for design and construction professionals certainly remains very high.
According to a large number of design and construction professionals shop drawings remain the backbone of manufacturing industry since fabricators or manufacturers cannot manufacture building components without their assistance. Without their support manufacturers cannot get accurate information about dimensions, sizes, manufacturing standards, material specifications, welding, bolting and painting related information about MEP and structural components. The building components which require fabrication include pipes, HVAC ducts, structural columns, joists, trusses and handrail etc and hence detailed information about their sizes, dimensions and material specifications are provided to fabricators through structural/MEP shop drawings. The highly intricate and imperative information is contained in fabrication drawings and hence it is important they are generated by detailers with high accuracy for which they need to follow the specifications provided by structural engineers and MEP engineers. In short when it comes to the effective manufacturing and installation of MEP and structural components MEP detailing and structural detailing services are important. During detailing process two types of drawings are developed by detailers one is for fabricators and other for installers or erectors. In shop drawings and erection drawings clear instructions are provided to manufacturers and installers respectively in terms of how to manufacture and erect/install the components.
Since shop drawings are utilized for highly indispensable purpose they are effectively reviewed and cross-checked several times by architects and engineers before they are released to manufacturers. In this way shop drawings assist design and construction professionals in the development of high end structural framework and MEP systems.