Standards for Gridline Layout and Dimensioning on Structural Drawings

[KootK]

Does anyone know of a decent reference for grid line layout and/or dimensioning on structural drawings? I'm trying to train some junior, remote drafting personnel in this and I'm failing. I know what I DO NOT want to see but seem to have a hard time explaining the full gamut of just what it is that I DO want to see. It's been reactive and inefficient.

I'm hoping to be able to point to an existing reference rather than have to generate my own from scratch. A structural specific reference would be amazing but, in the likely absence of that, something intended for an architectural audience would probably get me 90% of the way to where I need to go.

Anybody know of anything?

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[WARose]

I can recommend two that I think are great references......but I don't think either one does much as far as grid layout goes. (I would think that would be pretty straight forward to train: tie down a point and grid off of that. Center line of columns for each line on steel drawings and so on.)

1. 'Blueprint Reading Professional Reference', by: Paul Rosenberg (published by DeWalt).

Comment: I use it mostly for symbols on P&ID drawings....but there is some good structural reference material in there. (Although a bit basic.)

2. 'Standard Handbook of Structural Details for Building Construction', by: Morton Newman, McGraw-Hill (2nd edition, 1998)

Comment: Excellent resource. (Especially for wood.) Some of ACI's resources are (I think) better. But you probably have those anyway. Let me also say I don't 100% agree with every detail in there.....but for training: it beats nothing.

 

[dik]

I use my own... and if I put details together for a client, I rely on his draftsperson to make OK... I have standard line weights that are roughly equivalent to the AIA... and I have my own layer system, again similar to the AIA, but modified to accomodate structures.

I typically set text height at 5/64 and works well for D size reduced to 11x17... Title blocks a little bigger but the under title 'SCALE: 1/4" = 1'-0"' is at 5/64ths.

Standard 1/2" dia gridline balloons with slightly larger text. Some clients have specifics, but, where I work I have real draftspersons that are aware of the client's standards... and use drafting to providing details that I have to work out... and for me, it's faster than sketching. For projects outside the office I generally use my layer system...

These are all blocks (with attribs if applic) and are affected by dimscale and ltscale as appropriate.

I generally use model space, and paperspace for putting together the project drawings. One of my last projects, the client wanted drawing borders to be included in modelspace (real pain) because different parts were at different scales.

Dik

 

[KootK]

I accidentally double posted this somehow. Here's ThaiDavid's response from the other one which should now be deleted.

@KootK - So basically, you're looking for something succinct to teach both common sense and experience to green CAD designers? wink I don't think that I have ever encountered any type of book or periodical that deals, at least in part, with this subject. It's just something that we all seem to pick up along the way by experience and practice (as I am sure you must have also). I don't know that there is any other practical answer than to "teach", or "train" your personnel to draft as you need, and want. If you, or anyone else who responds to your post, ever figure out an "easy" way to successfully approach this subject, then I'm all ears.
Good luck,
Dave

I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.

 

[MotorCity]

You may not wish to present this as an option to newbies learning to lay out grid lines, but I gave up making the first pass at it a long time ago and have since delegated this task to the architect types for 2 reasons: first, we structurals can work with any span (honestly, we may get a little too excited sometimes about longer span structures), and secondly, rather than me putting together a grid and having the architects tweak the hell out of it, I reversed the role to make more efficient use of my time. Now I find myself red lining their first attempt at a grid.