Blueprints and Construction Drawings: A Universal Language 25
mation provided must be in sufficient detail to permit ordering the material for the product concerned and
its fabrication in the shop or yard. In practice the consultant often has to rely on these specialists to fur-
nish precise information about their components.
In most projects, whether large or small, contractors and subcontractors are frequently required to
draft shop drawings even for minor shop and field projects such as doors, cabinets, and the like. Thus,
for example, if complex cabinetwork is required, it must be built to exact size and specifications. A shop
drawing becomes necessary to ensure that the cabinetwork will fit into the structure and that the struc-
ture will accommodate it. In Figure 2.8A we see shop-drawing details for a restaurant waiter station and
Figure 2.8B shows how a cabinet is to be assembled. Approval of the shop drawings usually precedes
the actual fabrication of the component. Shop drawings also help the consultant check the quality of
other components that subcontractors propose to furnish.
Details.
Detail drawings provide information about specific parts of the construction and are on a larger scale
than general drawings. They show features that do not appear at all or are on too small a scale in gen-
eral drawings. The wall section and elevator details in Figures 2.9A and B are typical examples and are
drawn to a considerably larger scale than the plans and elevations.
Framing details at doors, windows, and cornices, which are the most common types of details, are
nearly always shown in sections. Details are included whenever the information given in the plans, ele-
vations, and wall sections is not sufficiently “detailed” to guide the craftsmen on the job. Figure 2.10
shows some typical door and eave details.
A detail contains both graphic and written information. An area of construction is drawn at a larger
scale in order to clearly show the materials, dimensions, method of building, desired joint or attachment,
and so on.
Details are often drawn as sections. It is as if a slice is made through a specific area and the inner
components are visible. In Figures 2.11A and B we see an example of a typical bay window detail.
There are many types of details, all of which are drawn as needed to clarify specific aspects of a de-
sign. A drawing sheet will often show several details. The complexity of the project will determine which
areas need to be shown at a larger scale.
Details are always drawn to scale. A typical scale for a detail is 3 inches to 1 foot (scale: 3 inches =
1 foot, 0 inches). The scale for each detail will vary depending on how much information is required to
make the construction clear to the builder. Each detail will have the scale noted below.
Specialized and Miscellaneous Drawing Types.
There are numerous other types of drawings used by architects and engineers in the construction
industry.
Freehand sketches are drawings made without the aid of any type of drawing instruments. Sketches
can be an extremely valuable tool for architects, designers, builders, and contractors. It is often the
quickest and most economical method to communicate ideas (Figures 2.12A, B, and C), construction
methods, and concepts or to record field instructions. It is an ideal method to sell an idea to a client and
get preliminary approval for a design. Likewise, when installing mechanical or electrical systems and cir-
cuits, you may sometimes have to exchange information about your job with others. A freehand sketch
can be an accurate and appropriate method to communicate this information. This type of drawing is in-
formal in character, may or may not be drawn to scale, and need not follow any particular format. A